The Case Western Reserve University men's swimming and diving team completed its best season this century during the 2024-25 campaign, placing in the top 25 nationally and totaling 10 All-America honors.
At the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships, held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, CWRU scored 31.0 points, the most since the 1998-99 season. All five members of the team who competed at the national championship earned All-America honors, and the squad placed 25th overall, its highest placement since 1999. Senior Peter Meng paced the squad, finishing in the top 16 in four events, and junior John Drumm secured three All-America honors, including a First Team selection, the first of his career.
Meng finished his career with six All-America honors, the sixth most in program history. Individually, he placed ninth in the 1650 Free, 15th in the 400 IM, and 16th in the 200 IM, and he was also a member of the 800 Free Relay that placed 15th. During the year, he set school records in the 1000 Free (9:26.40), 200 IM (1:48.71), and 800 Free Relay (6:36.78). Drumm, who has four All-America honors after three years of intercollegiate competition, placed eighth in the 200 Fly to earn a spot on the podium at the national championship. He added a 15th place national finish in the 500 Free and in the 800 Free Relay and set school records in the 500 Free (4:28.20), 100 Fly (49.04 seconds), 200 Fly (1:46.36), 400 Free Relay (3:00.97), and 800 Free Relay.
Earlier in the season, the Spartans placed sixth at the 2025 University Athletic Association Championships with Meng earning All-UAA honors in the 400 IM for the second consecutive year. Members of the team set two school records and recorded five NCAA B cut times during the four-day meet.
During the year, the team set 11 school records, including eight freestyle marks. Junior Emil LaSida became the first swimmer in program history to finish the 50 Free in less than 20 seconds, finishing the race in 19.98 seconds in a swim-off at the national meet. He also set a program record in the 100 Free at the year-end Spartan Invite with a time of 44.92 seconds. Junior Mason Bencurik completed the 200 Free in 1:38.69 at the Total Performance Invite to set a new school record. Bencurik and LaSida were joined by juniors William Froass and Ben Borvendeg for the 200 Free Relay at the conference championship, finishing in 1:22.29. LaSida, Bencurik, Froass, and Drumm set the school record in the 400 Free Relay with a time of 3:00.97 and senior Griffin Gushman joined Bencurik, Meng, and Drumm for the record-setting 800 Free Relay that finished in 6:36.78.
CWRU went 5-1 in dual meets during the season with its lone loss coming to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. The Spartans upset sixth-ranked Kenyon on Senior Day, the team's first win over the Owls since 2011.
In the classroom, 31 members of the squad received All-Academic honors from the UAA. In addition, Bencurik, Drumm, Gushman, and LaSida were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team.
The Spartans earned the following honors during the 2024-25 swimming and diving season:
All-America
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Mason Bencurik
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800 Free Relay (15th)
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Second Team
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John Drumm
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200 Fly (eighth)
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First Team
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500 Free (15th)
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Second Team
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800 Free Relay (15th)
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Griffin Gushman
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800 Free Relay (15th)
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Second Team
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Emil LaSida
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50 Free (15th)
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Second Team
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Peter Meng
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1650 Free (ninth)
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Second Team
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400 IM (15th)
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800 Free Relay (15th)
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200 IM (16th)
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NCAA Championship Participants
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Mason Bencurik
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800 Free Relay (15th), 200 Free Relay (27th), 400 Free Relay (27th), 200 Free (43rd)
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John Drumm
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200 Fly (eighth), 500 Free (15th), 800 Free Relay (15th), 200 Free Relay (27th), 400 Free Relay (27th), 200 Free (38th)
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Griffin Gushman
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800 Free Relay (15th), 200 Free Relay (27th), 400 Free Relay (27th),
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Emil LaSida
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50 Free (15th), 100 Back (25th), 200 Free Relay (27th), 400 Free Relay (27th), 100 Free (40th)
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Peter Meng
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1650 Free (ninth), 400 IM (15th), 800 Free Relay (15th), 200 IM (16th)
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The following were the top times/marks for the Spartans during the 2024-25 season:
50 Free
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Emil LaSida
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19.98 *SR
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NCAA Championships
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100 Free
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Emil LaSida
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44.92 *SR
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Spartan Invite
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200 Free
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Mason Bencurik
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1:38.69 *SR
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Total Performance Invite
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500 Free
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John Drumm
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4:28.20 *SR
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Total Performance Invite
|
1000 Free
|
Peter Meng
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9:26.40 *SR
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Vs. Kenyon
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1650 Free
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Peter Meng
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15:40.04
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UAA Championships
|
100 Back
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Emil LaSida
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49.54
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NCAA Championships
|
200 Back
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William Froass
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1:50.80
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Total Performance Invite
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100 Breast
|
Edgar Rutkauskas
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56.19
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Total Performance Invite
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200 Breast
|
Edgar Rutkauskas
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2:03.05
|
Total Performance Invite
|
100 Fly
|
John Drumm
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49.04 *SR
|
Total Performance Invite
|
200 Fly
|
John Drumm
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1:46.36 *SR
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Total Performance Invite
|
200 IM
|
Peter Meng
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1:48.71 *SR
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NCAA Championships
|
400 IM
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Peter Meng
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3:53.69
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UAA Championships
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1-Meter Dive (11 dives)
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Nico Billoni
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400.75
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UAA Championships
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3-Meter Dive (11 dives)
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Nico Billoni
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413.85
|
UAA Championships
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200 Free Relay
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Emil LaSida, William Froass, Ben Borvendeg, Mason Bencurik
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1:22.29 *SR
|
UAA Championships
|
400 Free Relay
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Emil LaSida, Mason Bencurik, William Froass, John Drumm
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3:00.97 *SR
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UAA Championships
|
800 Free Relay
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Mason Bencurik, Griffin Gushman, Peter Meng, John Drumm
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6:36.78 *SR
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UAA Championships
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200 Medley Relay
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Emil LaSida, Julian Kim, William Froass, Ben Borvendeg
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1:30.22
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UAA Championships
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400 Medley Relay
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Emil LaSida, Edgar Rutkauskas, John Drumm, Mason Bencurik
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3:19.41
|
UAA Championships
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*SR indicates school record