Hampton, Va. – Freshman Ashley Freel earned Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie as the Duquesne swimming & diving team finished in third place at the A-10 swimming & diving Championships on Saturday inside the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex.

The Dukes secured their second third-place finish in the last five years, earning 525 points to claim the bronze, which is the fourth highest total scored in team history. George Washington took the gold with 598.50 points, while Richmond claimed silver with 571 points. Fordham followed in fourth place with 339 points, and George Mason rounded out the top five with 324 points..

Freel made history at the A-10 Championships, becoming just the third rookie in program history to earn Most Outstanding Rookie honors. She showcased her talent with an impressive medal haul, securing three podium finishes, a personal best, and contributing to a school record. Her standout performance culminated in the 200-yard butterfly, where she earned silver with a personal best time of 1:58.97. This followed a dominant showing in the 100-yard fly, where she captured gold and a new school record while a strong relay effort, helping the 400-yard medley team clinch silver.

The Dukes dominated the 200-yard backstroke, claiming the top two spots in a record-breaking performance. Senior Haley Scholer defended her title, winning gold for the second consecutive season with a personal best, a new school record, and an NCAA B Cut time of 1:54.96. Freshman Sierra Snow followed closely behind, securing silver with a personal best and an NCAA B Cut time of 1:55.91, capping off a stellar showing for the team.

Senior Orla Egan set the tone on the final day with a standout performance in the 1650-yard freestyle, capturing silver with a personal best, a new school record, and an NCAA B Cut time of 16:38.34. Teammates Aislinn Mooney and Lexi Sundgren added to the team's success, both delivering personal bests. Mooney clocked in at 17:03.92, while Sundgren followed closely with a time of 17:04.83, highlighting a strong showing in the distance event.

In the 200-yard breaststroke, junior Sydney Severini captured herself a bronze medal touching the wall at 2:11.92, which is a personal best, school record and NCAA B Cut.

In the 100-yard freestyle, the Dukes featured a pair of swimmers finishing with personal best times. Junior Katie Simpson carded a time of 51.90 while freshman Rachel Howard touched the wall at 52:01 to each post personal bests. Senior Kendra Joachim posted another personal best on the week, clocking in a time of 2:04.85 in the 200-yard butterfly while sophomore Julia Sobun touched the wall at 2:04.73 to card a career best, both coming in the prelims. 

The 400-yard freestyle relay concluded the event, with the team of freshman Kaitlyn Connors, Simpson, Freel, and Scholer clocking in a tie of 3:22.34 to finish fifth.

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"I was asked before we left on Monday what success would look like to me when the meet was over," head coach David Sheets said. "For us, it was about going and competing with a championship mentality all four days and bringing the best version of ourselves to the pool each time we stepped on the deck at the Aquaplex. I believe we accomplished that. The ladies had fun, competed and supported each other through it all. The results speak for themselves, with 13 podiums, 42 new Personal best times, 27 new All-time top 10's, 7 school records, and 5 NCAA "B" Cuts. I couldn't be prouder of all of them."