Villanova Women and Xavier Men Three-Peat as BIG EAST Champions
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. - Another year, a new venue, and the same result as after four days at the Nassau County Aquatics Center the Villanova women and the Xavier men each captured the BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championship for a third consecutive year.
The Wildcat women snagged gold in 11 of 13 individual events, swept the relays and totaled 1,013 points. The Musketeer men won four-of-five relay events and grabbed nine individual titles on the road to 832 points.
In another three-peat, Georgetown finished as BIG EAST runner-up for both its men's and women's teams, with 684 points on the women's side and 781 points on the men's side.
Villanova freshman Darby Goodwin earned the honor Women's Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet after recording 60 individual points and three NCAA B cut BIG EAST individual titles (100 Back, 200 Back and 200 freestyle) and participated in two gold medal relay races (200 free and 400 free relays).
The Men's Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet, Seton Hall sophomore Noah Yanchulis, scored 57 individual points for the Pirates, with BIG EAST titles in the 500 Free and 200 Free and silver medal in the 200 Breast, repeating as champion in the 200 Free.
In yet another three-peat, the Hall’s Gabby Signorelli netted the meet’s Women’s Most Outstanding Diver honor for the third straight year. On the men’s side the Georgetown duo of Jared Cooper-Vespa and Ryan Blom were named Co-Most Outstanding Divers of the meet after Cooper-Vespa won the 3 meter crown and Blom took the 1 meter title.
Rick Simpson from Villanova was voted as the BIG EAST Women's Coach of the Year, leading his Wildcat team to its third BIG EAST win in as many years. Seton Hall’s Ron Farina was voted the Men's Coach of the Year.
Seton Hall's Kayla Spinelli grabbed BIG EAST Women’s Diving Coach of the Year honors while Michael Tober was voted the Men’s Diving Coach of the Year.
Villanova’s Emily Mayo and Xavier’s Nick Foster each repeat as conference champions in the mile-swim for the first event of the night. That was followed by Darby Goodwin taking the 200 Back in 1:56.55 to lead a group of top three finishers that would all record NCAA B cut times. In all seven NCAA B cut times would be recorded in women’s race over the night. Nathan Runyon scored his second individual gold medal of the meet with a victory in the men’s race, touching the wall at 1:47.97.
Xavier's Luke Johanns once again defended his title in the 100 Free, finishing in 44.60. Xavier finished first and second with Johanns and Rodrigo Suriano (45.00). In the women’s race it was a pair of Wildcats finishing at one and two, as Kaisla Kollanus (49.10) and Alexa Fabbri (49.73) each recorded NCAA B cut times
Georgetown’s Molly Fitzpatrick was first to the wall in the 200 Breast in an NCAA B cut time of 2:12.44 for the Hoyas first individual win of the meet. XU’s Michael Pettinichi won the men’s race in 2:01.89. Nova’s Mackenzie Niness won the women’s 200 Fly in 2:00.46 and Matt Zebrowski won took gold for the men in 1:52.03
The Villanova women completed a clean sweep of the relays with the 400 Freestyle in the meet’s final event, clocking in at 3:18.76. The Musketeers made it four-of-five in the men’s relays with a first place time of 2:59.80
FINAL Team Rankings
Women
1. Villanova (1,013)
2. Georgetown (684)
3. Xavier (535.50)
4. Seton Hall (427.50)
5. Providence (238)
6. Butler (196
)
Men
1. Xavier (832)
2. Georgetown (781)
3. Seton Hall (672.50)
4. Villanova (469)
5. Providence (196.50)