George Washington University Athletics
Men's Swimming & Diving Tabbed A-10 Favorite
9/24/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Women land second in conference preseason poll
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Seeking a repeat Atlantic 10 title and fifth crown in six years, George Washington men's swimming and diving was picked to finish atop the conference standings again Friday.
The Buff and Blue landed the No. 1 spot in the A-10 preseason poll with 63 points, including seven of eight first-place votes, to outpace George Mason and Davidson in the annual projection of the conference's coaches.
GW placed second out of 11 squads in the women's poll with 101 points, trailing only defending champion Richmond (115). Fordham (98), Duquesne (94) and Davidson (83) were next on the list.
This season's A-10 Championships are set to be held Feb. 16-19, 2022, at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
"Preseason rankings are fun to take a look at and can certainly act as a motivator, but we have a long way to go and a lot of work to do between now and February," GW Head Coach Brian Thomas said. "Right now, we're focused on finishing our first training cycle strong and putting together some solid races in our opener vs. Virginia Tech."
The GW men return eight All-Conference First Team performers, a group headlined by Karol Mlynarczyk, who swept Most Outstanding Performer and Most Outstanding Rookie Performer honors at last April's A-10 meet.
The Buff and Blue were dominant on the way to the title in 2021 in securing 21 medals, including 14 golds, while setting four conference and seven program records. They've added a talented crop of newcomers that includes five first-years and East Carolina transfer Durde Matic.
On the women's side, GW placed fourth last season, led by All-Conference swimmers Erin McCarthy and Marlee Rickert. The squad has bolstered its depth heading into the new season with the addition of nine first-years, plus Duke transfer Carly Perri.
GW is set to tackle a challenging schedule, beginning next Saturday, Oct. 2, when it welcomes Virginia Tech to Smith Center Pool for a 10 a.m. start.
