Swimming Heads to Ohio, Butler this Weekend

Saturday, January 21

Athens, Ohio

1 P.M.

Xavier University

Ohio, Duquesne (Women Only)

01.20.17 | Swimming

Ohio Swimming Info Butler Swimming Info

Musketeer women face Bulldogs and Duquesne on Saturday before full squad travels to Butler Invite

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier swimming continues its spring schedule with a busy weekend, with the women traveling to Athens, Ohio on Saturday for a tri-team meet with the Bobcats and Duquesne. The whole squad will be in action on Sunday when the Musketeers travel to the six-team Butler Invite, held at Fishers High School.

MEET INFORMATION

Xavier at Ohio with Duquesne (Women)
Ohio University Natatorium | Athens, Ohio
Saturday, Jan. 21 – 1:00 p.m.

THE OPPONENTS

OHIO BOBCATS
Athens, Ohio | MAC

Ohio opened the spring schedule on January 7 at home against Denison. The Bobcats took a 192.5-104.5 win over the Big Red, winning 13 of 16 events.

OU was led by Corrin Van Lanen who took first in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly, as well as in the 200 free relay.

DUQUESNE DUKES
Pittsburgh, Pa. | A 10

The Dukes were last in action against Saint Francis University at home with Duquesne wining by a final score of 147-107 after winning eight events.

First place finishes for the Dukes came from Summer Svitavsky (1000 Yard Freestyle), Carson Gross (200 Yard Freestyle), Abby Watson (100 Yard Backstroke), Kirsten Hillsley (100 Yard Breaststroke), Morgan Smith (200 Yard Butterfly), Morgan Fink (200-yard Backstroke), Stauffer (200 Yard Breaststroke) and Summer Svitavksy (500 Yard Freestyle).

MEET INFORMATION

Xavier at Butler Invite
Fishers High School | Fishers, Ind.
Sunday, Jan. 22 –12:00 p.m.

THE OPPONENTS

BUTLER BULLDOGS
Indianapolis, Ind. | BIG EAST

The Bulldogs opened the spring at Indiana State, falling 143-107.

Audrey Gosnell collected a first place individual finish in the 50 free, touching the wall in 25.00 for the top finish of the day for the Bulldogs.

SAINT LOUIS BILIKENS
St. Louis, Mo. | A 10

The Bilikens will compete in their first meet of the spring on Saturday against Evansville after the tri-meet with Lindenwood-Belleville and Eastern Illinois was cancelled due to weather.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
Carbondale, Ill. | MAC

The Salukis women opened the spring with a 224-74 win over Arkansas Little-Rock on January 14. SIU took the top spot in all 16 races against UALR.

The SIU men will open the spring at Butler.

BELLARMINE KNIGHTS
Louisville, Ky. | GLVC (DII)

The Knights opened the season against William Jewell on January 14. the Cardinals won 117-88 on the women's side and 132-72 on the men's side.

Kathryn Vulich took top honors in the 200 individual medley (2:12.50) and the 200 backstroke (2:12.31). Emily Zawadzki placed first in the 200 freestyle (1:58.64) and the 100 freestyle (55.17). Olivia Hoskins added a first in the 200 butterfly (2:13.43).

On the men's side Luke Dobson took the top finish in the 200 butterfly (1:55.38) and the 200 breaststroke (2:09.55) Marc McCormick won the 200 freestyle (1:45.06) and the 500 freestyle (4:43.39). James Schwartz took first in the 1000 freestyle (9:55.03).

BALL STATE CARDINALS
Muncie, Ind. | MAC

Ball State's women were last in action with Xavier at IUPUI on January 6. The Cardinal women beat both IUPUI (149.00 to 94.00) and Xavier (170.00 to 67.00), winning seven events.

The BSU men took on Eastern Michigan on January 14, falling 150-125.

Both Cardinal squads will face off with Indiana State and Eastern Illinois on Friday evening.

LAST TIME OUT (WOMEN)

Xavier's women opened the meet at IUPUI with Ball State with a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:47.04.

Katie Kerr posted a pair of top-four finishes, in the 200 free (4th) and the 500 free (2nd). Caroline Gaertner took second in the 100 fly.

Xavier accounted for two of the top three spots in the 100 back, led by Paxtyn Drew's second-place finish. Ali Fort placed third.

The Xavier women closed out the event with a first place finish in the 400 free relay for Abigail Garner, Paxtyn Drew, Gaertner and Emily Conners.

The Musketeers fell by final scores of 136-101 (IUPUI) and 170-67 (Ball State).

LAST TIME OUT (MEN)

Xavier's men opened the meet at IUPUI by out-touching the host Jags in the 200 medley relay to take first.

The Musketeers accounted for two of the top three spots in the 200 free, with Alex Wolfred taking second and Brandon Abboud taking third.

Knox Hitt took the top spot in the 100 fly.

Rodrigo Suriano used a time of 46.16 to take first in the 100 free.

Sam Johanns touched the wall first in the 100 fly with a time of 52.17.

Like the women, the Xavier men closed out the meet with a win in the 400 free relay.

Xavier topped Ball State, 151-76, while falling to IUPUI 151-85.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Xavier will host Wright State on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 12:00 p.m. The meet with WSU is the final one before the BIG EAST Championship and will also be Senior Day for the Musketeers.

WEEKLY AWARDS

Paxtyn Drew was named the BIG EAST Swimmer of the Week for the week for the week of January 10 after collecting a top-two finish in each event she competed in at IUPUI.

This is the fifth weekly award of Drew's Xavier career, after earning the honor three times as a freshman (10/14/14, 10/21/14 and 1/27/15) and once as a sophomore (1/26/16).

Drew's honor is the seventh weekly award for Xavier swimming this season, and the fourth on the women's side, after men's and women's swimming combined to collect six BIG EAST Weekly awards during the Fall semester.

Xavier men's and women's swimming swept the BIG EAST Weekly Awards for the second time this season in the week of Nov. 22, when Michael Pettinichi and Caroline Gaertner took the honors after their performances at the CSU Magnus Cup.

That made two Weekly Awards from the conference offices this season for Gaertner, who along with Rodirgo Suriano, was named Athlete of the Week by the conference for the week of Nov. 1. Suriano also earned BIG EAST Swimmer of the Week honors for the week of Oct. 25.

Emily Conners also earned the honor from both the conference offices and CollegeSwimming.com in the opening week of the season.

AT&T WINTER NATIONALS

Xavier closed out the Fall scheduled by sending a school-record seven swimmers to Atlanta to compete in the AT&T Winter Nationals.

Knox Hitt used a time of 49.12 in the 100 fly prelim to finish among the top 24 competitors, earning a spot in one of the three finals heats. In the C Final, Hitt placed eighth with a time of 49.75.

Hitt also competed in the 50 free as an individual on Thursday, posting a time of 21.25 in the prelims to place 37th.

Rodrigo Suriano also took part in the 50 free, finishing 26th to hold a spot as an alternate for the finals with a time of 20.85.

In addition to Hitt's performance in the 100 fly on Friday, four other Musketeers took part in individual events. David Bunnell also competed in the 100 fly with a time of 49.87.

Michael Pettinichi placed in the top 30 in the 100 breast with a time of 55.87. Pettinichi also took part in a second race on Saturday, finishing the 200 breast in 2:02.90 to take 27th.

Sam Johanns and Nathan Runyon both took part in the 100 back, finishing in 50.22 and 50.89, respectively. Ruynon also competed in the 200 back, finishing in 1:52.51.

Chase Baldwin also took part in the 200 back, touching the wall in 1:53.53. Both Musketeers finished in the top 40.

Over the course of four days, the Musketeers also took part in three relays. On the opening night, Suriano, Baldwin, Johanns and Hitt posted a time of 6:47.78 in the 800 free relay.

Suriano, Johanns, Bunnell and Hitt placed seventh in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:22.57.

The Musketeers closed out the event with Johanns, Hitt, Bunnell, Suriano posting a time of 3:03.99 in the 400 free relay.