PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne swimming and diving team opens its home slate of the 2021-22 campaign this weekend, welcoming James Madison to Towers Pool on Friday at 4 p.m. before the Dukes battle Saint Francis U on the Bluff on Saturday at 1 p.m. The DU divers are set to take on JMU at Carnegie Mellon at 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening. 

The Dukes, led by 21st-year head coach David Sheets, return to action as an entire team for the first time this season. Duquesne's Emma Menzer (Newark, Del. / Newark Charter), Molly Brennan (Pittsford, N.Y. / Pittsford Sutherland) and Orla Egan (Sunnyside, N.Y. / Mary Louis Academy) all competed at the CSCAA Open Water Championship in Lawrence, Kan. on Sept. 17. Menzer posted a 43rd-place finish (1:09:40.3) out of 70 swimmers to pace the Dukes followed by Brennan in 63rd (1:13:52.7) and Egan (Sunnyside, N.Y. / Mary Louis Academy) recorded a 68th-place mark (1:16:42.1). 

Duquesne is coming off a second-place finish at the 2020-21 Atlantic 10 Championship and returns a pair of key contributors from last season in Hanna Everhart (Bloomsburg, Pa. / Bloomsburg Area) and Audrey Steen (San Pedro, Calif. / San Pedro).

Steen took home a team-high six medals at the 2021 A-10 Championship, including gold in the 100-yard back and the 400 medley relay, silver in the 100 fly and 200 fly as well as bronze in the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay. Everhart recorded five medal-winning performances at last season's championship, including gold in the 200 free and 400 medley relay along with bronze in the 100 free, 400 free relay and 800 free relay. 

Reagan Linkous (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown Christian Academy) posted two medal-winning performances for Duquesne with bronze in the 200 back and gold in the 400 medley relay along with teammate Madison Dickert (Media, Pa. / Penncrest). Dickert also took home bronze in the 200 medley relay with Mara Voytek (Valley View, Ohio / Cuyahoga Heights) and Leah Reisker (Gainesville, Fla. / F.W. Buchholz). Reisker was also part of the Dukes' bronze medal-winning 400 free relay team. Menzer earned silver in the 400 IM for Duquesne to go with a bronze medal showing in the 800 free relay with Brennan. 

Duquesne features six seniors including Cassie Holstein (Ashburn, Va. / Briar Woods), Lauryn Ober (Lititz, Pa. / Warwick), Sophia Perez (Chapel Hill, N.C. / East Chapel Hill), Adrienne White (Gibsonia, Pa. / Hampton) in addition to Everhart, Steen and graduate transfer Mendy De Rooi (Lelystad, Netherlands / Cumberlands). 

The Dukes were picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10 Women's Swimming and Diving Preseason Coaches Poll. Defending champion Richmond was selected as the preseason favorite in the conference followed by George Washington second and Fordham third. 

The Duquesne divers return to action against James Madison after competing at the Clarion Fall Classic last weekend. Sidney O'Donnell (Solon, Ohio / Solon) won both the one-meter dive with a score of 265.5 and the three-meter dive with a mark of 252.53 for the Dukes. This comes two weeks after O'Donnell broke her own school record on the 3-meter boards in Duquesne's season-opener against Pitt with a performance of 289. The junior qualified for the NCAA Zone A Diving Championship for the second time in her career with her showing in just the first meet of the season. 

Adrienne White (Gibsonia, Pa. / Hampton) finished second on the three-meter boards with a score of 231 to go with a fifth-place showing in the one-meter dive at 211.43.

Friday marks the second meet of the season for James Madison after the Dukes dropped a 157-143 matchup to Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe Towson on Oct. 9. James Madison has captured four-straight CAA titles. 

Saint Francis U fell to Saint Bonaventure and LIU to open the season. Duquesne topped the Red Flash twice during the 2020-21 campaign, including a 149-95 decision at Towers Pool on Feb. 27. 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - FRIDAY VS. JAMES MADISON
400 Medley Relay
1000 Free
200 Free
100 Back
100 Breast
200 Fly
50 Free
-- Break -- 
100 Free
200 Back
200 Breast
500 Free
100 Fly
-- Break -- 
200 IM
400 Free Relay

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - SATURDAY VS. SAINT FRANCIS U
200 Medley Relay
1000 Free
200 Free
100 Back
100 Breast
200 Fly
50 Free
-- Break -- 
100 Free
200 Back
200 Breast
500 Free
100 Fly
-- Break -- 
400 IM
200 Free Relay


NEXT UP 
Duquesne heads to SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio for the Atlantic 10 Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 31.