Why King’s Historic Win was Extra Special

When it was time to approach the winner’s podium and stand atop the highest platform — the one reserved for gold-medal champions — MG King ’27 made sure to bring the red fleece.

The clothing belonged to their father, Dan King, who always wore it when he volunteered as a timer for MG King’s meets with their club team, back when MG King was a teen living in Lake Forest, Ill.

Dan King was easily recognizable thanks to that red fleece. And it seemed like he never took it off. Thus, when he passed away unexpectedly last October, MG King made sure to claim the fleece, and brought it to Colgate to remember their dad.

Throughout the season, King, a standout on the Colgate women’s swim & dive team, thought of their father. But never more than on Feb. 21, the final day of the Patriot League Championship in Annapolis, Md.

When it was time for King’s last race, the 200-yard backstroke, King placed the fleece on the timer’s chair behind their lane.

“More than I had even the rest of the season, I was thinking about my dad during that race,” King said. “I knew that no matter what I did, he’d be proud.”

Dan King would have been proud indeed if he had seen MG King on that day.

After battling through the four-day competition, King saved the best for last by capturing the title and making history in the process. It was Colgate’s first gold medalist in the 200-yard backstroke since 2012.

“It was honestly not something I had expected,” King said. “I was having some issues throughout the meet for the first couple of days. I went into the last day, thinking, ‘It will go well or it will go poorly. I don’t have much control over what my competitors are doing. I will swim the best I can.’ My coach pulled me aside and said, ‘This is your race. Just follow the plan that we’re comfortable with.’”

King was always good at swimming quicker toward the end of a race than at the beginning. They stuck to that strategy during the 200-yard backstroke, wanting to stay calm and let the race come to them. As others were getting tired after swimming a hard 75, King was preparing to kick into high gear.

The plan worked.

There came a moment near the end of the race when King realized they were ahead. But King didn't believe it until they touched the wall and looked toward the Colgate bench and saw every member of the team, including head coach Ed Pretre, jumping up and down in celebration. 

“Experiencing that moment of such profound joy with my teammates was so special,” King said.

The historic win was special. And to do it for their father meant it was a moment King would remember for a long time.

Podium finishes are nothing new for the junior. King has piled up the number of wins. But the 200-yard backstroke stands at the top of King’s most memorable experiences — along with their performance at the same event the previous year.

In 2025, King and three teammates combined to win the bronze in the 400 medley relay. It was Colgate’s first podium finish in that event in more than a decade. One reason the win was significant was that it showed how far the program had progressed over a couple of seasons.

“Watching that race unfold, and watching us being competitive with teams that a few seasons prior we could not have been competitive with, was such an electric moment,” King said.

The program has come a long way — and so has King. As a first-year in 2023, King was a promising distance swimmer and proved it when they recorded a few wins in their debut at the Justin Jennings Invitational. 

But coming from a club team where the focus was on individual results, King had to learn how to compete as part of a team at Colgate.

“The biggest thing I have learned is the ways in which swimming is a team sport,” King said. “I’ve learned that I’m just one part of a very large machine. Though there are individual wins, it’s all about scoring points for the team at large. Club swimming, at least where I’m from, was very individualistic. If someone else was succeeding, that was detrimental to you. Here, it’s not like that at all. Now, I love seeing my teammates succeed.”

In addition, the camaraderie at Colgate is something that King had never experienced before. It has helped change the culture of the program.

“Now I’m part of this community,” King said. “We go to practice. We have fun together. I’ve learned to have fun with swimming. I’ve learned it’s not just about results, it’s about everything along the way.”

While developing into a consistent winner at Colgate, King has also excelled in the classroom.

King is a Classics major with a GPA north of 4.0. 

The Classics teaches everything from the ancient world — whether it be mythology, language, poetry, art, or archeology. All those topics were of interest to King, who began learning Latin in middle school. Thus, choosing a major was an easy choice. 

“I have known for quite some time that studying the ancient world was what I wanted to do with myself,” King said. “I realized I could see myself doing it. My plan is to apply for grad school in the Classics. I tell people I want to be a professor, but there are a lot of things I can do with that. We can learn so much from the ancient world.”

King has tackled an array of topics within the Classics, in addition to subjects beyond their major, which is required as part of Colgate’s liberal arts curriculum.

Now King is preparing for a heavy dose of archeological research, when they begin a six-week program in Athens this summer through the American School of Classical Studies. The program will allow students to learn from top archeologists.

Between the swim team and classwork, King has found time for other activities, too. They’re the president of the Classics Society, which hosts events that teach the classic world to anyone who is not taking Classics courses.

King is an executive of Athlete Ally, a group that discusses challenges that affect LGBTQ+ athletes. In their role, King organizes and runs meetings. 

In addition, King works as a Latin and Greek tutor.

It has been a lot to balance. King said there have been times when they fell behind, but always found a way to get back on track. 

“It is hard balancing it, but these are things I enjoy doing,” they said.  “It’s less hard to do difficult things when you like doing it. Yes, I have to go to an hour of lift and then translate 150 lines of Sophocles. There’s always a payoff. You learn through suffering. I’ve learned something through all of them. That’s one way I got through the tough weeks.”

King still has one more year to go. King said they look forward to completing their Classic degree and working with a talented in-coming class on the swim team.

And while that happens, it’s a safe bet King will continue to add victories to their record.

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