Complete Results

DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU men's swimming and diving team brought home the team championship at the 2021 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday.
 
The title is the 42nd in program history and first for the Mustangs since 2013. It is also the first AAC team championship after finishing as conference runner-up on four occasions.
 
The Mustangs swept individual awards with Daniel Forndal and Peter Smithson taking Most Outstanding Performer honors in their respective specialties. Lance Butler was also named the freshman of the meet, while Mustang coaches Greg Rhodenbaugh and Darian Schmidt were honored as Coaches of the Year.

Caleb Rhodenbaugh continued to shine, as he led the breaststroke lineup to a sweep of the 200 distance. The senior took down the SMU program, meet and pool records with a time of 1:53.98 for the win. In his two seasons at SMU, he swept all four breaststroke championships at the AAC meet.
 
Connor Dalbo moved from fourth to third on SMU's all-time top performer list with his 1:55.00 for second place, and Colin Feehery moved from sixth to fifth with a 1:55.86. All three swimmers, along with Brayden Rudd who finished in 1:57.29, continue to stay under the NCAA's B cut with their times. Joining the group in the top 10 is freshman Evan McCormick, who enters the list at number nine after posting a 1:58.62 in the final.
 
The Mustangs' 400-yard freestyle relay also broke a school record on the final night, as Justin Baker, Forndal, Butler and Charlie Kaye closed out the championships with a 2:53.02. The time was also a pool record and was led off with a 43.64 split from Baker, making him the program's 10th fastest 100 free performer.
 
Back-to-back diver of the year Smithson took top honors on platform Saturday, with an NCAA A score of 372.80. He led all four Mustangs to a sweep with Parker Hardigree (325.30), Dominic Hoefer (283.45) and Tyler Coffey (263.20) finishing in order.
 
The Mustangs swept all three diving events at the Championships, and finished as the top four athletes in the high point standings.
 
Forndal earned his second individual championship in as many days with his victory in the 100-yard freestyle. As the leader of the Mustang sweep, the senior clocked an NCAA B time of 43.36. Butler (43.82) was the event runner up, and Justin Baker (44.05), who was the 50 free champion, finished third.
 
Jack Callan was SMU's top finisher in the 1,650 free, covering the distance in 15:41.88 for bronze, while Ryan Aroesty (1:40.90) picked up a third-place medal of his own with his performance in the 200-yard butterfly.
 
Mustang swimmers will compete at the American SC Champs next week and await the qualifying announcement for the 2021 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships. Divers will compete at the NCAA Zone D Championships March 11-13.