Swimming Travels to UC, Butler this Weekend

Friday, January 19

Cincinnati, Ohio

5 PM

Xavier University

Cincinnati with Virginia Tech

01.18.18 | Swimming

Musketeers face Bearcats, Virginia Tech on Friday before traveling to Butler Invite on Saturday

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier swimming return to action this weekend, traveling across town on Friday to face Cincinnati, with Virginia Tech. The Musketeers then close out the weekend in Indianapolis where Xavier will take part in the Ninth-Annual Butler Invite.

THE MEET

Xavier Musketeers
at Cincinnati with Virginia Tech
Friday, Jan. 19 | 5 PM

PREVIEW

The Musketeers last traveled to UC in October 2015, where they faced off with the Bearcats as well as Cleveland State.
Cincinnati's women finished third of six at last season's American Athletic Conference Championships.
The Bearcat men finished third of four at the conference meet.
UC's men return Chris Bready, who competed in the 500 free and 1,650 free at last season's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Last season, Virginia Tech's women finished fifth of 13 at the ACC Championship and 31st at the NCAA Championships.
Virginia Tech's men placed fourth of 11 teams at the conference championship and finished 22nd at the NCAA Championships.

THE MEET

Xavier Musketeers
at Butler Invite
Sunday, Jan. 21 | 12 PM

PREVIEW

This year's Butler Invite will include Saint Louis, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso in addition to Xavier and the host Bulldogs.
Last season, the women finished second of six teams.
Xavier's women took the top spot in six events, including Katie Kerr winning the 500 free, Caroline Gaertner winning the 100 back and 100 fly, Emily Conners taking the top sot in the 50 free and 100 free and Conners, Paxtyn Drew, Abigail Garner and Gaernter winning the 400 free relay.
The Xavier men finished third of six teams, and collected top-three finishes in nine events.
The Musketeers closed out the event by taking the top spot in the 400 free relay.

WOMEN'S LAST TIME OUT

Xavier's last meet on the women's side, at Duquesne with Ohio, was canceled due to weather.
Xavier's women opened the spring portion of the schedule by sweeping a four-team meet at IUPUI, with Ball State and University of Indianapolis.
Xavier's women opened the meet with a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay for Paxtyn Drew, Samantha White, Caroline Gaertner and Emily Conners.
Paxtyn Drew took second in the 200 free with a time of 1:55.02. Katie Kerr placed fourth with a time of 1:56.36
Taylor Hogan took the top spot in the 200 fly, and led in the Musketeers in the 200 IM, placing second.
Emily Conners swept the freestyle sprints, with time of 23.86 in the 50 free and 51.60 in the 100 free.
Paxtyn Drew took the top spot in the 200 back, followed in by Hogan in second place. Ali Fortfinished fifth to put three Musketeers in the top five.
Caroline Gaertner took the top spot in the 100 fly with a time of 56.28. She was followed in by her sister Lorelei Gaertner, whose time of 59.09 was good for second.
Xavier's women closed the meet with a win in the 400 free relay for Conners, Paxtyn Drew, Caroline Gaertner and Tianna Vozar.

MEN'S LAST TIME OUT

Xavier's men opened the spring at IUPUI against the Jags, as well as Ball State and UIndy.
Xavier started the meet with a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay.
Alex Wolfred picked up a third-place finish in the 200 free with a time of 1:44.59.
Sam Johanns led the Musketeers in the 100 back, touching the wall in 52.20. Alex Sironen followed him in to take fourth.
Alex Wolfred placed second in the 500 free with a time of 4:46.09. Jared Ritz finished fourth with a time of 4:47.11.
Brandon Abboud placed third in the 100 fly with a time of 52.17.
Matthew Dyer placed third in the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.47.
Xavier's men closed out the meet with Christian Thomas, Abboud, Wolfred and David Bunnell taking third in the 400 free relay.
Xavier topped Ball State, 184-110, and fell to UIndy and IUPUI.

WEEKLY AWARDS

After taking the top spot in three events in the spring opener for Xavier women's swimming, sophomore Emily Conners earned a second BIG EAST Swimmer of the Week award for the 2017-18 season.
At IUPUI with Ball State and University of Indianapolis, Conners swept the freestyle sprints, helping Xavier's women sweep the four-team meet. The Sunfish Lake, Minn. native set a time of 23.86 in the 50 free to touch the wall first. In the 100 free, Conners used a time of 51.60 to take the top spot. Conners also swam legs of the first-place winning 400 free relay and second-place finishing 200 medley relay.
Conners' honor is her second of the season and the third of her career. She was named BIG EAST Swimmer of the Week for the opening week of the 2017-18 season, and also earned the honor as a freshman, during the week of Oct. 18, 2016.
Her honor is the third of the season for Xavier, with junior Caroline Gaertner earning Swimmer of the Week for the week of Dec. 6, 2017.