NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — La Salle’s Dylan Yurasits and Richmond’s Irina Chiulli were named the Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Performers of the Week, respectively, the league announced on Tuesday. Also honored were George Washington’s Josh Monacelli and Emily Zhang, who were named the Men’s and Women’s Rookie of the Week, respectively. Awards were based off meet performances from Nov. 2– Nov. 8.
Yurasits, a sophomore from North Wales, Pa., had a great performance in a tri-meet against Delaware and Rider. He helped the Explorers go 1-1 in the meet by scoring a 307.20 in the one-meter dives, winning the event by 14.2 points. His score was good enough to qualify for the NCAA Zone A Diving Championship, meeting the standard of 300. It is the second straight year he has qualified for NCAA Zones.
Chiulli, a junior from Westwood, Mass., grabbed her second performer of the week honor after a strong showing in a diving-only, double-dual meet against Clemson and East Carolina. The 2015 A-10 Most Outstanding Diver led the Spiders to their first ever win against Clemson and a tie against East Carolina. She had the best score in the one-meter dives with a 263.20 and finished second on the three-meter with a 280.40. Her three-meter score was good for an NCAA Zones qualifier.
Monacelli, a freshman from Orlando, Fla., had three second-place finishes for the Colonials in a meet against Towson. Individually, he finished second in the 100-yd breaststroke (59.57) and the 200-yd breaststroke (2:10.65), while helping the 200-yd medley relay finish with a time of 1:36.74. It is his second rookie of the week honor.
Zhang, a freshman from Rockville, Md., won the 200-yd IM in a time of 2:06.42, which placed her fifth on GW’s all-time list. She finished second in the 100-yd breaststroke (1:07.01) and the 200-yd breaststroke (2:29.15), and helped her team to a second-place finish in the 200-yd medley relay (1:48.32).
Swimming news courtesy of A-10 Conference.
