The UConn swim and dive team (3-2) will travel to Bucknell University to compete with six other programs this weekend at the Bucknell Invitational. They will face off against Bucknell, Seton Hall, Delaware, UMBC, Fordham and Davidson in a three-day event Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Bucknell Athletics will stream the invitational live on YouTube.
Coming off a dominant home win against Rhode Island, the Huskies have plenty of momentum going into this week. They broke pool records in the 400-medley relay with freshmen Stella McCardie, Sydney Perkins and Jessica Sheng with senior Captain Maggie Donlevy. Junior Lexi Martino set a record time in the 400 individual medley and sophomore Bella Hoffman with the 200-yard back stroke. After these impressive performances, the Huskies now look to maintain their high level of competition with new challenges on the horizon.
The field this time around features some new competition compared to last year, with Seton Hall, Delaware and UMBC joining the mix. Last year, UConn dominated the weekend, finishing with 1572.5 total points. Donlevy and Hoffman had strong showings last year, both setting personal bests in the 100-yard backstroke, and Donlevy being a part of the winning 400 medley relay squad. The diving side was also dominant, sweeping the three-meter dive, including a second-place finish for senior Julia Pioso in addition to her first-place win in the one-meter. However, this year’s team is not the same, with returning members stepping into larger roles after the departure of key leaders. The roster also includes promising new talent, with new faces making an immediate impact early on.
As the host team, Bucknell enters the weekend strong with a 3–1 start, those victories coming in dominating fashion before a tough loss to Navy going into this weekend. They should be eager to bounce back at home, especially after finishing second to the Huskies last year. Another key consideration is Seton Hall’s presence as a fellow Big East team. UConn has a matchup with Seton Hall later in January, so this weekend could serve as an important preview for when they meet again.
Otherwise, this meet is a chance to make a statement and build key momentum as their seasons progress. For the Huskies, another strong showing could set them up for success as they gear up for upcoming challenges in the second half of their schedule.