Pirates Picked Third In Preseason Poll

September 27, 2024 | Women's Swimming and Diving

IRVING, Texas – The East Carolina women's swimming and diving team has been picked third in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll as selected by the league's head coaches the conference announced Friday.

Under the direction of seventh-year head coach Matthew Jabs, the Pirates posted an 10-1 dual meet record last year and placed fourth in The American Championships with a total of 446 points.

The Pirates return 21 student-athletes in Meghan Armstrong, Sophie Benkusky, Kendall Bensen, Heidi Bruining, Alayna Carlson, Carlie Clements, Sadie Covington, Elena Dinehart, Mikayla Durkin, Rachel Gibson, Frida Zuniga Guzman, Emilee Hamblin, Kaylee Hamblin, Ava Iannetta, Caitlin Irvine-Smith, Sara Kalawska, Laura Kellberg, Sophie Knepper, Averi McQuitty, Campbell Murawski and Olivia Templeton.

Jabs, whose staff consists of diving coach Ryan McIntire and new assistant coaches Daisy Platts and Tyler Watson, also welcomes four freshman and three transfers in the fall of 2024. The new class of Pirates are Kinsley Baker, Alyssa Heffelfinger, Madison Joy, Juliana Kratka, Laura Lopez, Nicolleta Muscalu and Abbey Pickel.

FIU and Rice both received 23 points that includes three first-place votes and ae picked as the co-favorites in the league. East Carolina is third with 15 points followed by Florida Atlantic and Tulane in fourth (12 points) and North Texas in sixth (five points).

ECU opens the 2024-25 season on Saturday, Oct. 5 when it hosts Barton, Catawba and Gardner-Webb in the Pirate Duels (swimming only), which is set to begin at 1 p.m. (ET) inside Minges Natatorium.

2024-25 American Athletic Conference
Women's Swimming and Diving Preseason Poll
t1. FIU (3 votes) – 23 points
t1. Rice (3 votes) – 23
3. East Carolina – 15
t4. Florida Atlantic – 12
t4. Tulane – 12
6. North Texas - 5