The Albright College department of athletics remembers student-athlete Matthew Rei
n who died tragically as a result of injuries sustained in a fire at an off-campus home on Sept. 13, 2014.
Rein, 19, was set to begin his second year with the Albright College men's swimming program in the 2014-15 season. He was a member of the 800-freestyle relay team which captured the Middle Atlantic Conference title in a school record time in 2014. He also ranks sixth all-time in the 1,000 freestyle and 10
th all-time in the 500 freestyle in Albright school history.
"Albright College and the entire Albright family mourn his passing," said Albright Co-Director of Athletics Janice Luck. "We are heartbroken by the news of Matthew's death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, teammates and everyone whose lives he touched."
Rein, of South River, N.J., was an environmental science major at Albright.
The Albright men's and women's swimming teams have been named recipients of the Middle Atlantic Conference Giant Steps Award as selected by the MAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The award is annually presented to a student-athlete, or team, that has overcome great adversity, while still succeeding in life, who use sports as a vehicle for positive social change, who break down barriers to provide opportunities to those who follow behind them and individuals who inspire us to do great things using the positive aspects of sports.
In September of this year, Albright swimmer Matthew Rein was tragically killed in a house fire. The Lion swim teams competed this season in the memory of Rein with his initials, MPR, emblazoned on their swim caps and often times hand written on their arms, shoulders or legs.
"It's a tremendous honor for our programs," said head coach Michael Hay. "I'm appreciative of the recognition of the amount of adversity that we were able to overcome. It shows the mentality that we try and bring to the table every single day as far as trying to be strong and to support one another."
The men's swim team capped the 2014-15 season by capturing their fifth consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference Championship, while the women's team placed third overall at the conference meet.
"Having his initials on our caps meant something different to every one of our student-athletes," said Hay. "But it was a symbol to everyone on our team that there are greater powers at work here and that it's not about individual accomplishments, but rather team accomplishments. It was a rallying point for the team and something that every single member of the team could get on board with and support."
Rein was a sophomore on the men's team and helped the Lions earn their fourth consecutive MAC title in 2014. He was a member of the conference-winning 800-freestyle relay team and also competed in the 1,650 freestyle, the 400 IM and the 500 freestyle events.
The award will be presented on Tuesday (May 5) at the 14 th Annual MAC Awards Luncheon at Hood College. Senior Adina Gaughran will accept the award for the men's and women's swimming programs.
