Johnny Crush Breaks Army’s 100 Back Record In Collegiate Debut Against Fordham and Marist

Army vs. Marist vs. Fordham

• September 27, 2024
• West Point, NY
• 25 Yards (SCY)
• Scores:
  • Women: Army – 551, Fordham – 330.5, Marist – 248.5
  • Men: #24 Army – 565, Fordham – 293, Marist – 284
• Full Results

These three New York-based schools opened their 2024-25 season with a tri-meet hosted by Army. This meet, also known as the West Point Sprints, featured a mix of traditional and untraditional events. In addition to the 50s of stroke, which are uncommon to see at an NCAA meet, some of the more eclectic events were the relays, as swimmers took part in the 500, 600, and 1000-yard freestyle relays and 400 medley relay where everyone swims a 100 IM.

Team websites disagree on whether this meet was scored, but either way Army’s depth was on full display against the two other mid-major teams.

Women’s Meet

Army started the meet strong, winning the first three events. Catriona Gilmore, Hadley King, Avery Lord, and Meghan Cole took the win in the first event, the 400 medley relay, with Cole splitting 55.67 to rally past Fordham to win in 3:51.21. Then, Army went 1-2 in the 1000 freestyle relay, a two-person race where each athlete swims a 500 free. They also went 1-2 in the 50 backstroke, with freshman Jenna Hart beating junior Layne Peterson, 26.01 to 26.62.

Fordham’s Emma Shaughnessy interrupted the Black Knight’s winning streak. She won the 50 breaststroke in 28.93 and was the only swimmer in the field to go sub-29 as Marist’s April Avila edged out Cole for 2nd, 29.62 to 29.68. Avila was the standout on the day for Marist as she also took 2nd in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.69). Her individual swims were Marist’s highest finishes on the day.

The 50 breast was Shaughnessy’s only individual event of the day; she split a 58.07 100 IM on Fordham’s 400 medley relay to start the meet. Ainhoa Martin led off for the Rams in 56.92, giving Shaughnessy a lead she held through her leg of the race.

Last season, Martin made history for the Rams; she became their first swimmer to win three events at the A-10 Championships and the first Ram to qualify for NCAAs since 2012. In addition to leading off the 400 medley relay, Martin swam a lifetime best 55.72 to place 2nd in the 100 fly before winning the 200 IM—an event she specializes in—by 1.83 seconds ahead of Army’s Catriona Gilmore (2:01.86).

The Black Knights returned to winning in the 100 butterfly, where freshman Angie McKane posted a 54.36 to climb up Army’s all-time rankings to 6th. McKane’s lifetime best stands at 53.41 from November 2023. She collected another win in the 50 fly in 24.61, leading a top-four sweep for Army.

Army won every event but the 50 breast and 200 IM, which Fordham claimed. Other individual event winners included Cole (50 free, 23.11), Peterson (100 back, 56.46), and Gilmore (100 breast, 1:03.20).

Men’s Meet

The Army women shone by winning all but two events and the men fared even better, winning every event contested on Friday.

Freshman Johnny Crush made an impression during his collegiate debut for the Black Knights, breaking the program record in the 100 backstroke. Crush swam 47.07, bettering the Academy’s previous record of 47.22, swum by senior Alex Edwards in 2022. It’s not exactly a surprise to see Crush break this record—his lifetime bests in the 100 free, 200 free, 100 back, and 200 back are all faster than the Academy record.

Crush also won the 50 backstroke in 21.95 ahead of Fordham’s Christian Taylor (22.66) and led off Army’s winning 500 freestyle relay that also included Thomas Hadji, Owen Harlow, and Ben Vorthmann (3:45.22).

Sophomore Riley Groves also moved up Army’s all-time rankings. He swam a lifetime best 47.89 to win the 100 fly, bettering his time from the 2024 Patriot League Championships and becoming the 7th fastest swimmer in program history. Groves and Vorthmann tied for the win in the men’s 50 fly, clocking 22.27 as freshman Daniel Verdolaga finished just behind them in 22.30.

Verdolaga, a versatile pickup for Army with lifetime bests worthy of conference championship ‘A’ finals, finished 2nd in the 100 butterfly—also behind Groves—in 48.20. He split a 48.94 100 IM to secure Army’s win in the 400 medley relay, joining Edwards (49.47) in going sub-50 seconds.

2024 NCAA qualifier Kohen Rankin kicked off his 2024-25 campaign by teaming up with Edwards and Verdolaga on the winning 400 medley relay, swimming a 50.07 100 IM split. He then swept the breaststrokes, swimming 24.85 in the 50 breast and 53.98 in the 100 breast, winning the latter by 2.23 seconds.

There were only three events where the Black Knights did not take the top two spots. Fordham swimmers disrupted Army’s depth in the 400 medley relay, the 50 backstroke, and 200 IM. In addition to Taylor’s 2nd place in the 50 backstroke, Noah Althoff, Daniel Ribeiro, Java Marvarov, and Daniel Langlois combined for a 3:25.62 in the 400 medley relay. Then, in the 200 IM, the final individual event of the meet, Ribeiro swam 1:51.02 for silver, finishing in between Army teammates Edwards (1:49.19) and Kalvin Hahn (1:51.07), holding off Hahn by five-hundredths.

Marist, the defending MAAC champions, recorded three 3rd-place finishes to highlight their afternoon. Junior Caden Hardy collected two of those bronzes, swimming 25.92 in the 50 breast and 56.71 in the 100 breast. The Red Foxes’ squad of Oscar Bjering, James Conable, and Joe Cash also finished 3rd in the 600 free relay, clocking 5:10.68.

Up Next

The Black Knights are back in action next weekend, hosting a tri-meet with Vermont and Central Connecticut State on Oct. 4. On Oct. 11, Fordham faces Manhattan while Marist duels in-conference foes Canisius.