After falling short at the 2023 AAC Championships placing second, head coach Randy Horner knew the determined effort for his program to fight back at this season's championship and the calling was there.
"I'm extremely proud of what the ladies accomplished this year. Winning our first AAC Championship was a milestone we had set as a goal for 2 seasons now," Coach Horner added. "The ladies came together as a team and showed what FIU Swim/Dive is all about."
FIU went on to become champions of the American Athletic Conference in just their second season as affiliate members. The Panthers finished with 778 points, 112.5 points ahead of second-place SMU (666). FIU never trailed, leading all four days of competition including garnering 18 medals with seven golds, the most of any team at the conference championships. In addition, FIU set records in the 200 IM and meet records in the 1-meter dive and 200 breast. The Panthers scored two golds in the relay (200 medley and 800 free relay) including making the podium in the 200 freestyle, 400 medley and 400 freestyle. For the first time in program history, team diving was scored as an event with the Panthers scoring bronze (287.20) while securing the program record at the Mizzou Invite (313.95).
Throughout the meet season, and especially at the conference championships, the Panthers were guided by standout veterans swimmer Christie Chue and diver Paige Burrell. Both recorded top seasons individually and even etched their named in numerous record books all season long.
For Chue, the standout senior from Singapore, made waves in her third and final season at FIU. Chue was named the AAC Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet at the AAC Championships, notching five golds and a meet record in the 200-breast, (2:07.99) while securing a school record in the 200 IM (1:57.21). In addition, she qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 breast, marking FIU's 13th straight appearance making the championships, the longest active streak among Group of Five programs.
On the boards, graduate student Paige Burrell made a strong emphasis to the diving program in her one year donning the Blue & Gold. Burrell earned three medals at the 2024 AAC Championships, most notably gold on the 1-meter including posting a meet record in the prelims (316.60). She notched bronze on platform (241.20), a personal best, and bronze in the team-diving event (287.20). In addition, she qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1-meter and 3-meter dive, placing top-25 in both diving events.
During the meet season, FIU captured eight American Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors with Chue being named Swimmer of the Week four times, while Burrell was named twice and the pair swept the awards twice (Nov. 7 and Jan. 9). Ruska Lehtonen earned the diver of the week honors on (Oct. 3 and Feb. 13).
FIU also competed at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships in 2024 and performed well, placing seventh overall (366.5), while securing a meet record in the 100 breast as sophomore Emma Becker posted a time of 1:00.13.
The future is indeed bright for the Panthers as notable swimmers progressed throughout the season including sophomore Nicole Frank, who earned four medals at the AAC Championships. The AAC Freshman of the Year in 2023 took home gold in the 800 free relay and the 400 IM (4:12.18), a personal-best time for the Uruguayan swimmer. She secured bronze in the 200 IM (1:58.85), and silver in 200 breast (2:10.81).
In addition, sophomores Oumy Diop, Harliai Curthoys-Davies, Ana Luiza Daisson and junior Jessica Shpilko were pivotal pieces in the relays, a key part of FIU's success at the conference championships.
In addition to Burrell, and Lehtonen, divers made strides as a total of four Panther earned NCAA Zone cuts.
"We now look forward to the challenge of repeating our Championship. We have a strong returning team and a tremendous group coming in to join the team," Horner detailed. "I'm excited to see what this season brings as our future looks bright."
The Panthers not only performed in the pool but also in the classroom.
Swim & Dive finished the Fall Semester with a 3.62 team GPA, the second highest GPA of any team at FIU. They boasted 14 athletes with a GPA above 3.5 and eight holding perfect 4.0 GPAs. For their efforts in the classroom, the team was named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America team.
Jordan Browning, Burrell, Chue, and Curthoys-Davies were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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