Duquesne @ Richmond Duals
Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 • 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 • 10:00 a.m.
Hampton Virginia Aquaplex • Hampton, Va.
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Beyond The Breakers
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- The Duquesne University swimming & diving team opens its 2023-24 season by taking part in the Richmond Duals this weekend in Hampton, Va., at the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex. The Dukes will open against George Mason Friday, Oct. 13, and will face either the host Spiders or Davidson Saturday, Oct. 14.
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- The Dukes are led by
David Sheets, who is in his 23rd season in 2023-24. Sheets is a three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (2015, 2018, 2019) and led Duquesne to back-to-back A-10 championships in 2018 and 2019. The Dukes have finished in the top four at the Atlantic 10 Championships each of the last nine seasons.
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- Junior
Haley Scholer qualified for the USA Swimming Olympic Trials in
August in the 200-yard backstroke thanks to a time of 2:13.41 in Buffalo, N.Y., at the Eastern Senior Zone Championships. The time is a personal best and topped a field of 52 swimmers.
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- Scholer owns the Duquesne school record in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:56.34, a time that helped her earn bronze at the 2023 Atlantic 10 Championships.
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- A total of
three Duquesne student-athletes were named to the 2023 Scholar All-America Team by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
Ashley Felitsky and
Haley Scholer were each named to the second team, while former diver
Amy Read earned first team accolades.
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- Senior
Molly Brennan, junior
Orla Egan and Scholer return for the Dukes in 2023-24 and helped make up the Duquesne 800-Yard Freestyle Relay squad that garnered silver at the 2023 Atlantic 10 Championships with a time of 7:18.90.
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- Duquesne returns to Virginia after opening its season with the Richmond Duals, traveling to Fairfax, Va., to compete in the George Mason Invitational Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28.
RICHMOND DUALS LINKS
- Meet Information
- Order of Events
- Hampton Virginia Aquaplex
The Richmond Duals – This weekend marks the fourth time in the last six years Duquesne is competing in the Richmond Duals. Last season at the event the Dukes earned a 171.5-127.5 win over George Mason and fell to the host Spiders, 152-145.
Orla Egan helped pace Duquesne last season with victories in both the 500-yard (5:06.62) and 1,650-yard (17:41.74) freestyles against George Mason and also recorded a time of 5:05.52 in the 500-yard freestyle against the Spiders to finish first.
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Welcome Back – Amy Read joined the Duquesne swimming & diving coach staff as assistant diving coach after a distinguished career. In her lone season with the Dukes in 2022-23, Reed qualified for the NCAA national championships for the fifth consecutive year and was named the 2023 Atlantic 10 Diver of the Year. She owns the program school record for the one-meter thanks to a score of 296.10 that she established at the Richmond Duals in October of 2022.
Jeff Brown is also in his first season coaching the divers at Duquesne after joining the coaching staff in June. Brown, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., spent the past two seasons coaching in the high school ranks at a trio of schools, including Shaler, Peters Township and his alma mater, Hampton.
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Scholar Speak – Senior
Reagan Linkous was one of
four Dukes to be named to the 2023 Academic All-America® All-District 2 Team, which is selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Linkous, a physician assistant studies major, has compiled a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.83. She won the 200-yard backstroke last season at the Richmond Duals against the Spiders with a time of 2:02.82 after finishing second in the 100-yard backstroke at 57.28 seconds. Linkous owns a personal best of 1:58.58 in the 200-yard backstroke, which helped her earn bronze at the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championships.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest Duquesne Swimming & Diving news and updates, follow the Dukes on social media on Twitter (X) and Instagram.
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