RESULTSAKRON, Ohio - The Duquesne swimming and diving team suffered its first setback of the season in dual meet action on Friday evening at Akron by a score of 197-101 at Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium. The Dukes close the dual meet portion of their schedule with an 8-1 mark, while the Zips, winners of the last four Mid-American Conference titles, improve to 5-1 on the season.

Junior Abigail Stauffer (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) posted a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke with a mark of 1:04.48 for Duquesne.

The Dukes swimmers added seven second-place marks in the contest, paced by two from senior Lexi Santer (Wilmington, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) in the 100-yard freestyle (52.99) and the 400 yard IM (4:34.55).

In addition, sophomore Summer Svitavsky (Willoughby, Ohio/Hawken) (1000-yard freestyle - 10:30.46), sophomore Carson Gross (York, Pa./York Suburban) (200-yard freestyle - 1:54.65), senior Michelle Heim (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) (50-yard freestyle - 23.95) and junior Kristen McKnight (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) (100-yard butterfly - 58.81) each contributed second-place finishes for Duquesne.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team consisting of McKnight, senior Kayla Owens (Youngstown, Pa./Greater Latrobe), Gross and Heim also chipped in a second-place showing with a time of 1:36.76.

Freshman diver Peyton Joiner (Northford, Conn./North Branford) recorded a second-place score of 200.10 in the 3-meter dive, while fellow freshman Colleen Rodrigues (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland) added a third-place mark of 215.70 in the 1-meter dive. Freshman Paige Aley (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) added and 163.10 and 146.10 points in the 1- and 3-meter dives, respectively.

Head coach David Sheets: "Our main goal today was to get up and race and focus on what we were able to control. The ladies did a great job of competing throughout the meet and swimming with blinders on. As we approach February it will be paramount to fine tune everything we've been working on since September."

Head diving coach Charlie Hauser: "It was an excellent day on the boards. All three divers debuted some new dives and did them well. The difference from Cleveland State to now was evident. The ladies are diving more consistently, more confidently, and with more poise. All of this is just where we want to be as we approach Conferences."

UP NEXT
The Dukes are back in action next weekend at the Western PA Invite at Trees Pool on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Diving begins on Friday, Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. with swimming slated to start on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m.