Covered by swim caps and goggles, it can be very hard to
identify swimmers competing during any given meet. The York College
men’s swim team is very fortunate to have a number of those
caps and goggles finish at or near the front of the pack during any
given race.
The Spartans are also fortunate to have Matthew
Jennings on their side. The senior standout is closing out
his career as one of the best swimmers to ever hit the water for
the Green and White.
Jennings, who hails from Fairfax, Va. and Robinson High School, has
been a standout performer for the Spartans for the last four years.
It’s no coincidence that the last four years have been the
best stretch in the history of the men’s program. The
Spartans are 37-4 overall, 21-4 in the Capital Athletic Conference
and are a perfect 16-0 in non-conference dual meets.
Jennings’ contributions in the pool over the last four-years
have been numerous. His accomplishments in the Capital Athletic
Conference championships are also impressive. In three championship
appearances leading up to his senior campaign, Jennings has two
individual firsts and has been a member of five different winning
relay teams. He has posted a pair of individual runner-up finishes
and six second-place relay teams. Jennings also has two third-place
finishes and he has a wonderful opportunity to add to those numbers
at this weekend’s CAC championships.
As impressive as his accomplishments are in the pool, his academic
credentials are equally as stellar. Jennings is a mass
communication major with a double minor of marketing and
advertising. He carries a 3.34 GPA and has been a three time member
of the York College Athletic honor roll and a two-time selection
for the CAC All-Academic squad.
Jennings felt from the beginning that York College was the place
for him.
“York College was a perfect fit for me. It was the right
distance from home; not to far away but also not too close. I
really liked the communications program and small class sizes. Plus
having a competitive swim program allowed me to extend my athletic
career another four years.”
Despite the high demands of being an elite level college swimmer,
Jennings is also active on the York College campus. He is an
inaugural member of the Lambda Pi Eta, the Communications Honor
Society at York College. He also has participated in the Relay for
Life on campus. Jennings currently has an internship at the York
Area chapter of the Red Cross. He has previously served as a caller
for the York College Phone-a-thon.
Spartan head coach Gina McHenry knows
Jennings’ value, not only as a swimmer, but also as a
leader.
“Matt is a leader in and out of the pool,” says
McHenry. “Our team knows they can depend on him for
leadership and great performance. Matt is a very hard working
swimmer who has accomplished great things in the pool and in the
classroom. He really understands what it takes to accomplish all
his goals.”
Jennings enjoys the advantages of York College, both athletically
and in the classroom.
“The great thing about York is how each individual student
can have a personal relationship with their professors,”
states Jennings. “I really like how professors know you by
name and you aren’t just a number to them. I feel the
athletic program allows student-athletes to grow, improve, and
succeed at the highest level. The Grumbacher Center is top of the
line and provides each student-athlete at York with the resources
and equipment they need to achieve their goals.”
Jennings and the Spartans travel to St. Mary’s College to
participate in the 2009 Capital Athletic Conference championships
on February 13, 14, & 15.