CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte Department of Athletics continues to roll out the end of the year awards following the completion of the 2022-23 season. Thursday afternoon, Queens announced the Best Championship Performance by a Team.
The department awards will be released twice a week during the month of June and July as Queens will announce winners of the Sportsmanship Award, Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Male and Female Comeback Athletes of the Year, and Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year. In addition to the individual awards, the department will also recognize performance-based accomplishments for teams and individuals including Men's and Women's Team Comeback Win of the Year, Best Male and Female Individual and Team Championship Performance, and Men's and Women's Upset of the Year.
Men's and Women's Best Championship Performance by a Team
Men's Team Winner – Men's Swimming
After a successful stint as a Division II program, Queens men's swimming transitioned into Division I and picked up right where they left off, as one of the the premier swimming programs in the nation. A strong regular season was proceeded by strong performances in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) conference championships, and the National Invitational Championship (NIC). During the four-day CCSA's Queens broke numerous records and won a multitude of events to complete the event in first place with 933.5 points, 138.5 points ahead of the second-place finisher.
Alex Kunert won Most Outstanding Men's Swimmer of the Championship,
Daniel Meszaros won Most Outstanding Men's Freshman Performer, and
Jeff Dugdale won CCSA Coach of the Year. After a strong performance in CCSA's, the Royals followed that up with an even better performance in the National Invitational Championship. Queens went up against some of the nation's best, including Ohio State, Tennessee, and others. The three-day event saw Queens continue to dominate from start to finish, concluding the weekend on top with 674 points.
Women's Team Winner - Women's Rugby
Queens women's rugby program were unstoppable last season, carrying a perfect 7-0 record heading into NIRA postseason play. After defeating American International College in the semifinal, the Royals took on Davenport University in the championship final. Queens found themselves down 13-12 at halftime, but refused to go down without a fight. After
Maddie Hughes cut the late deficit to five with a penalty kick,
Kamia Kruse scored a late try that knotted the game at 20, sending the game into overtime. Two more successful tries gave the Royals a 34-20 lead that they'd eventually hold on to, claiming a 34-27 victory to claim the Division II championship.
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