By: Adam Tortelli ~Staff Writer~
After a strong start, both the men’s and women’s teams are poised to assume their positions within the conference’s top-5 by season’s end.
Last season, the women’s team found great success late in the year.
Truly hitting their stride when it counted most, head coach Brent MacDonald’s girls proved their legitimacy by claiming third place in the conference at the Big East Championships.
Also in impressive fashion, Xavier men’s swimming took home the title from the meet in Sewell, N.J., winning the school’s first ever Big East title.
Lost in the midst of midterm stress and anticipation for fall break, the swimming and diving teams made waves when opening their season on Sept. 28 at Butler’s Fall Invitational.
A highlight for the Musketeers in the first meet was freshman Paxtyn Drew.
She did more than just get her feet wet in the inaugural meet of her college career.
Drew’s 200-yard backstroke clocked in at 2:08.48, a time that not only earned her first-place but also immediately places her at 13th for Xavier’s all-time in that event.
She established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the conference.
Following the annual Alumni preparation meet, the Muskies traveled to the University of Louisville to face the talented Cardinals in their first dual meet of the year.
While neither team returned to Ohio victorious, the talent they faced is essential for the teams’ success later in the season.
Sophomore Emily Wagner catapulted herself in the 1000-yard freestyle all-time ranking from 15th to sixth.
After traveling for consecutive weeks, the Musketeers settled down this past weekend against local opponents.
On Oct. 17, Xavier dove into its meet versus crosstown rival Cincinnati.
Despite a loss to the Bearcats, Xavier remains confident in its athletes’ ability in the pool.
Junior Luke Johanns continues to dominate in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events (both of which he holds Xavier records).
Both the men’s and women’s teams also swept the top-three finishes for the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Shortly following losses to a bitter rival, the Musketeers’ struggles continued, with defeats against the Miami University Redhawks in Oxford, Ohio.
Junior Rob Van Kirk took home his first individual second-place finish of the year in the 200-yard breast stroke.
On the women’s end, sophomore Ashley Whiteley had an impressive finish, taking second in the 100 butterfly.
From Johanns’s freestyle to Drew’s backstroke, both Xavier men’s and women’s swimming will be expecting great finishes to the 2014-15 season.
