
Posted: Oct 12, 2018
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - Thomas More University's inaugural swim and dive team is set to kick off the first-ever season at the Kentucky Invitational, hosted by Bellarmine University on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m.
- Head Coach Monty Hopkins kicks off the inaugural season of men's and women's swimming and diving for Thomas More University.
- He comes to Thomas More as a previous head coach at the University of Cincinnati from 1989 to 2014 after swimming for the school in the 1970s.
- The women's swim/dive team consists of 13 members.
- Jalee Connor serves as the only senior on the team.
- There are five juniors, Erin Carrus, Jenn Swecker, Amanda Scola, Shelby Miller, and Grace Kahmann.
- The bulk of the team consists of first-years, Megan Hill, Suzie Martin, Ali Miller, Katerine Rice, Alexis Roberts, Olivia Staverman, and Alli Streaker.
- The men's team consists of 11 swimmers and divers.
- Similar to the women's squad, the team consists of mostly first-years.
- The seven first-years are Aaron Atwood, Joe Bonavita, Devon Falkenstein, Joseph Felix, Justin Hailey, Austyn Randall, Austin Smith, and Luke Stuart.
- John Butler serves as the lone sophomore.
- J.P. Olding and Evan Senecal are the two juniors that round out the squad.
- The Saints will be competiting in a invitational meet with one time final session.
- The meet will take place at the University of Louisville, Ralph Wright Natatorium.
- There will be 16 different events, including the 200 medley relay, 100 backstroke, 500 freestyle, and the 150 breaststroke relay.
- Scoring will be conducted by placing first through sixteenth place for individual events: 20-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-9-7-5-5-4-3-2-1 and first through eighth place for relay events: 18-14-12-10-8-6-4-2.
- Five teams are competiting in the Invitational this weekend, including Thomas More.
- These teams include: Asbury University, Bellarmine University, Centre College, and Transylvania Univsersity.
- The Saints take on Asbury and Bethel on Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.