Allegheny College swimming and diving team members, Matthew Nardozzi, ’19, and Megan Feeney, ’17, were honored by CollegeSwimming on Jan. 26 after being named the NCAC Athletes of the Week. Both members of the team will be competing in the NCAC Swimming and Diving Championships at the Trumbull Aquatics Center at Denison University in Granville, Ohio that began on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Both Feeney and Nardozzi have been swimming since they were 6 years old.

Feeney serves as one of the team captains for the women’s swimming and diving team. This is her first time being recognized by CollegeSwimming.

“It’s an honor to represent the Gators and a nice little surprise,” Feeney said.

For Nardozzi, this is his second weekly honor of the season, having been named the NCAC Athlete of the Week on Oct. 26, 2015 after he scored three individual wins against Grove City College.

Another member of the men’s swimming and diving team, Frank Chen, ‘18, was honored by collegeswimming.com on Oct. 30.

“The first time it was a surprise, and I definitely wasn’t expecting it the second time either,” Nardozzi said. “It’s been great especially as a freshman. It’s very exciting and very rewarding.”

In the Gators’ meet against the College of Wooster on Jan. 23, Feeney completed the meet with three individual victories in the 100 back, 200 back and 100 fly. Nardozzi excelled in three individual events, finishing first in the 1000 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley. Nardozzi finished the afternoon with a time of 4:21.98 in the 400 IM.

On Jan. 30, Feeney placed first in the 200 back with a time of 2:13.17 in the tri-meet with Penn State Behrend and St. Vincent College. Nardozzi placed first in the 1000 and 500 freestyles.

“We’re all doing really well this season, and I think we can pull through at Conferences,” said Nardozzi.

Both Feeney and Nardozzi have high expectations going into conferences and want to improve individually and as a team.

“I really want to work on getting my times down,” Nardozzi said. “I especially want to better my time in the 400 IM.”

Nardozzi’s main goal for Conferences is to get his best time in the 400 IM, so it will count for the team record.

Kirk Kumbier, men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams head coach, believes that those who were honored, and the team as a whole, will do well at their meet.

“As a coach, I’m happy for each of our Gators that were honored,” said Kumbier.  “We may give them structure as coaches, but they are the ones putting in the hard work. They’re competing, so they deserve the credit. These honors are a bonus, a little boost, for each of them. As we direct our focus on conference this weekend, I wouldn’t say they’re focused on them though.”

The Allegheny men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams return from Conferences, the last official meet of the season,  on Saturday, Feb. 13.