PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne swimming and diving program will begin the home portion of its 2021 spring slate on Friday, Jan. 29 hosting the Buffalo Bulls at 4 p.m. at Towers Pool. It will be the first competition of the 2020-21 season for the Dukes' swimmers, as the divers took on Steel City foe Pitt last Saturday at Trees Pool. The swimmers will battle the Bulls in 13 different events on Friday evening.
Duquesne is led by four seniors in swimmers
Emma Brinton (Landenberg, Pa. / Avon Grove),
Cateri Christinis (Charleroi, Pa. / Oakland Catholic),
Clare Flanagan (Allison Park, Pa. / Hampton) as well as diver
Peyton Joiner (Northford, Conn. / North Branford).
The senior class will look to help the Dukes capture their third Atlantic 10 title in four seasons in 2021, as Duquesne won back-to-back league crowns in 2018 and '19.
Brinton returns for her senior campaign as one of the most decorated swimmers in school history, having won 10 medals at three A-10 Championship meets. In addition, the 2018 A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer owns five school records and posted a U.S. Olympic Trial Cut Time in the 200 IM last season.
Flanagan earned bronze in the 200 back at last season's A-10 Championship, scoring for the Dukes in that event for the second-straight season while Christinis has notched points for Duquesne in the 500 free at each of the last two league championship meets. Joiner is in her fourth season with the Dukes' divers after Duquesne reinstated its diving program prior to the 2017-18 campaign. She is coming off a career-best performance on the 3-meter boards last weekend at Pitt with a score of 217.05.
The Dukes also return a pair of school record-holders in juniors
Hanna Everhart (Bloomsburg, Pa. / Bloomsburg Area) and
Audrey Steen (San Pedro, Calif. / San Pedro). Everhart owns three school records and has collected five medals at a pair of A-10 Championship meets, while Steen garnered A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer honors in 2019 and has also recorded three school record marks with four medal-winning performances.
Friday marks the second meet of the season for Buffalo, as the Bulls competed at the Zippy Invite at Akron in early December. Buffalo took second at the meet, with five Bulls earning first-place finishes including Olivia Sapio (200 IM), Antonia Naccarella (200 free), Nicole Roitenburg (200 fly), Patricia Arceri (3-meter dive) and Louise Bradley (1-meter dive).
Buffalo placed second at the 2020 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship and bested the Dukes 223-57 in the teams' last meeting on Feb. 1, 2020.
Below is the schedule of events for Friday's matchup with the Bulls. Live results will be available on the Meet Mobile app.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
1. 200 Medley Relay
2. 200 Free
3. 50 Back
4. 50 Breast
5. 100 Fly
6. 50 Free
7. 100 Free
8. 100 Back
9. 100 Breast
10. 500 Free
11. 50 Fly
12. 200 IM
13. 200 Free Relay
FAN ATTENDANCE
Due to health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, Friday's meet at Towers Pool will be held without spectators.
NEXT UP
The Dukes are back in action with another home meet hosting Saint Francis U on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. at Towers Pool.
