ROYALS EARN 7TH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
way to winning 25 team and 144 individual national championships. Queens holds the longest active winning streak of any sport in any division in the NCAA right now, with its 7th straight championship in both men’s and women’s swimming. In the 2021-22 season, the Royals brought home
12 conference tournament championships in eight different sports, bringing their combined total to almost 150 championships in the South Atlantic Conference for regular season and tournament play. This dominance in Division II has repeatedly placed the Royals in the Top 10 of the Learfield Directors’ Cup. “We join the ASUN conference because these
student-athletes are ready to test themselves on a bigger stage. They are ready to learn, grow and compete among the best in college sports. Our move to Division I will build upon their past successes while fueling even more opportunities for excellence going forward,” Lugo said. “It is, at its core, a mutually supportive endeavor where our investment in them and their investment in themselves come together in such a way that awakens the potential of the entire Queens community.” Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., the ASUN
Conference reaches seven of the top 50 media markets in the nation and includes a blend of private and public institutions. ASUN made the offer after a unanimous vote by its Presidents’ Council, extending its footprint back into the State of North Carolina and expanding ASUN to 14 member institutions. “Queens University adds value to the ASUN. What
an awesome place Charlotte is to add to our portfolio,” ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart said. “Queens University will become a national brand that’s attached to Charlotte and we want to be a part of that.” The Royals began their four-year transitional
period into Division I on July 1 and became the only North Carolina school to play in the ASUN. “We are thrilled to join the ASUN Conference as we
begin to make the transition to NCAA Division I,” said Queens Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout. “The vision of our president and Board of Trustees for the future of Queens, along with our propensity for winning championships, makes our athletic programs a great fit for the ASUN Conference. We are excited to provide our student-athletes this next level of championship opportunities.”
(Left to right) Mary (Strand) Schoch ’12, Kristina Bond ’12, Caitlin (Seed) Kummer ’12, Alecia (Payne) Davis ’12, and Kelsey Smith ’12.
Queens men’s and women’s swimming teams now hold seven consecutive national championships. After the four-day 2022 NCAA DII
Swimming and Diving National Championship in March, the Royals emerged victorious— taking the gold in 10 individual events and six relay events. On day one of competition, two Royals
broke NCAA DII records: Danielle Melilli ’23 in the women’s 50-yard freestyle and Matej Dusa ’24 in the men’s 50-yard freestyle. Overall, Queens presented 40 All-American swims and 34 Honorable Mention All-American accomplishments. Upon their return from the event co-hosted
by the Greensboro Aquatic Center and Queens, the Charlotte community welcomed the team home with a celebration at the Levine Center. After the championships, Queens also triumphed in the 2022 College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) awards held in March. The award for Male Swimmer of the Year went to Alex Kunert ’22. Melilli won Female Swimmer of the Year. Royals swimming programs Head Coach Jeff Dugdale was named CSCAA Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career. Five of the “original seven” swim team
members returned to campus in April for Alumni Weekend and posed for a historic photo with the seven NCAA trophies collected over the past seven years. Mary (Strand) Schoch ’12, Kristina Bond ’12, Alecia (Payne) Davis ’12, Kelsey Smith ’12 and Caitlin (Seed) Kummer ’12 were original members of the team when it was founded in 2010. Kummer was the first all- American from the women’s program.
—Nicole Ward Beckley Summer 7
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