Championship Central  | Thursday Results | Video Highlights
 
GENEVA, Ohio  – Villanova maintains a strong hold on the women’s side, but Xavier has taken over first on the men’s side as the second day of the 2021 BIG EAST Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships Presented by JEEP concluded at the Spire Institute on Thursday night.
 
Villanova earned three event wins on Thursday for the women and finished with 347 total points to top the leaderboard. In second on the women’s side is UConn with 276 points. Seton Hall is in third with 187 points. The Huskies and Pirates won the other two events of the day.
 
The Villanova women won the 200 free relay with the squad of Millicent Routledge, Perri Stahl, Alexis Elkovitch and Abbey Berloco. It is the third relay event win for Routledge this championship and the second for Stahl and Berloco. Wildcat Kelly Montesi defended her title in the 200 IM with a time of 2.00.90. Montesi’s win was the third of the championship, 12th of her career. On the diving board, VU sophomore Danielle Scarano won with a score of 497.50.
 
In the 500 free, UConn freshman Niamh Hofland beat out last year’s event winner Villanova’s Nicole Welch for gold. Holfland finished at 4:48.34, while Welch finished at 4:50.06.
 
Seton Hall’s Cornelia Jerresand won the 50-free spring with a time o f23.34. Three VU swimmers finished behind Jerresand including Berloco, Routledge and Stahl.
 
On the men’s side, Xavier is ahead of second-place Villanova by 11 points, 273 points to the Wildcats’ 262 points. The Xavier men also won three events on Thursday. Villanova won the other.
 
XU won the 200 free relay for the third straight year, this time at 1:20.27 with Alexander Sironen, Roark Lundal, Andrew Martin and Christian Thomas. Thomas also won the 50 free sprint with a time of 20.43. Martin won two golds as well as he won the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 4:24.56.
 
Villanova freshman Nolan Richard won the 200 IM, hitting the wall first at 1:49.51.
 
Friday prelims start at the pool at 10 a.m. ET Finals, which start at 6 p.m., include the 400 IM, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard backstroke  and the 400 medley relay. The men’s 1-meter diving finals will start at 1 p.m.
 
For schedules, heat sheets, updates, live results and live coverage links please visit Championship Central on BIGEAST.com.
 
Women’s Team Scores (Through six events)
1. Villanova – 347 points.
2. UConn – 276
3. Seton Hall – 187
4. Xavier – 158
5. Providence – 97
6. Butler – 88
 
Men’s Team Scores (Through six events)
1. Xavier – 273 points.
2. Villanova – 262
3. Seton hall – 174
4. Providence – 171.5
5. UConn – 30.5