PITTSBURGH - Following back-to-back Atlantic 10 titles, the Duquesne swimming and diving team was tabbed as co-favorites in the 2019-20 A-10 Preseason Coaches Poll released on Thursday afternoon. The Dukes and George Washington each tallied 112 points with Duquesne garnering six first-place votes to the Colonials' four. Fordham was selected to finish third and also received one first-place vote.
The Dukes, led by three-time A-10 Coach of the Year David Sheets, will look for their third consecutive A-10 Championship at SPIRE Institute on Feb. 19-22, 2020.
Duquesne recorded a school-record 580.5 points at last season's championship meet, holding the lead after each of the four days of competition. The Dukes took home 11 medals and registered points on the diving side of the A-10 championship for the first time in over 20 years.
DU took home 11 medals, including five for Emma Brinton (Landenberg, Pa. / Avon Grove), who returns for her junior campaign with eight school records and eight A-10 medals through her first two seasons. Audrey Steen (San Pedro, Calif. / San Pedro) became the second Dukes swimmer to earn A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer honors in 2019 after Brinton garnered the award in 2018.
Duquesne returns seven seniors including Lauren Devorace (Rocky River, Ohio / Rocky River), Meredith Easterling (Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional), Carson Gross (York, Pa. / York Suburban), Madelyn Hoying (Groselle, Mich. / Groselle), Erin Kuhn (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Allegheny), Heather Svitavsky (Willoughby, Ohio / Hawken) and Summer Svitavsky (Willoughby, Ohio / Hawken).
The Dukes open the 2019-20 season with the Team Pentathlon on Friday, Oct. 11 followed by a long course meet at Trees Pool with Pitt, Villanova and Youngstown State on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Women's Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes) - Points
Duquesne (6) - 112
George Washington (4) – 112
Fordham (1) – 100
Richmond – 95
Massachusetts – 75
George Mason – 57
La Salle – 50
Davidson – 46
St. Bonaventure – 40
Saint Louis – 26
Rhode Island – 14
