Duquesne @ Pitt Relays (Swimming)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 • 11:00 a.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. • Trees Pool

Duquesne @ Clarion Diving Fall Classic (Diving)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 • 12:00 p.m.
Clarion, Pa. • Waldo S. Tippin Natatorium

OFF THE STARTING BLOCK
- The Duquesne University swimming and diving team opens its 2025-26 season this weekend with a split-squad start to the year. The swimmers open the season at the Pitt Relay, while the divers head to the Clarion Diving Fall Classic on Saturday, Oct. 11.

- Duquesne is led by longtime head coach David Sheets, who will enter his 25th season at the helm in 2025-26. A three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (2015, 2018, 2019), Sheets has guided the Dukes to sustained success, highlighted by back-to-back A-10 championships in 2018 and 2019, a runner-up finish in 2022, and a third-place showing this past season.

- Entering the 2025-26 campaign, the Dukes return 16 student-athletes, bolstered by eight incoming freshmen and one transfer. Duquesne showcased its depth at last season's A-10 Championships, amassing 13 medals, setting seven school records, posting five NCAA B-cut times, and celebrating one Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie.

- That honor went to sophomore Ashley Freel, who became just the third freshman in program history to receive the award. Freel delivered an impressive championship debut, securing three podium finishes, posting a personal best, and helping the Dukes establish a new school record.

- The Dukes excelled in the 200-yard backstroke, sweeping the top two spots in a record-breaking performance. Sophomore Sierra Snow earned silver with a personal-best and NCAA B-cut time of 1:55.91.

- Junior Lexi Sundgren also returns after securing silver in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking 1:49.41, while senior Sydney Severini is back following a standout swim in the 200-yard breaststroke. Severini claimed bronze with a personal-best 2:11.92, a mark that doubled as a school record and NCAA B-cut time.

- Off the dicing board, the Dukes return a pair of divers who qualified for the NCAA Diving Zones this past season. Senior Ashley Felitsky and sophomore Brianne Dempsey looking to pace Duquesne this season.

- Felitsky delivered an impressive performance at the NCAA Diving Zones last season, finishing 31st in the one-meter dive with a final score of 239.75 across six dives. Among all Atlantic 10 competitors, she emerged as the top finisher. On Monday, she also competed in the three-meter dive, earning a score of 194.95. It marked the third time at zones for the one-meter dive and her first for the three-meter.

- Dempsey, competing in her first NCAA Diving Zones, made a strong debut in the one-meter dive. She finished 56th out of 81 divers, posting a final score of 208.25 over six dives. Notably, she outperformed multiple divers from Power Five programs
 
Preseason Poll - According to a poll of Atlantic 10 coaches, the Duquesne University swimming & diving team has been picked to finish third in the conference for the 2025-26 season. The Dukes accumulated 83 points in the poll with one first-place vote. George Washington was the selected as the preseason favorite with seven first-place tallies and 97 total points. Richmond was tabbed second with two first-place votes and 83 points while Duquesne, Davidson (59), and Fordham (57) rounded out the top five. George Mason was selected to finish sixth with 51 points, followed by La Salle, St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, and Saint Louis rounding out the poll.

New Face On The Bluff – This past August, head coach David Sheets announced the hiring of Alexa Gonczi as the new diving coach for the Dukes. Gonczi, a native of Monaca, Pa., arrives on the Bluff to launch her coaching career following an exceptional collegiate diving journey. A six-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier at PennWest Clarion, she made her mark as one of the program's most decorated athletes. In her junior year with the Golden Eagles, Gonczi became the 60th NCAA champion in Clarion's storied swimming and diving history, claiming the three-meter title at the NCAA Championships. Competing in her first career finals, she delivered a standout performance, finishing with a score of 505.00 across six dives in a competitive field of 21 divers. She was named a three-time All-American by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). Her standout performances culminated in being honored as the CSCAA Women's Diver of the Year in 2024.

75 Greatest - Head coach David Sheets has earned a spot on the "75 Greatest Male Athletes" list announced by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Sheets, a 1994 Clarion University graduate and 2017 Hall of Fame inductee, was a 20-time NCAA Division II All-American and nine-time PSAC champion. An outstanding backstroke and individual medley specialist, he starred for the Golden Eagles men's swimming and diving program from 1990-93 under legendary coach Bill Miller, earning recognition as both a leader in the pool and as team captain his senior year. The 1992 season was a historic one for Sheets, as he swept the PSAC titles in both the 100 and 200 backstroke while leading Clarion to the conference championship and a remarkable runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest national finish in program history. 

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