NEW HAVEN, Conn. –In unprecedented times, Yale University Athletics is rallying together as One Bulldog Nation. While the health and safety of everyone must be at the forefront of every decision, Yale Athletics celebrates the outstanding accomplishments that our winter postseason-qualifying teams and spring programs have made this season. First up, men's swimming & diving.

It was apparent pretty early that it was going to be a special season for Yale's 200 freestyle relay team. Senior Henry Gaissert, first year Joseph Page and sophomores Philippe Marcoux and Michael Blank won the title against a very talented field at the Ohio State Invitational back on Nov. 21, finishing with a school record time of 1:17.96.
 
Junior diver Christian DeVol came into the season with strong credentials, having been among the top finishers at the Ivy League Championship in each of his first two seasons.
 
Both the 200 freestyle relay team and DeVol were set to cap remarkable seasons when they competed at the NCAA Championship later this month. The event, though, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 public health threat. Despite not getting the opportunity to compete against the nation's best, both made their mark on the 2019-20 season.
 
"Getting five students qualified for the NCAA Championships is a tremendous team accomplishment," said Jim Henry, the Robert J.H. Coach of Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving at Yale. "For Christian, Henry, Philippe, Michael, and Joe it is a result of countless hours of commitment, a great plan, but most of all a resiliency to never back down. They rose to meet every challenge. Christian dove his best in the closest competitions. The relay got better with every meet, with their best being the last one. They believed in their goals, themselves, and the team and coaches who helped their pursuit. We are incredibly proud of these Bulldogs."
 
After winning in Ohio, the 200 free relay's success continued throughout the season. The four captured the HYP title and then went on win the Ivy League Championship, rallying to edge Columbia. It was first time since 1992 that Yale won the Ivy 200 free relay title. Still, earning a bid to the NCAA Championship came down to the very last meet of the season, the Princeton Last Chance on Mar. 7. The four were up to the challenge, posting a time of 1:17.17 that met the mark and broke the school record they had set at Ohio State.
 
"Making NCAAs was their goal from even last summer when all four chose to train hard in the off season," said assistant coach Connor Beaulieu, who worked closely with the four. "It was resolve and accountability, and they understood that in a really fundamental way. Every day, every workout, they held each other to the standard necessary to make that qualifying time."
 
The leader was Gaissert, the only senior among the four.
 
"He's the heartbeat of the team," Beaulieu said. "I've never worked with an athlete so determined to accomplish a singular goal. The other three, his teammates, and I owe a great deal to his leadership." 
 
DeVol's season also was quite a success. He won the 1-meter event at HYP before capturing both the 1 and 3-meter events at the Ivy League Championships. In the 1-meter, he broke his own school record. At the NCAA Zone A Championship, DeVol placed fifth on both boards which qualified him to the NCAA Championship for both events. He was the first Yale diver to qualify for NCAA's since 2014. 
 
"Christian is a strong athlete both at practice and in competition," said Yale diving coach Lindsay Iordache. "He works hard and knows just what he needs to do in order to be successful. He's a very collaborative athlete, doing everything his coach asks as well as communicating what he feels like he needs to work on. At competitions, he's able to mentally get `in the zone' and focus on one dive at a time. He stays confident and competes aggressively when he needs to. He's a very impressive athlete and competitor. The way he competes is hard to teach and takes years to learn."