April 12, 2007

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CINCINNATI - The Xavier University Department of Athletics is in the process of searching for former alumni and their current contact information to help each team compile a list of former alumni. Each of the Musketeers' 16 teams in addition to those programs that are no longer sponsored by XU is eager to assemble a complete list of former players. Each is encouraged to visit GOXAVIER.com, scroll down, click on the "Alumni Corner" button at the bottom of the page and enter in their current information.

The Xavier University and University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics are also joining forces to locate and update information of those former women student-athletes who participated in college sports at both schools. Records from the early pioneers of women's sports through present day are incomplete and it is the hope of the two schools that former student-athletes will answer the call to action and contact the schools via their respective web sites.

Registration pages have been built at both GOXAVIER.com and GoBEARCATS.com where all former student-athletes can update the departments on their current contact information. This data will be used by each of XU's teams to maintain a strong tie with the respective alumni. It will also be used more specifically to contact the former women's basketball student-athletes and invite them to be a part of a special recognition banquet and ceremony in advance of the 2007-08 Women's Basketball Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. A date for the event has not yet been set.

Xavier University became a coeducational institution in 1969 and first fielded a women's sports team in 1971. Women's sports at the University of Cincinnati date back prior to Title IX and thus UC's is expanding its effort to reach all of its former women student-athletes prior to the 1971-72 academic year.

Former U.C. swimmer Bill Keating and a local girls' advocacy group, the Harmony Project, have led the year long effort in raising funds for the development of this special recognition project as part of the Women's Basketball Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Funds generated by this effort are donated to local youth and non-profit organizations which directly represent women's sport. In 2007, the Crosstown Shootout attracted a sold-out audience of 13,176 for the first time in the twenty-nine year history of the series between Xavier and UC.

"We want to build on the great success of last year's Women's Crosstown Shootout sell-out. We hope that this call to action will help us locate these former student-athletes so we can invite them to our banquet and honor them as the pioneers of women sports." says Bill Keating, Jr.

For more information on how to register a former student-athlete with Xavier University please visit GOXAVIER.com and go to the "Alumni Corner" link located at the bottom of the Xavier Athletics homepage or contact Liz Miller directly at (513) 745-3414 or by email at millerliz@xavier.edu.