Time of his life

Swimmer wins gold at NCAAs.

Words by Kara Pothier

James McChesney

James McChesney ’24 touched the final wall of his 200-meter freestyle swim and popped his head out of the water to see the scoreboard. His time: 1:34:74.

Fast enough to be the Division III NCAA national champ. Fast enough to break an NCAA record. And fast enough to be the first DIII male swimmer to crack 1:35 in the event.

“I looked up at my time and had to double check it,” says McChesney. “Like, is that real? It was my fastest swim by almost 2 seconds.”

McChesney’s win at the NCAA National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, in March was TCNJ swimming’s first individual NCAA title since 2006, when Steve Swenson ’06 took home the gold in the 100-meter breaststroke.

“James never steps behind the starting block bearing the pressure of the moment,” says David Dow, head coach. “He relishes the opportunity to see what he can achieve and embraces the fun that comes with racing other high-level swimmers.”

Picture: John Emerson