Villanova, Pa.- Five members of the Villanova Swimming and Diving class of 2019 recently sat down with Villanova.com to give an inside look on how their first year of collegiate competition is going, how they got into swimming, and some of their favorite activities outside of the pool.

This is part one of a two part series highlighting the nine new freshmen.

Why did you choose to attend Villanova University?

Samantha Cheruk: "Villanova is a special place and knew that from the minute I first stepped on campus. Not only is the community at the school amazing, but the alumni that I met outside of the school back home could not be more thrilled that I had decided to attend Villanova. The academics here are amazing and professors are always willing to help their students. The coaches here are also extremely helpful and do everything that they can to ensure our success in the pool. They understand that we are student athletes, but that does not lower their expectations for us in or out of the pool."

Alexa Fabbri: "I chose Villanova because I felt at home as soon as I walked around campus. Coming from an extremely small high school, Villanova was the perfect size for me. Swimming at Villanova is just icing on the cake, along with getting a remarkable education. Another reason I chose Villanova is its location. I am only forty minutes away from home, twenty-five minutes from Philadelphia, and twenty minutes from the second largest mall in America, so I have plenty of activities to do on the weekends. Fortunately, I have the luxury of going home whenever I would like. On the other hand, my parents can attend all of the local swim meets."

Francis Garvey: "I have always lived about 15 minutes away from Villanova. I knew that in applying to schools I was mainly looking at schools with a Naval ROTC program. When I went on my tour everything just felt right and I saw myself waking up here every day and loving it."

Darby Goodwin: "I chose to attend Villanova because of the strong balance between academics and athletics, along with the strong sense of community."

Erin Keaveny: "I chose to come here because there's something really special about Villanova when it comes to the presence of community. In the pool, in the classroom, and all around campus there's a feeling that I don't think you can find many other places. There are a lot of schools where you can be a student, an athlete, and whatever else you want to be. There's only one place you can be a Villanovan."

How did you get interested in swimming?

Cheruk: "I first started swimming when I was very little as a type of therapy for my asthma. When I was eight I joined a local team before switching to the Wilton YMCA Wahoos (Wilton, Conn.) at age 10 where I continued to swim until I graduated high school. I have always loved the competitive aspect of swimming, but my favorite part in the relationships that you form teammates and coaches."

Fabbri: "I got interested in swimming when I was a little girl. My mom signed me up for swim lessons at the local gym when I was four years old. She had no idea if I was going to like it or not. I think my mom realized I was meant for this sport when the lifeguard told me to not jump in the water without parental supervision, and knowing me, I jumped feet first into the deep end and started floating on my own. After that, I signed up for swim lessons, then a summer league team, then a club team, and here I am swimming at the division one collegiate level." Garvey: "Swimming has always been huge in my family. I was fortunate to grow up with a pool and learned to swim at a young age. From there, competitive swimming was only a natural progression."

Goodwin: "My mom was a collegiate swimmer and encouraged my older sister to join the swim team. Once she joined, I decided that I also wanted to be a swimmer."

Keaveny: "When I quit gymnastics I was ready to be done with the sport, but I wasn't done with the competitive atmosphere gymnasts experience. Diving and gymnastics are different in a lot of ways, but the idea that at a meet it's just you, with one chance to show off what you've been practicing over and over, it's a kind of rush. So I got into it chasing a desire to compete, and fell in love with the sport."

How is swimming for a collegiate team different than swimming for a high school team? What are the major differences?

Cheruk: "I only swam for my high school my freshman year, but I swam for my club team the Wilton YMCA Wahoos for 10 years. The main difference between club swimming and college swimming is how every meet has high expectations. Every race matters. In club swimming not every meet is scored so it was more individual whereas in college swimming every race counts towards the final score. A single race can be the difference between a win or a loss."

Fabbri: "Swimming for a high school team was definitely less stressful and easier. Yes, there were morning practices at the crack of dawn that was a struggle to attend, however college swimming is more demanding. A major difference between high school and college swimming is that I have twenty hours a week worth of practices in college and in high school practices were half that."

Garvey: "High school swimming was an amazing experience. Collegiate swimming presents the same ultimate goal with many more challenges. The rigorous practices balanced with challenging academics can sometimes be overwhelming. The other members of the team and coaching staff cultivate a positive environment encouraging everyone to do their best both in and out of the pool."

Goodwin: "There is so much more energy in the pool and on the deck in college than there ever was in high school. Everyone on the team wants to do their best not just for themselves, but for the team."

Keaveny: "I'd say the major difference is something Coach Michael talks about all the time: College, in athletics and in general, is about becoming an adult. In high school, a lot of people competed just because they wanted it on a resume, or because their parents wanted them too. Now, just the amount of dedication that's required by any collegiate sport calls for a new kind of self-motivation, and from what I've experienced fosters a self-awareness I didn't see a lot of in high school."

Who inspires/motivates you?

Cheruk: "My family inspires and motivates me to try my best every day. They have done so much for me to get me to where I am now and I could not be more grateful for them. The simple idea of making them proud motivates me to try my hardest at everything I do every day."

Fabbri: "My mom inspires and motivates me. She is always checking up on me during the week, sending me nutritional facts to help me stay healthy, and is my biggest cheerleader. She never missed a high school meet. My mom is always the person that tells me "can't" is not in my vocabulary and to always give everything 100%."

Garvey: "My parents and siblings serve as a driving force for my success in academics as well as athletics. My parents have always expected perfection, but in the form of personal achievement; doing the best that I can. My siblings and I are constantly competing amongst one another while at the same time we take pride in all of our accomplishments."

Goodwin: "My teammates inspire and motivate me. Seeing everyone give 110% in practice every day makes me want to work harder and be better." Keaveny: "There are plenty of people who inspire me, like my coach and my parents, but diving is a very individual sport, and I think most of your motivation has to come from within. I'd say my biggest motivations come from self improvement and love for what I'm doing."

Do you have any pre-meet superstitions?

Cheruk: "I mainly try to keep a positive attitude before meets because I think that it's important to not focus on anything negative or the things that can go wrong."

Fabbri: "The only pre-meet superstition I have is that I need to listen to music before I go up for my race. I need to be alone with no distractions and just be in the moment. Music plays a major role in my preparation for a meet."

Garvey: "I tend to stick away from superstitions, but when j was younger I used to always eat a blueberry Poptart."

Goodwin: "I have to eat a banana before every meet. If I don't, I get scared that I won't swim well."

Keaveny: "I've listened to the same two songs before every meet for the last five years if that counts, mostly I just visualize how I want the meet to go, try to stay relaxed and keep my muscles loose."

What is your favorite aspect about swimming?

Cheruk: "I have always loved the competitive aspect of swimming, but my favorite part in the relationships that you form teammates and coaches. The friendships that I have made through swimming are ones that I know will last a long time."

Fabbri: "My favorite aspect of swimming is that it is a team and individual sport. I train with all my friends, but when it comes to racing the pressure is on me. I cannot rely on my teammates, like in soccer or basketball to win races for me. How well I do in meets reflects the amount of hard work and dedication I give. However, my achievements are not just because I won a singular race, but they are because my teammates helped me train hard to prepare for that race, which then made me a faster swimmer to win."

Garvey: "I enjoy that for two or two and a half hours each day at practice I am able to focus on one thing and one thing only. The feeling on pushing myself all week at practice and then seeing the rewards at a meet is truly gratifying. It is also equally gratifying to be surrounded with like minded people and to watch their success along side yours."

Goodwin: "My favorite aspect of swimming is being part of a team."

Keaveny: "I think my favorite thing about diving is how much I've learned about myself, and the friends that I've made through the sport. I know I wouldn't be the person I am today without the experiences and opportunities I've been fortunate to have because of my sport."

Who is your favorite athlete?

Cheruk: "Misty Copeland who is an acclaimed ballerina and the first African American to be appointed as a Principal Dancer for the American Ballet Theatre."

Fabbri: "My favorite athlete is Katie Ledecky. She is an eighteen-year old Olympic gold medalist. Not many eighteen year olds can say that. She attends Stanford, one of the best schools in the United States. She gives me hope that anything is possible no matter how old you are."

Garvey: "My favorite athlete is Phil Mickelson. He is able to constantly stay locked in on the golf course and win championships. He has an even larger impact outside of his sport through charitable foundations. He is what every athlete should strive to be."

Goodwin: "My favorite athlete is Bethany Hamilton."

Keaveny: "Tom Brady, and not just because I'm from Boston. He was the 7th string quarterback when he started at Michigan before earning his position as a starter, in 2000 he barely made the Patriots roster as a 4th string quarterback. Now, we know him as the best quarterback in the game. He has proved himself in the face of adversity. He's smart and he's stayed humble. He's an inspiration for any athlete."

What are some of your favorite activities away from the pool?

Cheruk: "My favorite activity out of the pool has always been dance. I tend to dance wherever I am, including the pool deck. I started dancing as soon as I could walk and I danced until I graduated high school. I mainly performed Jazz, Tap, Ballet, and Pointe. I also performed in countless Thanksgiving Parades, and participated in many different dance festivals where choreographers from all over the world would come and teach dancers a different style of dance."

Fabbri: "Some of my favorite activities away from the pool are playing soccer, spending time with my family and friends, and watching Netflix. I have been playing soccer since I was seven or eight and no matter how long I go without touching a soccer ball, I will never lose the love for the sport. Family time is the best time in my eyes. Lastly, I love watching Netflix in my comfy bed on a Friday night after a long day of school and practice.

Garvey: "When I'm not in the pool, you can find me on the golf course, hopefully somewhere in the middle of the fairway. I also enjoy watching all genres of movies and hanging with friends."

Goodwin: "Away from the pool, if I'm not napping or watching Netflix, I enjoy being with friends and family."

Keaveny: "I like quiet things away from the craziness of everyday like photography, painting, playing guitar and singing. I also really enjoy travel, and spending time with my family and friends."

Be sure to keep an eye out for part two of Villanova.com's sit down with the four other freshmen swimmers and divers.