The allure of a big school appealed to Erini Pappas and so the swimmer decided to look at institutions that fit that profile. Her list included Penn State University and James Madison University among others. But something just didn't seem right to the Pennsylvania native and so the advice of a family member turned her attention elsewhere.

"Fairfield was not really on my radar," Pappas said. "My cousin goes to Fairfield and so she thought I should visit the campus. She told me the campus was so beautiful and that I could probably swim here and do great things. I knew once I stepped foot on campus that this was the place for me."

Head Coach Anthony Bruno also felt that Fairfield would be the place for Pappas with her ability in the pool  and her desire to excel academically.

 "Throughout the recruiting process I thought Erini had the ability to be special," Coach Bruno said. "I knew she would be the right fit because she wanted to have a balanced experience and make the most of being a Fairfield student athlete."

Her cousin's prophecy was spot on as Pappas has made her mark on the Fairfield University women's swimming and diving program despite being a member for just a few months. She already holds four school record, three of which she set in consecutive days during the Terrier Invitational which included Boston College, Boston University, Georgetown, and UMass.

She established 25-yard standards in the 200 IM on November 19 (2:05.17), the 400 IM on November 20 (4:25.19), and the 200 back on November 21 (2:00.63). Pappas also added the 25-meter record for the 200 IM to her resume which helped the Stags defeat Marist College by a 199-101 score on November 6. And if that's not impressive enough, she recorded a top three-time in the 100 back (56.11) this season.

"I didn't expect to have this much success so early but I knew my times compared to some of the records and how individuals did in the past," Pappas said. "I thought I could do good things here but didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

It's no coincidence that the freshman set a record in the 400 IM in the first few weeks of her collegiate career. Pappas looks at the event as her best among the many that she swims for the Stags.

"The 400 IM is my strongest event because I am pretty good at all the strokes," Pappas said. "I have an advantage because my best two strokes are butterfly and backstroke so I can get ahead early since those are the first two strokes. Once I get in front, I can keep up that lead with the breaststroke and free style."

Pappas' good fortune in the pool started at a young age when she joined the Phoenixville Area YMCA where she swam for 10 years. She moved on to the Upper Mainline YMCA program for three years which covered most of her high school career, giving her 13 years within the organization.

"I was with Phoenixville until the coach left so me and a few other swimmers moved to Upper Mainline," Pappas recalled. "It was the best decision I ever made because I made so many friends. I had a few doubts in the beginning but the change was really good for me. I ended up swimming really well there."

She performed well at Phoenixville YMCA as she established program records in the 200 IM and the 400 IM events. Her background with the YMCA provided a strong base for her scholastic career as well as she set school records in the 200 IM, the 100 fly, and the 100 back at Phoenixville High School. She represented her school at the State Championships every year, picking up medals in the 100 fly as a freshman and sophomore before collecting hardware in the 100 back as a junior and senior.

The Stags are currently in a competitive hiatus which started after the Terrier Invitational and will remain in place until they host Seton Hall on January 7. However, the team will travel for a training trip after the holidays which will place the student-athletes in a new environment so they can focus on the championship portion of the season as well as focus on strengthening the team itself.

"We will have a week off for Christmas but will come back to train before our training trip so I think that will be a great bonding experience for the team," Pappss said. "Since we are going to the only people on campus for the most part, we will be spending a lot of time together which will be good for us."

For Pappas, the semester break will also give her respite from the rigors of the Fairfield academic demands that can be overwhelming for any student-athlete especially one going through his or her first semester.

"I knew it would be a lot of work to be a student-athlete at Fairfield but I would prefer to be busy because it is easier for me to manage my time better," Pappas said. "If I wasn't an athlete with a busy schedule, I think I would be bored and procrastinate a lot. But since I have so much to do, I need to manage my time in order to be successful."

Whether it's in the pool or in the classroom, it seems Pappas has found the right combination to be successful at Fairfield University.