Nov. 25, 2013

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- Strong performances at the Nike Cup led to members of the Navy swimming and diving teams garnering a trio of weekly awards from the Patriot League on Monday. Tom Duvall (So., Durham, N.H.) was selected as the league's men's swimmer of the week, while Ben Freedman (Sr., Kennewick, Wash.) and Julie Jesse (So., Edwardsburg, Mich.) swept the diver-of-the-week accolades.

Duvall won a pair of events and was barely edged for the victory in a third event while competing against a field that included North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke. He placed first by nearly one second in the 500 free (4:22.51) and won the 1650 freestyle (15:19.15) by over eight seconds while finishing in second place by seven-hundredths of a second in the 200 free. Each of his times were NCAA `B' cut clockings.

Freedman placed sixth on the three meter (319.70), seventh in the platform competition (215.90) and eighth on the one-meter board (286.75) at the three-day meet that concluded Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was the top placing Mid on each board and finished just behind Joe Esposito's (Jr., Langhorne, Pa.) sixth-place showing in the platform event.

Jesse's weekend results were similar to those of Freedman as she too was the top placing Mid on both springboards and was second on the squad by one spot to Emily Saitta (So., Springfield, Va.) in the platform event. She totaled 244.90 points to place seventh on the one meter, 234.50 points to finish in 11th place on the three meter and 127.00 points to place 13th in the platform competition.

The Navy swimming and diving program will spend the next several weeks training for the Dec. 12 meet against Army in Lejeune Hall.