Xavier Swimming Opens Season at Bellarmine

Saturday, January 23

Louisville, Ky.

1 PM

Xavier University

Bellarmine

01.22.21 | Swimming

Musketeers kick off regular season in preparation for 2021 BIG EAST Championships in April

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's and women's swimming open up the 2021 schedule on Saturday, facing the Bellarmine Knights at 1:00 PM at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center in Louisville, Ky. The meet kicks off a seven-meet regular season for the men, and eight-meet season for the women leading up to the 2021 BIG EAST Championships in April.

BELLARMINE NOTES

Bellarmine is in its first season competing in NCAA Division I. The Knights made their Division I debut last Saturday against Ball State, falling on both the men's and women's side.
At last season's Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, both teams set program records for total points. Bellarmine's women accumulated 620 in placing sixth while the men amassed 429 in finishing ninth.
Xavier faced Bellarmine last season, sweeping the Knights, with the women winning 195-61 while the men won 183-79.

XAVIER MEN

Xavier's men will look for a third-straight team BIG EAST Championship this season, with eight All-BIG EAST performers returning from last season.
Among Xavier's returnees are is freestyle distance specialist Andrew Martin, who led the Musketeers in individual points scored at last season's conference meet. During his rookie season, Martin took home the BIG EAST Championship in the 1,650 free with an NCAA B-Cut time, and collected a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 free and 500 free, posting school records in all three races.
Xavier also return all-conference performers Jon Bernard, Noah Coomler, Ben Quon, Jared Ritz, Will Serad, Alex Sironen and Christian Thomas.
Xavier added a pair of newcomers to the roster, Reed Harris and Jack Parker.
The Musketeers lost three members of last year's BIG EAST Championship squad to graduation, including two-time BIG EAST Champion in the 200 fly, Landon Clark, and Brandon Abboud, who earned All-BIG EAST in a team-leading five events last season.

XAVIER WOMEN

Xavier's women finished third at the 2020 BIG EAST Championships, collecting three first place finishes along the way.
Xavier returns seven All-Conference honorees, including the BIG EAST Champ in the 200 fly, Taylor Hogan.
All-BIG EAST Team members Brooke Atkins, Clare Bosse, Maureen Cummins, Lorelei Gaertner, Erin Merke and Lydia Schaeffer also return.
Xavier's roster is also bolstered by the addition of an eight-person incoming class on the women's side.
The Musketeers had five graduate following last season. Among the graduating class were four All-BIG EAST performers, including Emily Conners who led the Musketeers with all-conference performances in seven events last season, including the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Xavier opens next weekend at Cincinnati, traveling to face the Bearcats in Clifton on Friday, January 29, at 5:00 PM at the Keating Aquatic Center.
The Musketeers will close out the weekend at the Butler Invite, set to start Sunday, January 31, at noon at Fishers High School in Fishers, Ind.