Rutgers will open the upcoming swimming and diving season with two familiar names already getting league-wide attention.
On Tuesday, Anna Vlachou was selected to the Big Ten Preseason Watch List as a Big Ten Swimmer to Watch, and Katerina Hoffman was tabbed a Big Ten Diver to Watch. The recognition comes as the Scarlet Knights prepare to begin the season in October, with their opener set for a two-day home meet on October 9-10.
Vlachou heads into her senior year after a breakout first season “On the Banks” following her transfer from Nebraska. She earned Rutgers’ Swimmer of the Year honors last season and turned in a campaign that pushed her times to first or second in school history in three events.
At the Big Ten Championships, the Athens, Greece native set school records in the 100 Fly at 52.15 and the 100 Free at 48.50, made the A Final in the 100 Fly, and reached three finals overall. She also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors while majoring in Labor and Employment Relations.
Hoffman enters her junior season wearing a captain’s label after a strong year of her own. Rutgers named her its Diver of the Year last season, and she followed that with Second Team All-America honors on the 3-Meter board at the NCAA Championships, where she finished 14th overall.
She qualified for the NCAAs by winning the 1M and 3M dives at NCAA Zone Championships, and she also found the podium twice at the Big Ten Championships, making the finals in both the 3M and 1M. Hoffman, who has competed with Team USA, is majoring in Finance.
In Other News...
Rutgers Coaching Rumors Just Made Schianos Situation Feel Much Bigger
Brian Kellys name has started to circulate in the coaching market again, and that alone has turned a tense Rutgers start into something with a little more weight. Kelly, now working as a CBS Sports analyst after head coaching stops at Notre Dame and LSU, is reportedly motivated to get back on the sideline, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Rutgers tries to steady itself after an 0-3 start.
For Rutgers, the intrigue is not just about whether Schianos seat is warming, but about how complicated any change would be if the school decided to go there. Contractual and financial issues would factor into any move involving Schiano, and those hurdles make the situation feel bigger than a simple hot-seat discussion. For now, the speculation is just that, but it has added another layer to a season already searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Cant Afford More Drama In A Game Fans Expect To Win
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For a program still searching for its first victory of the season, though, the margin for anything messy feels thin. Rutgers does not need a tight finish or a second-guessing kind of afternoon here, just a clean performance that lets the Scarlet Knights move forward and avoid turning a game fans expect to win into another round of frustration. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Finally Has One Encouraging Sign But A Costly Problem Remains
Rutgers finally got the kind of night up front it has been searching for, and it came against a top-12 opponent. The offensive line turned in its best performance of the season against USC, allowing just one sack and one tackle for loss while helping the Scarlet Knights pile up 460 total yards. Antwan Raymond took advantage, finishing with 122 yards and a touchdown and posting season highs in both yards per carry and longest run.
Greg Schiano acknowledged the progress, but he also made clear the larger issue is still hanging over the program. Even with the improved line play, Rutgers has been hurt by turnovers throughout the season, and that remains the costly problem it has to clean up quickly. The Scarlet Knights now turn to a Friday night matchup with Howard, where Schiano said there are key players on the other side worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]