WALTHAM, Mass. -- Senior
Eric Xiao of
College Station, Texas, and first-year
Michelle Weissler of
Greenwich, Connecticut, members of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving team, have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending December 7. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake n JOES Sports Grille.
Xiao and Weissler led the Judges to a fifth-place finish at the WPI Gompei Invitational, second among Division III teams to the host school. Xiao had three top-three finishes. In the 50 butterfly, he set a school record and finished in second place with a time of 22.89 seconds. He placed third in both the 100 IM (52.98 seconds) and the 50 breaststroke (26.82 seconds), while helping the Judges place third in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:09.98 that closed the meet and allowed the team to hold off Springfield College for fifth place.
Weissler had the two best finishes for the women at the meet. She also set a school record in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 30.75 seconds. She took 0.15 of a second off the mark set by Hall of Famer Maya Marx '04 in 2003. Weissler finished in second place by 0.53 to a swimmer from Sacred Heart. Weissler also came in third in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.09. It was the third-fastest time in program history, just the fourth to break 1:08 and was just shy of becoming the third to go under 1:07.
The Brandeis Swimming and Diving team is off until 2026, when they will return to action on Jan. 14th with a meet for the women’s team against Stonehill College.
This is the tenth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights top Brandeis student-athletes who have had an outstanding athletic achievement in the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES.
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service, and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, the Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
Xiao is a 2022 graduate of AM Consolidated High School. For more information on Brandeis men’s swimming and diving, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mswim.
Weissler is a 2025 graduate of Greenwich High School. For more information on Brandeis women’s swimming and diving, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/wswim.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
