Men’s swimmers ready to make waves, begin quest for nationals in Arizona

Riding the momentum of back-to-back second-place showings at the College Club Swimming National Championships, Liberty University's men's swimming team has two-time defending champion Purdue in its sights for spring nationals set for March 28-30 in Mesa, Ariz.

"This team has a chance to be really successful again this year," said Nathaniel Dyer, a team captain along with fellow junior Whittman Brown and senior Trent Kolter. "At nationals, we are tired of getting second now and we really have the chance to do something great this year. When we get to these meets, we really try to use it as a platform to be a representative of Jesus Christ and (Liberty) and this could be the year."

The Flames return a solid foundation from last season's squad, with the addition of five recruits, three walk-ons, and two returning graduates who played key roles in Liberty's first national runner-up finish in 2023 — four-time individual and two-time relay gold medalist Matt Davidson and fellow former team captain Carter Helsby.

"Matt was the most decorative swimmer in our program and one of the most in decorated Club Sports student-athletes of all time, so having him back in the water adds a lot of morale and excitement to our team," Flames Head Coach Heath Grishaw said, noting that both have shaken off their rustiness after the first few weeks of practice. "It's going to take little more time to get (back up to speed) but they are both dedicated to their training."

Both are now married and employed as well as working toward their master's degrees while exercising an extra year of eligibility provided by COVID-19.

"They didn't think it was possible," Grishaw said. "It is cool to see them want to come back, to be a part of the team and the culture and community. It' great to have that kind of leadership."

The other returning swimmers are excited to train with them as well as with the newcomers.

"Everybody's glad to be back," Brown said. "It's always fun meeting new freshmen and getting a whole new team kind of built up this year. Everyone really knows that there's a lot of potential for this season."

Grishaw believes it is the deepest as well as most versatile and exceptional team he has had to work with.

"I'm excited about this year and what it's going to bring," he said. "We have a larger veteran class in the water this year and from top down, it's talented. We have a great leadership group and … the freshmen that we brought in, some of our walk-ons we were able to get from tryouts, we're super excited about their talent and what they're bringing to this team that has already been established. We're deep and I think we can continue to push the bar a little bit higher than last year. It's going to be hard to do … but we're always chasing the championship."

Grishaw said the challenge every year is to maintain consistency in practices, which translates to performances at meets.

"Continuing to keep these guys bought-in from the start to finish is always the goal," he said. "Everybody starts off really fast and ready to go, but we're always trying to slow them down just a little bit and say, 'We have until (late March) to be ready. Right now, it's just focusing on team chemistry. Times, they'll come. They always do. Right now, our goal is just to race well and be a team as we do it."

"We want to win, we want to keep pushing," he added. "We want to be excellent in the water and excellent in the classroom, so that's our goal."

Dyer said the struggle is real, which is why he and his teammates need to lean on each other, and their coaches, and feed off each other's energy.

"It can be a really long year and that's the great thing about all of the guys and all of the coaches," he said. "You need to really rely on each other if you're going to make it through the whole year because there's some times where school gets tough and swimming gets tough at the same time. You're staying up late to study, waking up early, and if you're not careful, that can really stack on top of each other, but I really believe that our 100 percent as a team can beat everyone else in the country. That's the great thing about swimming. No one else can affect how you perform at the end of the day, so if we give our 100 percent, I don't think anyone can stop us."

Brown said the upperclassmen — including the spiritual disciple-making team of juniors Maximus Phillipps, Jimmy Blackstone, and Jeff Serle — are looking to leave the program in better standing than it was when they arrived.

"One thing that the returners really want to emphasize this year is 'legacy,'" he said. "A lot of guys really want to understand, 'How can I leave an impact on this team?' And 'How can I really pour into the guys who are younger than me' so that, ultimately, we all can be the best that we can and really glorify God in everything we do?"

Before nationals, the four-time-defending champion Flames will travel to the University of Maryland for the Eastern Regional Championships on Oct. 25-27. They will also travel to North Carolina State for a Nov. 16-17 invitational before hosting the TYR Invite from Nov. 22-24 at the Liberty Natatorium. By that time, Grishaw hopes his swimmers have met most of their national qualifying times.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Andrew Musser/Club Sports Video & Media Assistant

Men’s swimmers ready to make waves, begin quest for nationals in Arizona

Players Mentioned

Jimmy Blackstone

Whittman Brown

Carter Helsby

Trent Kolter

Maximus Phillipps

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