Musketeers Collect Four Wins in Day Three at BIG EAST Championship

Friday, February 26

Nassau Aquatic Center Long Island, N.Y.

All Day

Xavier University

BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Championships

Musketeers Collect Four Wins in Day Three at BIG EAST Championship

02.26.16 | Swimming

Knox Hitt, Paxtyn Drew set school record, NCAA B-cut times in prelims

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. – After the third of four days of competition at the BIG EAST Championships, the Xavier men increased their first-place cushion while the women held steady in third place. The Musketeers came away from the day with three BIG EAST Championships and a number of new school records.

In the women's 400 IM, Mackenna Rife used a time of 4:28.90 to place sixth in the Championship final. Maggie Kauffeld moved up to fourth all time with a prelim time of 4:30.87 in the Championship heat

In the 100 fly, Caroline Gaertner set a new school record of 54.90 to finish sixth. Ashley Whiteley used a time of 56.05 to move to second in the Xavier records and qualify for the Championship final.

Katie Kerr placed eight in the 200 free after using a preliminary time of 1:51.98 to qualify for the Championship heat.

Becca Titterton moved up to fifth in XU records with a time of 1:05.50 to take sixth in the 100 breast.

In the 100 back, Paxtyn Drew set a new school record, and an NCAA B-Cut time, in the preliminaries, touching the wall in 55.09. In the finals, Caroline Gaertner narrowly out-touched Drew to take second with a time of 55.27. Drew placed third with a time of 55.41. Laura Dicus used a prelim time of 57.57, seventh- fastest in XU history, to qualify for the Championship final where she placed eighth.

The women closed out the event with a school record time of 3:48.11 in the 400 Medley Relay to give Drew, Haley Dresner, Whiteley and Gaertner third place.

The women finished with 348.50 points to remain in third place with a day of competition remaining.

On the men's side, Nick Foster led a quartette of Musketeers who qualified for the Championship final of the 400 IM, taking third with a time of 3:58.77. Rob Van Kirk placed firth with a personal record of 4:00.36, fifth fastest in XU history. Eric Futscher also set a new personal record, going 4:01.35 to finish seventh. Chase Baldwin used a time of 4:03.85 to move into top-10 in XU records and qualify for the Championship heat where he finished eighth.

Knox Hitt set a new school record, and a NCAA B-Cut qualifying time, in the 100 fly prelims with a time of 48.13. Hitt followed this up with a 48.50 time in the finals to claim the BIG EAST Championship.

David Bunnell's time of 49.00 in the 100 fly prelims moved him up to third in Xavier records and earned a spot in the championship final where he placed seventh with a time of 50.33, narrowly out-touching Erik Biernat who finished in 50.56

In the 200 Free Alex Wolfred placed fourth with a time of 1:40.01, the sixth fastest time in Xavier records.

In the 100 breast, Michael Pettinichi collected a BIG EAST Championship and a school record with a time of 55.38. Matthew Dyer place fifth, and moved up to third in Xavier's records with a time of 56.53.

Nathan Runyon took home the BIG EAST Championship in the 100 back with a time of 49.93 after posting a time of 49.70 in prelims, second only in Xavier records to Sam Johanns' record-breaking prelim time of 49.56. Runyon and Johanns were two of four Musketeers who finished in the top five, including Hitt, who finished third in the Championship final after improving his personal record to 50.34 and Bunnell, who finished fifth after setting the sixth fastest time in school history during prelims (50.22).

The men closed out the event by winning the BIG EAST Championship and setting a new school record in the 400 medley relay, with Runyon, Pettinichi, Hitt and Luke Johanns finishing in 3:17.60.

The Xavier men finished with 585 points, increasing their lead to nearly 100 over second-place Georgetown's total of 489.

The Musketeers return to the pool tomorrow for the fourth and final day of the championship. Prelims for the men's and women's 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breast and 200 fly being at 10:00 a.m. Finals for those events, as well as the mile and the 400 free relay are scheduled for 6:00 p.m.