Men's Swimming VaSID All-State

Jobe, Gardner Highlights 20 VaSID All-State Citations

5/7/2025 1:00:00 PM

LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University men's swimming team reeled in their final awards of the season as they grabbed two major awards while securing 20 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State citations, the organization announced on Wednesday.

Head coach Kami Gardner was named the VaSID Coach of the Year for the third time in her career after leading the Blue and White to a 5–3 dual meet record and their tenth Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship in February. Gardner also guided six swimmers to the NCAA Championships in Greensboro, where the Generals finished 19th overall—their highest national finish since 2018.

Junior Dalton Jobe was honored as the VaSID Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season following a stellar performance at the NCAA Championships, where he earned three All-America citations. Jobe collected two First Team All-America honors, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:37.17), the second-fastest time in program history. He also joined Charles Byars, Leighton Chapman, and Luke Nagel on the First Team All-America 800 freestyle relay, which finished fourth nationally with a time of 6:32.91. The group also placed tenth in the 400 freestyle relay, earning Second Team All-America honors.

In addition to Swimmer of the Year, Jobe earned First Team All-State honors in both Free Distance and Free Sprint. He was crowned ODAC Champion in the 500 freestyle, where he also set the program record at 4:30.88, and was named ODAC Swimmer of the Week five times. His 200 freestyle performance, which earned First Team All-American status, helped him clinch ODAC gold and ranked seventh in Division III.

The 200 freestyle relay team of Chapman, Baxter Smelzer, Matt Fritz, and Byars earned First Team recognition with a season-best time of 1:21.03 at the ODAC Championships. Jobe, Nagel, Byars, and Chapman also received All-State honors in both the 400 and 800 freestyle relays, clocking a 2:57.12 in the 400 free (10th at NCAAs) and a 6:32.26 in the 800 free (5th nationally).

Byars, Harrison Cerone, Fritz, and Chapman picked up First Team honors in the 400 medley relay, recording a season-best 3:17.03 at the ODAC Championships—ranked 23rd in Division III.

Leighton Chapman joined Jobe on the Free Sprint First Team after a breakout sophomore campaign. He captured ODAC titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle, earning First Team All-ODAC in both events. Chapman qualified for the NCAA Championships, placing 40th in the 50 free and 31st in the 100 free. He was also a First Team All-American in the 800 free relay and earned Second Team All-America honors with the 400 free relay team.

Matt Fritz closed out the All-State selections for W&L with a First Team nod in the butterfly. Fritz ended his career as a First Team All-American, placing fifth in the 100 butterfly at the NCAA Championships. He also captured First Team All-ODAC honors, resetting the ODAC meet, program, and overall conference record with a time of 47.48 seconds.


Major Awards First Team
 Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
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