SALISBURY, Md. – After a sensational weekend at the Swarthmore Invitational where he set two new program records as an individual and a third as a relay member,
Matt Merke has been named the Men's Rookie of the Week in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), announced by the league office on Monday.
The Columbia, Md. native was a force to be reckoned with in the pool over the weekend when the Sea Gulls competed against Swarthmore and Ursinus at the Swarthmore Invitational. According to SwimCloud, Merke was the High Point swimmer for the meet.
Individually, Merke had three first place finishes as he took the top step in the 500-yard freestyle, 400-yard IM, and 1,650-yard freestyle. He set a new program record in the 400-yard IM at 4:04.97 and his time of 16:10.00 established a new program mark for the 1,650-yard freestyle.
As a member of a relay team, Merke set another program record in the 800-yard freestyle relay alongside
Owen Brewer,
Christopher Knorr, and
Shane Hall. They finished in second with a time of 6:58.84.
The Sea Gull men will now enjoy a break over the holidays before heading to St. Mary's City, Md. to take on the St. Mary's College of Maryland Seahawks on Sunday, Jan 14 at 1 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
