Despite strong efforts from senior freestyle swimmer Ramom Melo and senior Nicolai Hansen, the SMU men’s swimming and diving team lost to Texas A&M; on Friday 143-100.

Melo finished in first place in the 50-yard freestyle swim, getting a time of 20.35 seconds and was given praise after the event by his head coach, Eddie Sinnott.

“Melo winning the 50-yard freestyle event was huge; he swam really well,” Sinnott said to SMU athletics. “I feel great with where we are at after having such great improvement over the past two weeks. It was a very positive night.”

The other senior winner of the night, Hansen, was able to complete the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:01.79, and added a runner-up time of 1:49.48 in the 200-yard individual medley.

Junior diver Devin Burnett also took first place in an event with a victory in the 1-meter dive, coupled with his second place finish in the 3-meter dive.

SMU will need to keep these types of performances going as they hope to take yet another conference championship for their swimming and diving team when the very first American Athletic Conference Championship begins in Louisville, Ky. on Feb. 19.

“We swam with 98 percent personal-best times tonight,” said Sinnott. “That is what we need to do as the conference meet is less than a month away.”