Stags Swim and Dive Qualifies Six Individuals, Five Relays for Nationals

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's swimming and diving team had six individuals qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships, headlined by two-time defending 200 fly national champion Frank Applebaum, the NCAA announced on Wednesday evening.

Applebuam is seeded in the top five in three individual events, including the 200 fly, where he broke his own NCAA Division III record in a dual meet with Pomona-Pitzer in December with a 1:43.87. He is also seeded third in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 fly as he tries to three-peat as national champion and earn three individual All-America honors. 

Joining him will be twin brothers Anderson Breazeale and Thayer Breazeale, distance swimmer Lucas Lang, backstroker Jeremy Tan, and breaststroker Evan Deedy. Anderson Breazeale set a SCIAC record in the 500-yard freestyle at the SCIAC Championships and is seeded second in the nation, with Lang seeded sixth. Lang is also third in the 1650, an event in which he has reached the All-America podium twice, including a runner-up finish in 2022. 

Anderson Breazeale is also seeded sixth in the 200 free and 19th in the 200 back as he will compete in three individual events at nationals. Thayer Breazeale (200 fly), Deedy (100 breast, 200 breast), and Tan (100 back) will also swim in their top individual events in addition to relays. 

CMS qualified for all five relays this season, with the 800 free relay seeded the highest at 12th. The 200 free relay and the 400 medley relay are both 13th, with the 400 free relay and the 200 medley relay both 17th.

Dylan Krueger, Spencer Merodio and Theo Johnson will join the Stags NCAA contingent to compete in the relays, with CMS also hoping to add more to the traveling party at the NCAA Diving Regional Qualifiers at Trinity (Texas) this weekend. Six Stag divers earned invitations to qualifiers, including Cyrus Gaylord, Jack Griffith, Bennet Matazzoni, Ethan Sattley, Ben Smith and Luke Vlases. Seven men from the region will earn the right to advance to nationals. 

The NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships will be held from March 20-23 in Greensboro, N.C.