Making a Splash

Justin Finkel ’25 was crowned national champion—twice

Justin Finkel ’25 was crowned national champion—twice—after winning the 500 freestyle and the 200 butterfly at the 2024 NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, March 20-22. He becomes just the second Conn student-athlete to win multiple national titles, and the first to do so in the same NCAA Championship.

Finkel made his first trip to the top of the podium on the first day of competition. After turning in the fastest time in the morning preliminaries for the 500 free, Finkel swam a controlled race in the finals that saw him power to the finish in 4:21.32, breaking his own school and NESCAC records in the process.

“I had a lot more in the last half than I thought I would. I went out how I wanted to, but I’m just glad I had that last kick in the end,” said Finkel, a biology major from Cheshire, Connecticut.

“It certainly means a lot,” Finkel added of his first national title. “It’s a dream of every swimmer. I’ve been working on this for a while, so I’m glad I’m finally here, and it’s a dream come true.”

Finkel wouldn’t have to wait long for his second national title. After finishing fourth in the 200 freestyle on the second day of competition, he won the 200 fly in NCAA Division III record-breaking fashion on day three.

Finkel is the first men’s swimmer in Camel history to qualify for championship finals in three individual events at the same NCAA Championship, and he earned All-America honors in each. And while he was the only member of Conn’s Men’s Swimming and Diving team to compete, Finkel scored 55 points, which placed Connecticut College 17th overall out of 44 scoring teams. In February, Finkel was named NESCAC Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive year. 

More on Finkel’s wins, including video. 

Photo by Sean D. Elliot