Courtesy: Cincinnati Athletics
CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati men’s and women’s swimming and diving program will open its 2023-24 season by hosting Northwestern on Friday inside Keating Aquatic Center.
Diving events will begin at 3 p.m. while the swimming events will start at 5 p.m.
Cincinnati returns 37 letterwinners from a season ago, including 2023 NCAA Championship qualifier Joleigh Crye.
Crye placed 22nd overall in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2023 NCAA Championship meet with a time of 59.49 seconds. She secured the 100-yard breaststroke title at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championships after reestablishing the program and meet records with a time of 59.07 seconds. Her personal-best time makes her the program’s first woman to break the one-minute mark in the event.
2023 Co-American Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Year Hunter Gubeno will look to find success in his senior season for the Bearcats. Last season, Gubeno claimed two AAC titles in the 100-yard (47.64) and 200-yard backstroke (1:41.80). Both his backstroke times are NCAA ‘B’ standard times.
Gubeno also broke the Cincinnati 200-yard individual medley record with a time of 1:45.16 and was a part of the 400-yard freestyle team that set the program record (2:54.66). He became the third Bearcat ever to be named Most Outstanding Swimmer, joining former Bearcats Michael Balcerak and Din Selmaonovic to win the award.
Seniors Logan Lawhorn, Alex Gonzalez, Drew Hawthorne and Thomas Matthew and junior Maddy Hensler were named captains for the 2023-24 season by head coach Mandy Commons-DiSalle.
The 2023-24 roster also features 24 newcomers, including 22 freshmen and two transfers.
Northwestern is coming off a 9-1 season last year, highlighted by a seven meet win streak. Rachel Stratton-Mills will lead the Wildcats in her first season as Director of Swimming and Diving.