After qualifying for eight different national championship events through the first six meets of the season, Christine Tixier was named the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics women's swimmer of the month.
 
This is the first swimmer of the month honor awarded this season, and as such it was awarded based off Tixier's swims from October, November and December. The junior out of Benton City, Wash. made the nationals cuts in the 50-freestyle, 100-freestyle, 100-breaststroke, 200-breaststroke, 100-butterfly, 200-butterfly, 200-IM and the 400-IM.
 
"I was very excited to see her get this award, because she works really hard in the pool," said Head Coach Eddie Shepard. "The unique thing about Christine is she is really good at so many different events. Usually, at this level, swimmers tend to focus on a few events they can swim really well, but Christine is such a strong all-around swimmer."
 
Tixier has used that overall strength to win seven different individual races this season. She has also finished second 10 different times, and has finished lower than third in just five of her 24 swims.
 
This is Tixier's first career national swimmer of the month award, but it may not be her last as the junior has already proven she is a force to be reckoned with at the national level, holding the NAIA record in the 100-butterfly (:54.60).
 
"Our biggest challenge with Christine is just figuring out which events we will have her swim at the national meet," said Shepard. Each swimmer can only participate in three individual events; five fewer than Tixier has already qualified in.
 
Tixier won the award over 13 other national nominees. There are two other editions of this honor set to come out this season (Jan. 24 and Feb. 28).

Chad LeJeune was nominated for the award on the men's side.