Two years ago, after Xavier sent three teams to NCAA Tournament play in the same school year — tying a school record — athletic director Mike Bobinski heard colleagues worrying XU might never top that. He loudly said it should.

        That's why, as the finest school year in XU's athletic history closes this week, Bobinski eyes even bigger bounties.

X-CELLENT YEAR

Highlights from this school year in Xavier University athletics:   • School-record five NCAA Tournament teams: men's basketball, women's basketball, women's soccer, men's golf and rifle   • Fourth-place NCAA finish by rifle team   • Elite Eight appearance by women's basketball team   • Atlantic 10 championships in women's basketball, women's soccer and men's golf   • A-10 Player of the Year in men's basketball (David West), women's basketball (Jennifer Phillips) and volleyball (Sara Bachus)   • Three WNBA draft picks: Phillips, Nicole Levandusky and Taru Tuukkanen   • Thrine Kane in Olympic women's 50-meter rifle three-position competition   • 39-2 combined home record in Cintas Center

        “There is always room to be better and improve,” he said. “That's the only way to make yourself better: to continually set goals that force you to push yourself to be better.”

        What must XU now try to beat? Five of its 15 teams reaching the NCAA Tournament. Two top-eight finishes. Three Atlantic 10 championships. Three A-10 player of the year honorees. Three WNBA draftees. One Olympian. And the finest academic year in school history.

        “The nice thing is that while our competitive success continues to get better every year, at the same time our kids are doing better than ever academically,” Bobinski said. “I think it proves one more time that you can do both.”

        The athletic department's cumulative GPA over the past year is 3.169, which Bobinski said is the highest it has ever been. Of XU's 256 student-athletes, 130 are on the Commissioner's Honor Roll in the A-10 (3.0 cumulative GPA or better).

        The women's soccer team's 3.573 GPA is the best in the nation. Women's swimming (No. 5), women's cross country (No. 7) and men's cross country (No. 8) also rank in the top 10 for academics.

        Both basketball teams — XU's marquee programs — reached the NCAA Tournament this year; they had made it jointly just once before, in 1993. Men's golf competes Wednesday in its first NCAA. Rifle and women's soccer also made it.

        Rifle finished fourth in the NCAA. But the women's basketball team made the biggest splash, finishing 31-3, reaching the Elite Eight and upsetting top-seeded Tennessee along the way.

        The final legacy will be a building. The $46 million Cintas Center opened, and the basketball and volleyball teams combined for a 39-2 mark there, each breaking season attendance records.

        “In terms of recruiting and continuing our success, I think the impact of Cintas Center is only beginning, ” Bobinski said.

        “It's a fun time to be here.”
       

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