Pittsburgh, Pa. – A trio of Duquesne University swimming and diving student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team on Tuesday, the organization announced. Senior
Sydney Severini, along with sophomores
Sierra Snow and
Ashley Freel, each earned the honor for the Dukes.
The Academic All-District® program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the pool and in the classroom. To be eligible for the distinction, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA), as well as competed in a minimum of five competitions or finished in the top eight at the conference championships.
Severini, a native of Wood-Ridge, N.J., earns the honor for the third consecutive season while maintaining a 3.98 GPA as a speech pathology major. At this year's Atlantic 10 Championships, she turned in a standout performance, earning a medal, contributing to a school record, and posting a personal-best time. On the third day of competition, she was part of the 400-yard medley relay team that captured bronze with a time of 3:41.47. She opened the meet by helping the 200-yard medley relay team set a new school record with a time of 1:40.40. Severini later recorded a personal-best time of 2:01.83 in the 200 IM finals before finishing fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke.
A sophomore from Ijamsville, Md., Snow is pursuing a degree in cybersecurity while maintaining a 3.77 GPA. At the Atlantic 10 Championships, she led the Dukes with five total medals, including three individual honors, while recording three personal-best times and contributing to two new school records. Snow opened the meet by swimming the lead leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that captured gold with a time of 7:16.52. She followed by helping the 200-yard medley relay team set a new school record. Individually, the sophomore claimed a pair of gold medals, winning the 500-yard freestyle in a personal-best and school-record time of 4:45.77. On the final day, Snow added another top podium finish with a victory in the 200-yard backstroke, posting a personal-best time of 1:55.15. She also earned silver in the 100-yard backstroke with a personal-best mark of 54.08. Snow capped her impressive showing as a member of the 400-yard medley relay team that secured a bronze medal.
Freel, a native of Bloomington, Ind., earns the honor for the first time in her career, posting a perfect 4.00 GPA while pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. At the A-10 Championships, she delivered a standout performance, collecting five medals, including three individual honors and contributing to a school record. Freel swam the anchor leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that captured gold and was also a member of the 200-yard medley relay team that set a new school record with a time of 1:40.40. Individually, the Indiana native successfully defended her title in the 100-yard butterfly, winning with a time of 53.38, and added a silver medal in the 200-yard butterfly with a mark of 1:59.49. She continued her strong showing with a bronze-medal finish in the 400 IM (4:18.09) and capped her week as part of the 400-yard medley relay team that also earned bronze.
It marks the fourth consecutive year the Dukes have placed three or more student-athletes on the Academic All-District® Team.
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