Duke Announces 2013-14 Swimming & Diving Schedule

Duke University head swimming and diving coach Dan Colella announced Tuesday, June 25 the Blue Devils’ 2013-14 season schedule, which features four meets at Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion.

“This year’s schedule provides us with some of the toughest competition in the conference both in the fall and in the spring,” Colella said. “I think it is important for our young team to see these types of competitors throughout the season and not just at the conference championship.”

The 2013-14 campaign kicks off Saturday, Oct. 5 at the All-North Carolina Invitational, which will be held in Greensboro, N.C., at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, the site of the 2013 and 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.

The men’s and women’s teams will then travel to Wilmington, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 26 to face the Seahawks in a dual meet before making the short trip to Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Nov. 8 to open ACC competition against NC State. Duke begins the home portion of its schedule the next day, Saturday, Nov. 9, when it hosts swimmers from William & Mary at Taishoff.

The Blue Devils will close the fall by returning to North Carolina’s Nike Cup Invitational Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 21-23 in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Competition resumes Saturday, Jan. 11 in a dual meet with South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Duke will continue ACC action at home against reigning conference champion Virginia Friday, Jan. 24, while the Blue Devil women will also host Richmond the following day,Saturday, Jan. 25. Duke’s nine seniors will be honored at the home finale against conference rival North Carolina Saturday, Feb. 1 at Taishoff.

The program will send representatives to the Cavalier Invite Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15 in Charlottesville, Va., before heading to Greensboro for the 2014 ACC Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The women’s swimming and the men’s and women’s diving events are slated for Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 19-22 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, followed by the men’s swimming events Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 26-March 1 at the same facility.

“The ACC is truly evolving and is becoming more competitive than ever which will only help to bring out the best in our student-athletes, enhancing their ability to compete at an even higher level,” Colella said. “We are really looking forward to the 2013-2014 season. I believe we have the ability to do some great things from our dual meets during the season on up to the NCAA Championships.”

The Blue Devils will look to finish the season by making their fifth appearance NCAA Championships appearance in the last six years. The 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships will be held Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22 at Minnesota’s University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn., while the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships are scheduled for Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29 at Texas’ Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Tex.

The Duke men and women are coming off of a pair of seventh-place finishes at the 2013 ACC Championships, which saw the Blue Devils collect three individual conference titles and eight platform finishes. Four swimmers and divers went on to compete at the 2013 NCAA Championships, with diver Nick McCrory capturing his third national title in platform diving. McCrory also garnered All-America honors on all three diving disciplines, propelling the Duke men to a 17th-place finish in the final team standings.

McCrory will return for his senior campaign in 2013-14, as will All-ACC performers Hunter Knight, Lauren Weaver and Christine Wixted. The group of 35 returning letterwinners will be joined by a talented group of 24 incoming freshmen this fall.

Duke University Swimming and Diving 2013-14 Schedule

 This is an unedited press release.