NEW YORK – Taylor Wilson has been named BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Female Athlete of the Week after the Wildcats topped the Mountaineers 154-146 in their first meet of the season. West Virginia defeated Villanova on the men’s side.
Butler picked up a win against Olivet Nazarene but fell to Illinois-Chicago on the road. Seton Hall men and women were defeated on the road at Drexel. Xavier women were edged by Indiana State, and followed that with a tie versus Cleveland State. The Musketeer men were upended by the Vikings on the road.
BIG EAST Female Athlete of the Week
Taylor Wilson, Villanova, Sr., Free/Fly (Castle Rock, Colo.)
Wilson helped the Wildcats take down West Virginia by securing an individual victory in the 100-yard freestyle. She clocked in a 51.57, which is the fastest time so far this season in the BIG EAST. She also played a significant role in the winning 400-yard freestyle relay, which set a record at Villanova’s Pavilion Pool in a time of 3:25.65. That relay time is the best in the conference by over six seconds. Wilson also placed third in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.97.
Notable Performances
Emily Conners, Xavier, Jr., Free (Sunfish Lake, Minn.)
Conners led the way for the Musketeers in a tie with Cleveland State. She found the wall first in three individual events. In the 50-yard freestyle, Conners was victorious in a time of 23.85. She won the 100-yard freestyle in 52.16 and the 200-yard freestyle in 1:54.00. She also anchored the 200-yard medley relay to a runner-up finish which was clocked at 1:46.51, just a tenth of a second behind the Vikings.
Courtney McCardle, Seton Hall, Sr., Free (Hurley, N.Y.)
McCardle collected three individual wins in a loss at Drexel. She was victorious in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.75. Recording a time of 52.04, she won the 100-yard freestyle, along with the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 1:55.29.