Howard University Makes History by Winning Men's & Women's Conference Team Titles

SwimSwam sat down with Nic Askew, the head coach for Howard University's swimming and diving teams (as well as tennis), who is coming off a historic performance at the NEC Conference Champs. Not only did the Howard men's swimming defend their team title from last year, but the women joined the party this year, winning their first conference championship in program history. As the coach of the only HBCU to field a Division I Swimming & Diving program, Askew knows how to put things in perspective. He knows that to win a team title, it takes a team effort. He wasn't shy about the fact that neither group had the top-end firepower in the pool of past teams. However, Askew emphasizes more than just performing for the clock. He tells his staff and athletes they have one job daily: making the team better. That can happen with effort during dryland, positive attitudes during practice, and helping teammates with their studies. Everyone plays a role when it comes to team success, no matter what times you're swimming at the end of the season. If you have an opportunity to score in a 400 IM B-Final, that is just as valuable to the team's performance as scoring in an A-Final of a 50 or 100 free. With this philosophy in mind, Askew got buy-in from his whole team, making sure everyone felt a part of something bigger than themselves. With both the men's and women's team races coming down to the final session, the belief in the team was what pushed both of these groups over the finish line first.