Courtesy: Duke Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – After kicking off the season last weekend at Virginia Tech, the Blue Devil swimming and diving teams welcome a pair of nationally-ranked NC State squads for the home opener at Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion Saturday. Action begins with diving at 10 a.m., followed by swimming events at 11 a.m.
Meet Information
Fans attending Saturday’s meet should be advised of the parking and traffic alert in effect due to multiple events on campus.
Saturday marks the Blue Devils’ Breast Cancer Awareness Meet in Taishoff. Fans are encouraged to join the teams in wearing pink to support this cause.
Duke is also proud to welcome back former Blue Devil swimmers and divers for Alumni Weekend at Taishoff.
Blue Devil Basics
The Duke men and women are coming off of splitting action in the season and ACC opener last Saturday in Christiansburg, Va. The 22nd-ranked Blue Devil women downed the Hokies, 172-123, while the men fell by a 178.5-121.5 score in dual meet competition.
The women’s team picked up wins in all but two individual events at Virginia Tech and the Duke men and women swept all four relays. The Blue Devil divers registered first-place finishes in three of the four events on the day.
A number of freshmen started off their collegiate careers in strong fashion, as Easop Lee claimed the women’s 200 and 500-yard freestyle, Melissa Pish the 1,000 freestyle, Cabell Ann Whitlow the 200 butterfly and Maddi Pullinger the one-meter springboard event.
Junior Alyssa Marsh swept the women’s sprint freestyle races and classmate Kylie Jordan earned an NCAA provisional standard in the 100 butterfly (53.53) en route to a first-place showing.
On the men’s side, junior Miles Williams won the 100 butterfly, junior Sheldon Boboff the 200 freestyle and senior Max St. George the 100 backstroke. Senior Evan Moretti placed first in three-meter diving and junior Nathaniel Hernandez moved up to third on the program’s all-time performance list with his showing on the one-meter board.
Duke vs. NC State
Saturday, 11 a.m. l Durham, N.C. – Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion
The Wolfpack swimming and diving squads kicked off their season with a pair of dual meet victories at South Carolina Oct. 12. NC State claimed first-place finishes in 23 events, pacing the men to a 198.5-99.5 win and the women to a 197-101 defeat of the Gamecocks.
The Wolfpack men were fourth in the first College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll of the year after taking fourth at the 2018 NCAA Championships and claiming their fourth-straight ACC team title. NC State’s women came in at No. 11 in the first national rankings of the season following a 2017-18 campaign that saw the group place top-20 at NCAAs and third at ACCs.
Last year’s dual meet matchup with the Wolfpack saw NC State take two wins. The Wolfpack men lead the all-time series, 66-13, while the NC State women hold a 34-3 advantage in the series against Duke.
Up Next
After hosting the Wolfpack Saturday, the Blue Devils resume their 2018-19 slate Nov. 3 with a diving-only competition at East Carolina. Duke’s divers will face the Pirates and Richmond at that meet.
