WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior swimmer
Eric Xiao of
College Station, Texas, and senior saber fencer
Kayla Turnof of
Westfield, New Jersey, have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending December 8. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake N Joes Bar and Grill. These are the final selections of the Fall 2024 semester.
Xiao was Brandeis’s top performer at the 2024 Gompei Invitational hosted by WPI from Dec. 6-8. He reached five ‘A’ finals at the meet, delivering one school record and two other program all-time top 10 records. Xiao established a school record in the 100-yard individual medley, finishing in third place with a time of 52.60 seconds, just ahead of teammate
Benjamin Lee.
Xiao also finished seventh in the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 23.38 seconds, while swimming the second-fastest time in school history in the prelims at 23.14 seconds. Xiao turned in three ninth-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle (21.86 seconds), the 100 butterfly (52.21 seconds, 10
th in program history), and the 100 breaststroke (58.96 seconds).
The Judges finished in sixth place out of 10 teams in the combined men’s and women’s event with 2563 points. They return to action on January 15
th against Stonehill College.
Turnoff was the top women’s performer for the Brandeis fencing team at the 2024 Brandeis Invitational. With a record of 12-6, Turnof posted at least one win against all six of Brandeis’s opponents. She was one of only two Judges to achieve that feat, along with saber squad-mate
Kat Xikes. Turnof went 6-0 against the Judges’ two Division III opponents, helping them defeat Lawrence University, 20-7, and Drew University, 22-5. Turnof also had winning records against Penn State, as the saber squad earned a 5-4 upset, and against St. John’s University in a 5-4 squad defeat.
Overall, Brandeis went 2-4, falling to Penn State, St. John’s, Cornell and Yale in addition to their wins over Lawrence and Drew. Turnof’s 42 total wins this season are second only to Xikes among all Brandeis fencers, men or women.
The Brandeis fencing teams return to action on Sunday, February 2, at the Eric Sollee Invitational hosted by MIT.
This is the ninth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights a top Brandeis student-athlete who has had an outstanding athletic achievement from 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.
Turnof is a 2021 graduate of Kent Place School. For more information on Brandeis women’s fencing, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/wfence.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
