Connor Grant became Occidental’s first individual Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) race winner in the past decade on Feb. 21. New swim and dive school records were set in seven events, including the men’s 200 medley relay and the women’s 200 IM race.
This article was written for and originally published in The Occidental, the independent student-run newspaper at Occidental College. Read this article and more coverage online at theoccidentalnews.com.
By Abigail Montopoli
Grant opened the record-breaking men’s 800 freestyle relay Feb. 19 with a new record for his 200-yard split, and subsequently shattered his record in the individual 200 freestyle event, earning his champion title. New swim and dive school records were set in seven events, including the men’s 200 medley relay and the women’s 200 IM race.
“I feel that when you break a school record [as part of a relay team], it can be special in different ways,” Grant said. “Obviously, you feel very proud of the team at that point because you felt like you’ve all worked towards it. Also, it’s just fun to see those people on campus just to know that you guys share something special.”
Grant said the Occidental training regimen—twice daily practices, lifts and frequent dual meets—has pushed him more than his prior swimming experience ever had, but had a rewarding outcome.
“I think there’s something just a little more special about being the first SCIAC champion in ten years because obviously records come and go, and that’s kind of the point of them,” Grant said. “But I’ll always be the SCIAC champion, so that’s fun to say.”
Alongside Grant’s record-breaking swim, Sarah Radle ’25 broke three of her own records and was celebrated on the SCIAC podium for the 800 Free Relay with Amanda George ’26, Nathalie Kerrigan ’25 and Kamille Pellettieri ’25.
“The 800 free relay is literally the worst race ever, and to do my last one ever and end on the podium was a good time,” Radle said. “I was really excited.”
Radle said she was disqualified in one of her main events, the 200 IM, but swam it in a time trial after the meet, a moment that she said she would take with her long past graduation.
“The entire SCIAC was basically cheering for me, which was really special, and I’ve never seen that before,” Radle said.
Joshua Biggs ’25, a swim captain, was part of the record-breaking 200 medley relay alongside Grant. He said completing his senior season with a record was a good end to his collegiate career.
“This year, I was trying to be more of a vocal leader and be there for my teammates,” Biggs said. “I think my perspective changed a little bit from being a little less self-absorbed. Usually, swimming is a very individual sport. But as a captain, I was able to change my perspective a little bit and not just focus on my own results and not put that much pressure on my own results, but build upon everyone’s good swims and support each other.”
Grant said the upperclassmen on the team help create a welcoming environment, as they are an excellent support system for the transition from high school and club swimming to a collegiate team.
“You spend all this time with this great group of people, and it’s their last time probably doing swimming, so you want to send them off on a good note,” Grant said. “It’s very motivating to have these awesome people with you.”
Biggs said Grant’s victory was a highlight of the SCIAC meet and a momentum builder for the final days of the season.
“It was probably the most excited I’ve ever been on the pool deck,” Biggs said. “We were all just screaming, [and] lost all our voices […] We knew he’s fast, but he puts in the work every day, grinds and is such a good teammate. And he pushes us during practice and that builds everyone up. And just to see all that hard work come to fruition is really cool.”
Radle, also one of the swim team’s captains, said she was unable to watch Grant’s victorious swim because her event directly preceded his, but the energy from the Tigers was special as he claimed his title as champion.
“It makes me feel very hopeful for the future of our team that we’re leaving—my class is pretty large,” Radle said. “It feels good to know that we’re leaving people who have been successful in the past, and we’ll continue to bring in more people who can do things like that.”
Biggs said the senior class has worked to rebuild the swim and dive program over the course of their four years. Despite adversity and a changing roster, he feels the team has become an environment that supports every athlete.
“I’m proud of our class and what we accomplished, and I think the swim team’s in good hands,” Biggs said. “I think, hopefully, the culture we built will live on, and I think the swim team’s going in the right direction, so I’m excited to see them grow.”
