DURHAM, N.C. – With both the men’s and women’s teams represented in the national rankings for the first time in program history, Duke is set to return to Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion Saturday. The Blue Devils welcome non-conference opponents Old Dominion and William & Mary for a meet beginning at 1 p.m.
Duke Squads Break Into Top 20
Last week marked the first time in program history both the men’s and women’s programs have received national rankings. The Duke women came in at No. 22 in the first College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll before bumping up five spots to No. 17 this week, while the men were ranked 19th in the first poll of the season. The national rankings came after both teams earned victories over Florida State and Queens University of Charlotte Oct. 23 to improve to 3-0.
Blue Devils Atop ACC Standings
Entering their third meet of the season, the Duke men and women sit atop the conference standings with 2-0 records against ACC foes. The Blue Devils topped the Pittsburgh men and women in the season opener Oct. 3 before dispatching the Seminoles Oct. 23. Both teams are 3-0 overall after also defeating Queens in the tri-meet at Taishoff two weekends ago.
Swimmers Nab More Weekly Accolades
Junior Peter Kropp garnered ACC Male Swimmer of the Week honors for the second time this season Oct. 27 after guiding the Blue Devil men to victories over Florida State and Queens. He swept the men’s breaststroke races once again and joined Kaz Takabayashi, David Armstrong and James Peek on the winning 200-yard medley relay, which ranks third in the country with a 1:27.47 showing.
Sophomore Leah Goldman was also recognized for her effort in wins over Florida State and Queens, as she was named the Ronald McDonald House Charities Duke Student-Athlete of the Week Oct. 28. The Burlingame, Calif., native earned first-place finishes in two individual events and swam on the winning 200 medley relay that reset its own Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion record (1:40.62). Goldman also earned another facility record in the 100 butterfly, breaking a 37-year-old benchmark with her 53.77 clocking.
Both swimmers’ performances helped the Blue Devils defeat the Seminoles in a dual meet format for the first time in program history.
Young Divers Off to Strong Start
Bolstered by the arrival of three male and two female divers, head diving coach Nunzio Esposto’s group has begun the 2015-16 campaign with impressive performances. Freshman Evan Moretti has earned first-place finishes on the 1-meter springboard in two consecutive meets and ranks fourth in the ACC with a season-best mark of 362.33. Fellow rookieMackenzie Willborn swept both women’s events in the tri-meet against the Seminoles and the Royals while pacing all female divers in the conference with a score of 356.70 on the 3-meter board.
A Look at Duke
Kropp maintains the nation’s top time in the men’s 100 breaststroke with his season-opening clocking of 52.13, and tops the ACC at the 200-yard distance. Kropp and 200 medley relay teammates Takabayashi, Armstrong and Peek pace the league with their 1:27.47 showing two weeks ago while freshman Riley Hickman and sophomore Matt Johnson rank first and second, respectively, among conference swimmers in the mile. The Blue Devils also pace the conference’s female swimmers in the mile, as sophomore Verity Abel ranks first in the ACC and second nationally with a time of 16:44.99 in her last outing. In addition, Goldman’s 100 butterfly time of 53.77 is third in the ACC and seventh in the country, and sophomore Isabella Paez is among the nation’s top 10 in the 200 butterfly.
Scouting the Monarchs
The Old Dominion men are coming off of a dual meet victory over Davidson last weekend while the Monarch women fell to the Wildcats and Marshall. The men and women also picked up three individual victories in a season-opening meet at Navy last month. Senior Vitor Sa currently leads the Coastal College Sports Association (CCSA) in the 200 freestyle (1:41.49) while teammate Jacob Zeidler owns the conference’s top time in the 100 breaststroke (56.32) and Reed Matthews is tops in the 100 (49.38) and 200 butterfly (1:49.03). On the women’s side, Raquel Couto is third in Conference USA in the 1,000 freestyle at 10:22.98, as is Colleen VandePoel in the 100 backstroke (57.28) and Ashley Brem in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.88).
Duke will face the Monarchs again later this month at the Nike Cup Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Scouting the Tribe
The William & Mary men head to Durham with a 4-0 ledger in dual meets and a 3-0 mark against CAA opponents, while the Tribe women are 3-2 overall and 2-2 against conference foes. The squads last competed in a CAA Pod Meet at Delaware Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, with the men downing UNC Wilmington and the Blue Hens and the women going 1-2 with a win over the Seahawks. Senior Jeremiah O’Donnell earned CAA Swimmer of the Week accolades for his performance at the pod meet after winning the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM and 400 IM.
Colella’s Take
“We need to be ready to go,” said head coach Dan Colella. “If they come in with the idea of pushing the envelope and really being hungry, we should come out looking good at the end of Saturday’s competition. But there’s so much you can always learn. We’re in the midst of a hard training cycle and they’re excited about finishing up the fall as an undefeated program. We haven’t done that before going into the spring, so some real firsts here for the program.”
Swimming news courtesy of Duke Swimming & Diving.