Men's Swimming & Diving Picked To Finish Third Ahead of GNAC Championship Meet
WINTHROP, Mass. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's and women's swimming and diving teams were picked to finish third and sixth, respectively, in the 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll, the league's front office announced Thursday morning. The three-day GNAC Championships are set to begin tomorrow, February 3 at 10:00 a.m. inside the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Mass. Diving events, which begin on Friday and conclude on Saturday, will take place at the Holmes Sports Center on the campus of Simmons University in Boston.
OFFICIAL GNAC RELEASE
The women's team, who were picked to finish sixth ahead of this year's championships, received 25 points, ahead of Albertus Magnus (13) and Elms (11). Norwich and Simmons tied for the top spot, receiving 57 points each, followed by Colby-Sawyer (53), Regis (37) and Saint Joseph's Maine (35). USJ finished eighth out of 10 schools in last year's GNAC Championships.
The Blue Jays have had solid performances from the entire women's team, finishing with a 3-8 record in dual meets this season. All wins have come against GNAC opponents, as USJ took down intrastate rivals Albertus Magnus twice, 143-57 and 148-77, while also taking down Elms, 134.5-52.5. The Blue Jays also took part in numerous high-profile invitationals, including the Roger Williams Invitational and the Connecticut Cup, where the Blue Jays finished in seventh place out of nine teams.
The men's repeated as a third-place pick in this season's pre-championship poll, also being projected to finish third last year. The Blue Jays, who received 24 points, were picked to finish ahead of Colby-Sawyer (20 points), Saint Joseph's Maine (11) and Elms (7). Norwich was unanimously selected to finish first, receiving all six first place votes, while Regis was tabbed second, garnering 28 points. USJ ultimately finished in third place in last season's GNAC Championships, setting a program record for the best finish in the conference championship meet.
The Blue Jays are paced by graduate student Michael Allo (Newington, Conn.). Allo had a sensational debut campaign for the Blue Jays, setting new school records in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle and the 100 and 200 breaststroke. As a team, USJ finished 3-5 in dual meets this season, and competed in several big-time events, including the Roger Williams Invitational and the Connecticut Cup. The Blue Jays defeated the University of New England (UNE) to start the season, 136-50, while also defeating conference foes Saint Joseph's College, 147-32, and Colby-Sawyer, 136-71.
2023 GNAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coaches' Poll
T1. Norwich (4) - 57
T1. Simmons (3) - 57
3. Colby-Sawyer (1) - 53
4. Regis - 37
5. Saint Joseph's Maine - 35
6. USJ - 25
7. Albertus Magnus - 13
8. Elms - 11
2023 GNAC Men's Swimming & Diving Coaches' Poll
1. Norwich (6) - 36
2. Regis - 28
3. USJ - 24
4. Colby-Sawyer - 20
5. Saint Joseph's Maine - 11
6. Elms – 7
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