PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne swimmers opened the 2021 spring schedule on Friday evening hosting Buffalo at Towers Pool, with the visiting Bulls coming away with a 175-68 victory in the Dukes' first intercollegiate action of the season.
Laura Goettler (Butler, Pa. / Butler) earned a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke for Duquesne with a mark of 1:05.61. She added a pair of second-place finishes in the 50-yard breaststroke (30.64) and the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.79), as well.
The Dukes' 200-yard freestyle relay team of
Leah Reisker (Gainesville, Fla. / F.W. Buchholz),
Mara Voytek (Valley View, Ohio / Cuyahoga Heights),
Hanna Everhart (Bloomsburg, Pa. / Bloomsburg Area) and
Audrey Steen (San Pedro, Calif. / San Pedro) finished second in the event with a mark of 1:38.62.
Steen placed second in the 100-yard backstroke (59.57) followed by
Clare Flanagan (Allison Park, Pa. / Hampton) third (1:01.48).
Steen, along with
Madison Dickert (Media, Pa. / Penncrest), Voytek and Reisker earned a third-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay (1:49.32) to begin the meet.
Emma Brinton (Landenberg, Pa. / Avon Grove) posted a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (1:57.20), Reisker placed third in the 50-yard backstroke (27.85), Voytek finished third in the 100-yard freestyle (54.74) while Everhart recorded a third-place mark in the 50-yard butterfly (27.08).
Head coach David Sheets: "Given the long break from Thanksgiving until January and some state shut downs I think we have to keep things in perspective. Being able to compete against another team in a dual meet environment is something that we are thankful for. What we have to do now is evaluate where we are and where we want to go. We've got a group of very resilient women that want to be successful. It is up to them to keep each other safe to continue with our season and it is up to us (assistant coach
Morgan Fink, head diving coach
Jeanine Stright and I) to provide an environment that will challenge them to be their best selves."
NEXT UP
Duquesne will be back at Towers Pool on Feb. 27 hosting Saint Francis U at 1 p.m.
