Wildcats Host Queens in Season Opener Thursday

Thursday, September 30

Davidson, NC

3 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

Queens

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Wildcats Host Queens in Season Opener Thursday

9/29/2021 3:37:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Swimming & Diving

DavidsonPhotos.com

Five months after a delayed Atlantic 10 Championship and a pair of program-best third-place team finishes, the Davidson swimming and diving teams are back at it.

And as the 2021-22 season commences, Davidson head coach John Young has seen energy, enthusiasm and gratitude from the Wildcats, who open competition Thursday when they host Queens at 3 p.m. in Cannon Pool.

It's the beginning of the five-month competitive season and the first of three meets the Wildcats will host this year, but perhaps more importantly, it's also a good time to gauge individual and team progress.

"We use the word 'checkpoint' a lot because we are fortunate — we know we get to swim at the end of the season," said Young, entering his 16th season. "So everything we do builds to that crescendo. If we have pursued our goals honestly along the way, then when we get to the end of the season, we can celebrate all the hard work, and the performances should take care of themselves."

Three individual conference champions, including the A-10 Most Outstanding Performer, and members of winning relays return to lead the Davidson women.

Junior Shelby Stanley is back after securing seven medals, including five golds, en route to the A-10's top swimming honor in April. Along with sweeping the 100 and 200 butterfly championships, she also set the school record (twice) in both events, ultimately setting the marks at 53.11 and 1:57.82, respectively. She was also on the Wildcats' gold-winning 200 freestyle, 200 medley and 800 free relay teams.

Senior Siena Senn has won the last two A-10 championships in the 500 free, including in 4:49.00 last year, and also took bronze in the 200 and 1,650 free.

Junior Abby Francis captured A-10 gold in the 50 free, timing in at 23.19 in a 1-2 finish with Stanley, and also took silver in the 100.

Returners Julia Goodhead (senior) and Martha Tripsa (sophomore) joined Francis, Senn and Stanley, among others, on A-10 champion relays.

"The women have got a lot of pieces back," said Young. "The defending A-10 Swimmer of the Year has two more years with us, which always feels good. We have returning champions in multiple classes. The women have a lot of people with a lot of potential. The sky's the limit."

Sophomores Ian Brann and Cael McLaren return for the Davidson men, after medaling at A-10s and setting individual school records.

Brann placed second in the 50 free and set the Davidson mark in 20.15, while also earning bronze in the 100 free and swimming on the school-record 200 and 400 free relays.

McLaren took bronze in the 100 breast, setting the program record at 54.85, and helped the 200 medley team set a new Davidson mark.

"Ian and Cael took down a couple of records, and they'll be in the mix to lead relays here," said Young. "We've got some exciting freshmen and some proven performers in the upperclassmen ranks. The guys hopefully can build on where they were last year."

Sophomores Anna Jepson and Ben Cutforth are the top returning divers, finishing sixth and eighth in the 3-meter competition last year.

Diving coach Greg Ferrucci now has seven divers under his tutelage, and he's focusing on conditioning, basics and drills in the early-season.

"It's building that foundation and slowly starting to work toward the dives they'll compete with in the season," he said.

HOME WATER
The Wildcats will host Old Dominion on Friday, Oct. 15 and will welcome William & Mary to Cannon Pool on Saturday, Jan. 22.

SCOUTING THE ROYALS
Queens, from nearby Charlotte, has won six NCAA Division II national titles in both men's and women's competition. The Royals will host the DII national championships this season.