FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off a record-breaking meet at the Ohio State Invitational three weeks ago, the FGCU swimming and diving team returns to action against its second Big 10 competitor Northwestern in dual-meet fashion this season on Sunday, Dec. 17, at the FGCU Aquatics Center.

Action commences at 11 a.m., as it will be the first meeting between the two schools, but crosses another Big 10 school off FGCU's list after defeating Rutgers, 199-116, in early October and falling to Ohio State and Penn State at the Buckeyes' invite.

"We are very excited to get back to competition this week," FGCU head coach Dave Rollins said. "We have been working hard and changed a few things in training and to have an opportunity to see where we have come along will be great. It is also an incredible opportunity to compete with a Big 10 program at home. Northwestern is a school close to my heart and they are a program on the rise in both the Big 10 and nationally. It will be an exciting meet."

Rounding out the winter portion of the season, the Green and Blue boasts an overall 3-1 dual-meet record and a 2-0 in the CCSA. All said, FGCU has qualified multiple swimmers in NCAA B cut fashion along with personal and program record setting swims. The Eagles will host Toledo on Dec. 21, which will close out their winter schedule before hosting the FGCU Triple Distance Classic on Jan. 5 after the holiday break.

Gracie Redding (Orlando, Fla./The First Academy) paved the way for the Green and Blue after swimming the 50 freestyle in a time of 22.85, which earned her a NCAA B cut. Cassidy Fry (Oakwood, Ohio/Oakwood HS), Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Charlottenlund, Denmark/Ordrup Gymnasium), and Doris Eichhorn (Berlin, Germany/HTW Berlin) join Redding as they qualified for B cuts in their respective swims as well. Hannah Soutar (Edinburgh, Scotland/Broughton HS) had an impressive performance at the invite as she achieved a lifetime best in the 100 breaststroke after taking a year off the sport in its entirety.

Megan Wakefield (Guelph, Ontario, Canada/Centennial CVI) accompanied three other Eagles swimmers as she was tabbed CCSA Diver of the Week for her performance in the platform event. The Canada native placed 13th with a score of 178.45, which was the third best score in program history.  

Northwestern swam well this season so far, as they won four meets in a row earlier in the year, including a 186-114 win against Rutgers. In 2017, the Wildcats placed 7th in the Big 10 Championships and 21st overall in the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis.

Schedule of Events starting at 11 a.m.
400 Medley Relay
1000 Free
200 Free
200 IM
200 Fly
100 Free
200 Back
500 Free
200 Breast
200 Free Relay

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women's swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.

HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
In his first year with the program in 2016-17, head coach Dave Rollins led FGCU to its eighth CCSA Championship in a span of nine years and guided the Eagles 200 free relay team to All-American honors. FGCU registered points at the NCAA Championships for the fourth-straight season and ultimately turned in its third-best finish all-time (T-41st). Prior to FGCU, Rollins was the associate head men's swimming coach at Ohio State University and brought 10 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06.

TOYS FOR TOTS
The FGCU Athletics Department, FGCU Police Department, Lee County Sheriff's Office and Heroes Unlimited have teamed up to participate in a holiday toy drive. New, unwrapped toys are being collected and will be delivered to the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida on Friday, Dec. 23. Collection boxes have been placed in the lobbies of Alico Arena, UPD and the FGCU Family Resource Center until Wednesday, Dec. 20. No toy is too small, and all toys will be wrapped prior to delivery.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.