It was a fast start off the blocks for the Davidson swimming and diving teams at Queens University on Saturday, September 28th. The Wildcats racked up four individual wins, with Dylan Felt ‘26 in the men’s 200M and 500M freestyle, Ginny Thorsen ‘28 in the women’s 500M freestyle, and Fletcher Smith ‘26 in the men’s 200M butterfly all touching the wall first.
Felt, the two-time Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Performer (2023, 2024), was pleased with his performances. “I feel like I’m in a good position,” Felt commented. “I have my speed right now and it’s just a matter of getting my endurance back.” Felt owns five individual school records, including the 200M and 500M freestyle races, and has been a member of four record-setting relay teams. He also holds the conference record for both the 500M and 1650M freestyle. While Felt hopes to add to his list of records this year, one goal stands out above the rest. “I really want to make the NCAAs and possibly even the final; that’s something that has been on my mind since I got here.”
Felt accomplished another personal goal of his this past summer when he participated in the Olympic Trials, swimming in the 200M, 400M, 800M and 1500M freestyle. “It was so cool,” Felt remarked. “I’d never experienced pressure like that before. That’s something I kind of had trouble with in past seasons, managing how I deal with stress, but [the Olympic Trials] may have helped me learn a couple of different strategies.”
Thorsen’s swam a 5:14.48 in the 500M freestyle, a personal best, which earned her the victory in her first collegiate meet. “It was exciting,” Thorsen exclaimed. “I had a lot of fun doing it.” Thorsen’s performance garnered her A-10 Female Rookie of the Week honors. Thorsen was a high school star at the Asheville School, where she helped her team win championships in 2023 and 2024. While the transition to the collegiate pool hasn’t been seamless, the team atmosphere has been the biggest difference. “It’s a lot of fun having a supportive team to train with,” said Thorsen. “I was able to see a lot of my teammates on the side of the pool [at Queens]. They’re out there and at the end the best part is the team cheering.”
Smith started his junior year on a high note and hopes to carry that momentum further into the season. “The 200M fly felt really good for this early in the season. It was nice to get out there and race and see the hard work that I put in in the summer and the beginning of the season.”
Smith also voiced his pride in the team’s performance. “I think the team did really well to start off the season, lots of great swims,” Smith noted . “We’ve got a lot of great individual contenders and relays.” For Smith, becoming an upperclassmen comes with an elevated sense of responsibility on the team. “Going from your sophomore to junior year, you’re taking on more of a leadership and mentoring role. It’s not something that a lot of [members of our class] have dealt with before, so I think it’s kind of a unique change.”
Davidson returns to the pool on October 11th for Richmond Duals in Hampton, Virginia, at the same venue that will host the A-10 Championships in February. An A-10 championship is something the Wildcats have never achieved, but Smith believes that could change. “I’m really excited for what the team is going to accomplish. I think a runner-up or even a win at A-10s is possible this year.”