JAMESTOWN – The task this week for the Jamestown Community College men's swimming & diving team is to focus on themselves individually as they compete at the 2023 NJCAA Swimming & Diving National Championships hosted at the Burt Flickinger Center of Erie Community College.

"Focus on your individual selves," head coach Todd Conklin said when talking about his swimmers. "It's nice to have four guys for the relays, to score those extra points, and get us higher in the standings but there are also the individual events that I believe we will really flourish."

Making his return to the national stage will be the lone sophomore of Joseph Keyser (Mayville, NY/Chautauqua Lake Central) who Conklin has put a lot of faith and credit in helping build the men's team.

"Joseph has done a nice job over the past two years in helping build the men's side and help lead them," said Conklin. "He's been like a coach in the pool for us and he has been great for us."

Joining Keyser will be the freshman trio of Steven Zentz (Dunkirk, NY/Dunkirk HS), Maxim Johnson (Johannesburg, South Africa/King Edwards VII School), and Josh Carr (Wigan, England/Standish Community HS) who all bring something to the pool.

"Steven is starting to come on strong for us to the point of what he is really capable of," Conklin said. "Maxim is going to be our lead guy and we expect a lot out of him. This is a steppingstone for him as he closes out his freshman year and starting his sophomore year. For Josh, he has been a huge addition to us as he allows us to have those relay teams and it's nice to have him around, the experience a new sport, and to be a dual athlete."

The Jayhawks are coming off a third place finish in the Region 3 Championships where they had a total of 16 All-Region honors. Johnson had six First Team All-Region events, Keyser and Zentz with two First Team and two Second Team All-Region events, and Carr with two First Team All-Region events. Johnson was also named the NJCAA Region 3 Swimmer of the Year and NJCAA Region 3 Championships Swimmer of the Meet.

Competition will begin tomorrow, March 1st, at 10 a.m. with the championships concluding on Saturday, March 4th.