Completed Event: Swimming & Diving versus Navy on January 24, 2026 , Loss , 146, to, 153
S-D
Final
James Madison
146
vs Navy
153
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU Swim & Dive Joins American Athletic Conference
12/12/2024 11:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving, Administration
IRVING, Texas – James Madison swimming & diving will be one of three affiliate members to join the American Athletic Conference effective July 1, 2025, the league announced on Thursday morning.
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JMU's addition to The American will coincide with Liberty and Marshall joining, bringing the swim & dive membership for the 2025-26 season to nine. East Carolina, FAU, North Texas, Rice and Tulane are full members of The American that compete, with FIU currently an affiliate member.
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"We are excited to welcome JMU, Liberty and Marshall to The American in women's swimming and diving," The American Commissioner Tim Pernetti said. "All three programs are at the top of the sport and will enhance our strength in women's swimming and diving and our philosophy of providing the highest level of competition and experience for our student-athletes. This expansion will better position The American for even more participation in the NCAA Championships."
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"We're excited to transition JMU swimming & diving to the American Athletic Conference beginning this summer and thank Commissioner Tim Pernetti for the opportunity," Director of Athletics Matt Roan said. "As our department has continued to elevate, this program has been forced to make some adjustments over the last few years while trying to identify the most ideal conference situation. Despite multiple transitions, they've continued to compete at a phenomenal, championship level under the leadership of Head Coach Dane Pedersen. The move to the American positions JMU swimming & diving in a strong conference with the ability to grow to greater heights."
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The Dukes are the reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, becoming the first team to record 1,000 points in a Sun Belt Championship. The title marks the sixth conference title for the program in the last seven seasons, with the lone year without resulting in a runner-up finish at the CCSA Championships in 2023. JMU swept all five major awards after the championship, winning three outright and sharing the other two.
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"Our move to The American is an exciting opportunity to raise the profile and stability of our program through an increase in competition and programs," Head Coach Dane Pedersen said. "Great challenges await us next year in our new home, and we look forward advancing our program through these challenges. A sincere 'thank you' to JMU's athletic administration, as well as the Sun Belt for its support of our program these two years and The American for the new opportunity that lies ahead."
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JMU has won 13 conference titles in program history, winning titles in three different conferences in a span of four years (CAA 2021, ECAC 2022, SBC 2024). The Dukes have had six NCAA qualifiers in Kimberly Helfrich (2011), Sin Hye Won (2013), Shannon Dubay (2014), Olivia Lehman (2019, 2020), Bonnie Zhang (2019, 2020) and Julianna Jones (2020). The program is led by Pedersen, who is in his 11th season at the helm of JMU and 18th overall. He has been named coach of the year six times, five from the CAA and one from the Sun Belt, and has also been awarded ECAC Coach of the Meet once.
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The Dukes will finish out the season competing in the Sun Belt, with the championship meet on Feb. 19-22 in Orlando, Fla. at the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center.
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The American sponsors women's swimming & diving as a championship-only sport, meaning that the conference does not administer a regular-season schedule. With the addition of the affiliate members, nine teams will compete for The American title at the 2026 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, which have been awarded to the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
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The Greensboro Aquatic Center, which previously hosted The American Championships in 2015, hosted the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in 2015 and both of the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in 2021.
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"The Greensboro Aquatic Center is proud to be selected as the site of the 2026 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships," said Greensboro Aquatic Center manager David Hoover. "We look forward to hosting this prestigious event for the first time since 2015 and welcoming the nine American member institutions to Greensboro and our state-of-the art facility."
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JMU's addition to The American will coincide with Liberty and Marshall joining, bringing the swim & dive membership for the 2025-26 season to nine. East Carolina, FAU, North Texas, Rice and Tulane are full members of The American that compete, with FIU currently an affiliate member.
Â
"We are excited to welcome JMU, Liberty and Marshall to The American in women's swimming and diving," The American Commissioner Tim Pernetti said. "All three programs are at the top of the sport and will enhance our strength in women's swimming and diving and our philosophy of providing the highest level of competition and experience for our student-athletes. This expansion will better position The American for even more participation in the NCAA Championships."
Â
"We're excited to transition JMU swimming & diving to the American Athletic Conference beginning this summer and thank Commissioner Tim Pernetti for the opportunity," Director of Athletics Matt Roan said. "As our department has continued to elevate, this program has been forced to make some adjustments over the last few years while trying to identify the most ideal conference situation. Despite multiple transitions, they've continued to compete at a phenomenal, championship level under the leadership of Head Coach Dane Pedersen. The move to the American positions JMU swimming & diving in a strong conference with the ability to grow to greater heights."
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The Dukes are the reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, becoming the first team to record 1,000 points in a Sun Belt Championship. The title marks the sixth conference title for the program in the last seven seasons, with the lone year without resulting in a runner-up finish at the CCSA Championships in 2023. JMU swept all five major awards after the championship, winning three outright and sharing the other two.
Â
"Our move to The American is an exciting opportunity to raise the profile and stability of our program through an increase in competition and programs," Head Coach Dane Pedersen said. "Great challenges await us next year in our new home, and we look forward advancing our program through these challenges. A sincere 'thank you' to JMU's athletic administration, as well as the Sun Belt for its support of our program these two years and The American for the new opportunity that lies ahead."
Â
JMU has won 13 conference titles in program history, winning titles in three different conferences in a span of four years (CAA 2021, ECAC 2022, SBC 2024). The Dukes have had six NCAA qualifiers in Kimberly Helfrich (2011), Sin Hye Won (2013), Shannon Dubay (2014), Olivia Lehman (2019, 2020), Bonnie Zhang (2019, 2020) and Julianna Jones (2020). The program is led by Pedersen, who is in his 11th season at the helm of JMU and 18th overall. He has been named coach of the year six times, five from the CAA and one from the Sun Belt, and has also been awarded ECAC Coach of the Meet once.
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The Dukes will finish out the season competing in the Sun Belt, with the championship meet on Feb. 19-22 in Orlando, Fla. at the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center.
Â
The American sponsors women's swimming & diving as a championship-only sport, meaning that the conference does not administer a regular-season schedule. With the addition of the affiliate members, nine teams will compete for The American title at the 2026 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, which have been awarded to the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
Â
The Greensboro Aquatic Center, which previously hosted The American Championships in 2015, hosted the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in 2015 and both of the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in 2021.
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"The Greensboro Aquatic Center is proud to be selected as the site of the 2026 American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships," said Greensboro Aquatic Center manager David Hoover. "We look forward to hosting this prestigious event for the first time since 2015 and welcoming the nine American member institutions to Greensboro and our state-of-the art facility."
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