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Howard University swim team honored with key to the City of Eatonville

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Published  January 8, 2025 10:55pm EST
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando

Howard University swim team receives key to the City of Eatonville

Making waves in history and the community, Howard University is school among the only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to have a swim team competing at the Division I level. On Wednesday, the team dove into a new honor as they received the key to the City of Eatonville.

The Brief

    • Howard University’s Division I swim team, the only HBCU team at this level, received the key to the city of Eatonville in recognition of their historic achievements.
    • The team is training at the Rosen Aquatic Center for their upcoming conference championships, with athletes and coaches expressing pride in the opportunities and legacy they are building.
    • Team members emphasized their commitment to honoring those who paved the way for them and inspiring future generations of Black swimmers.

EATONVILLE, Fla. - Making waves in history and the community, Howard University is school among the only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to have a swim team competing at the Division I level.

On Wednesday, the team dove into a new honor as they received the key to the City of Eatonville.

"I am so excited. I am honored to be receiving the key to the city today. I just want to thank God for all the blessings and all he’s done for me," said a Howard University swim team member.

"Almost speechless, and that’s hard to do for me. When they reached out to us and said that, it just solidifies the work we do. The work we do is hard; being D1 is a difficult task," said Swim Coach Nic Askew.

The Bison are gearing up at the Rosen Aquatic Center for their conference championship next month.

"Training has been super hard. I think it’s definitely getting us ready for conference and building us up mentally, physically, and emotionally as swimmers and as people in general," said Howard University Swim Team Member Alana Josey.

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It’s a facility the team says they’re grateful to use.

"As an alum, it couldn’t make me prouder because when I was a part of the program, we didn’t have opportunities like this. Either we couldn’t afford it or the resources weren’t available. Now, with my coaching staff and amazing support from our family and alumni, we’re able to provide these opportunities to be in this beautiful facility," said Coach Askew.

"Every year, this time of year, we have teams like Howard University, Bowling Green, and a lot of different universities that travel from all over the country to come here in beautiful Orlando. Not only to practice in our amazing pool but also to go around and utilize what we can offer in Orlando," said Executive Director at the Rosen Aquatic Center, Mike Miller.

But for the Bison, it’s more than just touching the wall first or having the best dives.

"It’s really special. We want to contribute to the legacy of the people that came here before us and made it even possible for us," said Howard University Swim Team member Tristan Stevens.

"I love being a part of a team that looks like me, that goes through the same ups and downs as me, the same obstacles as me, and it really just brings us closer together," said Josey.

"Just remembering we are historic and paving the way for future Black Americans to also learn how to swim," said another Howard University Swim Team member.

Solidifying the legacy both in and out of the pool.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Howard University swim team members, Howard Swim Coach Nic Askew, the Rosen Aquatic Center, and the City of Eatonville.

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