Rice Swimmers Receive Championship Rings
8/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Aug. 28, 2011
The Rice Athletics Department has always liked the sound of how 'Rice Swimming" and '2011 Conference USA Champions' had harmoniously gone together so well, but Sunday afternoon there was a real ring to it!
Last spring Rice won the 2011 Conference USA championship in swimming, the Owls' first league title in the history of the program. At the intermission of Sunday's volleyball Rice match vs. Stanford, the Owl swimmers received championship rings from the Athletics Department. The rings quickly became a hit with the team and the fans in attendance. The rings caught the full attention of some Rice seniors.
"We were very excited," said Owl senior Alex O'Brien. "There was a good crowd out there today (at the volleyball match) and it was a lot of fun. Our rings are beautiful."
"Everyone on the team was happy," added Nicole Delaloye, an international standout from Calgary, Canada. "Today was great. We're ready to start the season."
Delaloye was serious about starting the season. The team's training has already begun with the start of classes last week. In fact soon after the conclusion of the volleyball match she and O'Brien were headed out in the Houston heat for a mid-day jog.
The Rice swim team opens the 2011-2012 collegiate season at home with a C-USA dual meet against longtime rival SMU on October 15. The start time is set for 11:30 am at the Rice Aquatics Center.
