Xavier Swimming Adds Eight in Early Signing Period

CINCINNATI - Xavier swimming head coach Brent MacDonald announced the addition of eight student-athletes to the Xavier swimming family, adding six women and two men during the fall 2016 signing period.

MEN ADD A PAIR EARLY

On the men's side, the Musketeers added two during the early signing period as the Musketeers look to reload a program that competes for a fourth-straight BIG EAST Championship in February. The 2016-17 squad features eight seniors and a pair of graduate students, leaving the Musketeers with a number of positions to fill as they to continue to build the class into the spring.

"With Jared and Cameron we have two very versatile young men," said MacDonald. "Jared can run the gamut in the freestyle events and Cameron can do both distances of the breaststroke and IMs. Although they are just the start to our class, what a great start it is as they both will immediately be able to help as we reload our Championship program."

Jared Ritz is a freestyle specialist from Victor, N.Y.

Going into his senior season, Ritz has set a BIG EAST Championship qualifying time in four of the five freestyle events in the past 12 months, narrowly missing hitting the standard for all five with a 22.40 time in the 50 free at the STAR Invitational in Buffalo, N.Y., a first-place time that is only .05 shy of the current conference championship standard. At the same meet, Ritz posted a time of 1:43.74 in the 200 free to place second.

He set a BIG EAST qualifying time in the 100 free at the 2016 Niagara LSC Championship in March 2016. Ritz finished sixth in the 100 free with a time of 47.58, which is .03 off his personal best time of 47.55 set in Feb. 2015. Ritz also posted 1:42.18 in the 200 free, as part of the 800 free relay that took the top spot. Ritz's top time in the 200 free stands at 1:41.80, also set in 2015.

He set BIG EAST qualifying time in the 100 free at the 2016 Niagara LSC Championship in March 2016.

In the distance events, Ritz has a top time of 4:39.40 in the 500 free from the 2016 Niagara LSC Championship, taking second with a time that beats the BIG EAST standard by more than 10 seconds.

In the mile, Ritz set a time of 16:41.76 at the Star Invitational to take fourth.

Ritz has also set top times of 54.13 in the 100 back, 1:56.49 in the 200 back and 1:57.86 in the 200 IM.

"I chose Xavier because I really enjoyed the atmosphere on campus, family-like qualities of the team, and I immediately got the feeling it would be my home away from home," said Ritz.

Cameron Weese, who excels in breaststroke and individual medley, is a native of Highlands Ranch, Colo.

In the 100 breast, Weese is a Colorado 5A State Championship qualifier. Ritz set a personal best time, and BIG EAST Championship qualifying time, of 58.60 to finish eighth in the May 2016 meet. In the 200 breast, he set his top time of 2:10.82 at the CA Las Vegas Invitational in December 2015.

Weese is a two-time qualifier for the Colorado 5A State Championship in the 200 IM, setting a personal best time of 1:56.51 in a 13^th place performance in the 2016 edition of the event. His top time in the 400 IM, 4:17.07, was good for third in the 2015 CA Las Vegas Invitational.

Weese traveled to the 2016 USA Swimming Futures Championship in Austin, Texas in August 2016, competing in the 200 meter breast and the 200 meter IM.

#XUST: A FAMILY AFFAIR

On the women's side, the Musketeers looked to build a class to help fill the gaps on a team that will lose seven seniors to graduation.

"When you graduate a class like we will this spring, you've got to do some major work in recruiting and we are really fortunate with this group of six young ladies," said MacDonald. "We have filled what I consider to be all of our glaring needs and wants for our roster next fall. Each of these six will come in with BIG EAST Conference A Final potential in multiple events."

The Musketeers add six women to the Xavier swimming family, but for many of the signees, Xavier Swimming was already a family affair.

"The one thing about this class is that we have three sisters of current team members," said MacDonald. "Our program and Xavier University takes this as a huge compliment that families continue to be pleased with their student-athletes' experiences enough to send a sibling as well. We're excited to work with this group come August 2017!"

Next season, Xavier women's swimming will feature four pairs of sisters, including current junior Paxtyn Drew and freshman Riece Drew and the newest signees. The Drew sisters are one of two sets of siblings on the current roster, including freshman Emily Saugstad and senior Mikaela Saugstad. Additionally, sophomore Jenna Wilkes is the younger sister of former XU swimmer Olivia Wilkes and Sam Johanns on the men's side is the younger brother of former Musketeer-standout Luke Johanns.

Maureen Cummins is a freestyle sprinter and backstroke specialist from Westerville, Ohio.

Entering the start of her senior season, Cummins has set a personal best time, and a time that hits the BIG EAST Qualifying Standard for 2016-17, in both the 100 back and 200 back. In the 100, Cummins touching the wall in 57.77 at the Ohio State Championships last February, marking the second time she competed in the state championship in the event (2014). In the 200 back, she recently set a personal best time at the OH MAKO Time Myers Memorial Senior Championship Meet, held in Nov. 2016, touching the wall in 2:13.81.

Her top time of 24.77 in the 50 free, set last spring, would also qualify for a spot in the BIG EAST Championship as well. Cummins has posted personal best times of 53.07 in the 100 free and 2:00.80 in the 200 free.

She competed in the 2016 Futures Championship in Maryland in August 2016, taking part in the 50 meter free (28.16) and 100 meter free (1:01.86).

Cummins was twice named All-Ohio in the 100 back (2014, 2016).

Maureen is the younger sister of current Xavier swim sophomore Annie Cummins.

Lorelei Gaertner is a freestyle sprint and butterfly specialist from Mendota Heights, Minn.

Gaertner is a three-time Minnesota Girls A State Championship qualifier in the 50 free, placing fourth in October 2015 with a personal best time of 24.05. In October 2016, at the Minnesota Girls True Team State Championship, she placed second in the event as an individual with a time of 24.93 and took part in the first-place 200 free relay team on the way to winning the team Championship with Visitation. Gaertner's top time in the 100 free stands at 53.66, set at the Minnesota Senior State Championships.

Gaertner, also a three-time qualifier for the Minnesota Girls A State Championship in the 100 fly, set a personal best time of 56.72 in the event at the state championship as a junior, in November 2015, placing second overall. At the True Team State Championship in October 2016, she took the top spot in the event with a time of 58.73, out-touching second place by over a second and a half.

Gaertner took part in the 2016 USA Swimming Futures Championship in Austin, Texas in August 2016, competing in the 50 meter free, 100 meter free and 100 meter fly.

""I am so excited to announce my commitment to Xavier University. During my visit, I felt very welcomed by the team and I just knew it would be the right fit for me. I am looking forward to swimming for Coach MacDonald next fall! "

Loerelei is the sister of current Musketeer sophomore Caroline Gaertner.

Alison Herman, a native of Whitehouse Station, N.J., specializes in the backstroke, individual medley and breaststroke.

Herman has already hit the BIG EAST qualifying standards in the 100 back and 200 back, setting times of 58.22 and 2:02.47, respectively, at the New Jersey YMCA 13 & Over State Championship in March 2016.

Herman also hit the the BIG EAST standard in the 200 and 400 IM in 2016, setting a time of 4:30.82 in the 400 IM at the same N.J. YMCA Championship, and touching the wall in 2:07.98 at the NJSIAA State Tournament in February 2016.

Herman set personal best times of 1:07.61 in the 100 breast and 2:24.79 in the 200 breast.

Herman competed at both the 2016 YMCA Short Course and Long Course National Championships in 2016.

Taylor Hogan is a native of Atkinson, N.H., specializing in butterfly, backstroke and IM.

Last February at the 2016 NHIAA D1 State Championships, Hogan posted personal best times of 57.95 in the 100 back, and 57.15 in the 100 fly. Both times hit the current BIG EAST qualifying standards.

She posted personal best times in the 200 back (2:05.47) and 200 fly (2:06.03) at the New England Senior Championship in December 2015.

Hogan took part in the 2016 Speedo Championship in Buffalo in April 2016, competing in the 100 and 200 meter back, 100 meter fly and 200 and 400 meter IM. She also took part in the 2016 Futures Championship in Maryland, racing in the 200 meter back and 200 fly.

"My favorite thing about Xavier was the big family feel of both the campus and the swim team," said Hogan. "I knew it was perfect place for me! I am very excited to compete in the BIG EAST Conference to better my times and reach my goals within the next four years."

Emma Kauffled is a freestyle distance and IM specialist from Wilton, Conn.

Competing in the 2016 YMCA Short Course National Championships in April 2016, Kauffeld posted a top-25 time in the 500 free, finishing in 4:58.31, a performance that is a full 20 seconds faster than the BIG EAST qualifying time for the event.

In the mile, she posted a personal best time of 17:08.66 at the 2016 Connecticut Senior Championships, also a conference championship qualifying time.

She posted a BIG EAST qualifying time in the 400 IM at the 2016 YMCA Short Course National Championship, finishing in 4:36.34 in a time trial.

In July 2016, Kauffeld competed in the 2016 YMCA Long Course National Championship, competing in the 200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter and 1500 meter freestyle.

Emma is the younger sister of current Musketeer Maggie Kauffeld.

Delaney Sprague is a Danville, Calif. native who excels in breaststroke and IM events.

She set a career-best time of 2:19.09 in the 200 breast at the 2016 SI Senior Classic, taking third with a time that exceeds the BIG EAST standard by more than 14 seconds.

At the same meet, her time of 1:06.38 in the 100 breast matched her career-best and earned a sixth place finish. She also picked up a fourth place finish in the 400 IM (4:33.67) and a top-20 finish in the 200 IM (2:12.37), all three hit the BIG EAST qualifying standards.

Sprague took part in the 2016 USA Swimming Futures Championship at Stanford in August 2016, competing in the 200 meter IM and 100 meter breast.

"I chose Xavier because it was a great fit for me athletically and academically," said Sprague. "Xavier offers me impressive academic courses and professors, a competitive swim program, and a strong sense of community within the campus."

Sprague was named a USA Swimming Scholastic All-America in August 2016.

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