Panthers collect two wins at Tri-meet

Alejandro Solana // Staff Writer

The swimming and diving team is three weeks into its young 2016-2017 season and has dominated once again under Head Coach Randy Horner, winning its fifth meet in a row on Oct. 21.

The Panthers (5-1) hosted the Nova Southeastern University Sharks and the Indian State River College Pioneers at the FIU Tri-Meet in the team’s first home contest. FIU defeated the Sharks and Pioneers by a combined 163 points leading to their fourth and fifth victories of the season.

It comes as no surprise that the back-to-back Conference USA defending champions are off to a hot start once again this season. It was only a year ago when FIU started the season 5-0 and went on to win their second conference title.

The most consistent athletics program at FIU in the past few years has picked up right where they left off last season and proving once again why Horner and the rest of the team deserve more attention and respect.

After losing their season opener to the University of Miami, the Panthers bounced back to win five meets in a row by a combined total of 263 points.

On Oct. 18, juniors Kyna Pereira and Rebecca Quesnel swept the conference weekly awards for C-USA athletes of the week after dominating performances at the Dual-A-Palooza hosted by Rice University.

Pereira anchored the FIU 400 Free Relay team that won first and finished with five individual first-place finishes. Last year’s C-USA Diver of the Year award winner, Quesnel, didn’t have too bad of a night herself finishing with two first-place dives.

Sophomore, Naomi Ruele, fresh off her outing in the 2016 Rio Olympics representing her home nation of Botswana – coached by Randy Horner – has been great once again for FIU thus far this season.

Ruele, who told FIUSM.com just before leaving to Rio that she, was already excited to “start training with my coaches and teammates again for this season,” finished first in the team’s most recent competition in the 200 medley relay.

Students are starting to take notice of the success of the team.  Senior, Eric Alvarez majoring in Interdisciplinary studies, was able to go watch FIU at their last meet at the Biscayne Bay Campus.

“It’s a shame this team is not given more attention,” Alvarez said. “I have been following them for the last four years and it seems every year they get better. What Horner has done here is special and I’m glad I’ve been able to witness it.”

FIU is back in action when they host University of North Florida at the Biscayne Bay Aquatic center on Nov. 5 at noon.