Villanova, Xavier Share #BIGEASTswim Weekly Honors
NEW YORK -- Villanova’s Kelly Montesi and Xavier’s Jon Bernard earn this week’s BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week honors. Montesi and Bernard earn their second certificate of the 2019-20 season after leading their teams to victories over the weekend. Montesi broke two pool records last week as the Villanova women took down future BIG EAST counterpart Connecticut, 179-119. Bernard turned in two personal best times as the Xavier men sat atop the team standings at the 11
th annual Butler Invite.
Around the league, both Georgetown squads fell to Drexel, the Providence men’s squad claimed a win over Maine 195-99 while the Friar women tied the Black Bears 150-150. Villanova men dropped a meet to UConn 205-95. At the 11th annual Butler Invite, Saint Louis took the women’s title with 762 points while Xavier (746) followed closely behind with Butler (337) finishing in third. Seton Hall’s men’s and women’s squads fell to La Salle.
Female Athlete of the Week
Kelly Montesi, Villanova, So., Fly/Back/IM (Greenwich, Conn.)
Montesi set two pool records en route to three event victories as the Wildcats took down UConn 179-119. The sophomore touched the wall first in the 200 fly with a time of 2:01.41, the fourth best time in the BIG EAST this season. Montesi followed up with an event victory in the 200 back at a 2:00.28 mark to set the Villanova pool record. The sophomore holds the top five times in the BIG EAST in the 200 back this season. Montesi closed out her individual performance with a pool record in the 100 fly with a time of 55.41.
Male Athlete of the Week
Jon Bernard, Xavier, Fr., Breast/IM (Maineville, Ohio)
Bernard earns his second weekly award this season after earning 51 points to lead the Musketeers to the team victory in the 11th annual Butler Invite. Bernard swept the breaststroke, taking the 100 with a time of 56.86 and the 200 with a time of 2:03.76, both a personal best and a season-best time for the Musketeers. Bernard took the top spot in the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.59.