Washington, D.C. – Sophomore Ashley Freel of the Duquesne University swimming & diving team earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Women's Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team, announced by the league office on Friday.

The Academic All-Conference teams include student-athletes who were selected based on their athletic and academic performance through the year, including at the A-10 Championship. To be nominated, student-athletes must be a sophomore and maintain a GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for their entire academic career. The teams were selected through a vote conducted by the league's communications directors.

Freel, a native of Bloomington, Ind., earns the honor for the first time in her career, all while maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA as she pursues a degree in mechanical engineering. At the Atlantic 10 Championships, she helped Duquesne secure its second consecutive third-place finish, scoring 516.5 points, the sixth-highest total in program history. Freel delivered a stellar performance, scoring the fifth-most points at the meet, earning four total medals, including two individual titles, and helping break a school record.

Her first medal came as part of the 800-yard freestyle relay, where she anchored the team to gold with a time of 7:16.52 on the opening day. On the third day, the sophomore claimed her first individual gold medal in the 100-yard butterfly, successfully defending her title with a winning time of 55.38.

The Indiana native continued her success by earning a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly on the final day, posting a time of 1:59.49. Freel also contributed to the 400 medley relay team that captured bronze with a time of 3:41.47, while helping the 200-yard medley relay squad break the school record in the opening event of the championships, finishing in 1:40.40.

With Freel earning a spot on the academic team, she extends the Dukes' legacy, marking nine consecutive years with at least one Duquesne student-athlete receiving the honor. She was also named a CSCAA Scholar All-American for the 2024-25 season and was the Most Outstanding Rookie at the A-10 Championships last season.

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