Xavier University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1985
- Class:
- 1972
Kathleen Keating became the first female to represent XU in women's intercollegiate athletics when she competed in the Ohio Collegiate Women's Swimming Championships at Denison University on September 9, 1969. She won both the 50-yard and 100-yard breaststroke events. Keating placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke and third in the 50-yard breaststroke at the 1971 Women's National Collegiate Swimming Championships at Arizona State University.
A year later at the 1972 Women's National Collegiate Swimming Championships, which were held at the University of Cincinnati, Keating placed fifth in the 50-yard breaststroke and sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke in leading XU to a 26th place finish out of the 87 schools competing.
There were numerous other highlights in Keating's career, including 50-yard and 100-yard breaststroke titles at the 1971 Ohio State Swimming Championship at Ohio Wesleyan.
Keating, first female elected to the Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame, took her talents to international competition in 1972. She won the 100-yard breaststroke event and placed second in the 200-yard breaststroke at the International Invitational Swimming and Diving Meet for College Women at Waterloo, Ontario Canada.
In short, Kathleen Keating got women's athletics off to a great start at Xavier University. Her daughter, Ann Marie, continued the tradition as the starting goalkeeper on the XU women's soccer team and served as the team's assistant coach.
