Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne swimming and diving team opened its 2026-27 season on Saturday, competing at the CMU Relays hosted by Carnegie Mellon against the host Tartans and Pitt.
The Dukes collected nine top-three finishes, including one first-place finish, five runner-up finishes and a trio of third-place finishes.
Duquesne secured its first victory of the season in the 3x100-yard breaststroke, as junior
Jess Burns, freshman
Lainey Sheets and junior
Surrena Luna combined to post a time of 3:18.20 to claim the gold. The Dukes also earned a third-place finish in the event, with sophomore
Kira Schrecongost, freshman
Caitlin Goff and sophomore
Emily Kyre recording a time of 3:25.72.
The meet opened with the 200-yard medley relay, where Duquesne earned a runner-up finish with a time of 1:44.77. Junior
Ashley Freel, Burns, junior
Rachel Howard and sophomore
Lucy Backus teamed up to secure second place. The squad of sophomore
Norah Kotnik, Luna, Sheets and junior
Kaitlyn Connors finished fourth with a time of 1:48.09.
In the 500-yard freestyle relay, Backus, Freel, Sheets and Connors posted a time of 4:29.79 to finish second, while Sheets, Howard and Freel teamed up for another runner-up finish in the 3x100-yard butterfly with a time of 2:48.81.
Duquesne continued its strong showing in the 400-yard medley relay, as Sheets, Kyre, Luna and Freel recorded a time of 3:57.78 to finish second. Connors, Burns, Schrecongost and Goff added a fourth-place finish with a time of 4:06.51.
The 200-yard freestyle relay marked the 15th event of the evening, with Connors, Burns, Howard and Backus earning silver with a time of 1:36.26. Duquesne also placed fourth, as Kyre, Sheets, senior
Julia Sobun and Freel posted a time of 1:39.02.
The 3x100-yard backstroke team of Freel, Kotnik and Sheets added a bronze-medal finish for the Dukes, touching the wall in 2:51.91.
Off the diving boards, sophomore
Anna Klotz paced Duquesne with a third-place finish in the one-meter dive.
UP NEXT
Duquesne hits the road when it travels to Hampton, Va., for the Richmond Invitational on Friday, Oct. 9, before competing in the Richmond Duals on Saturday, Oct. 10.
