With victories in five of the six events, the University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team got off to a great start on day one of the Shamrock Invitational at Rolfs Aquatic Center, as they carry a 79-31 lead over Iowa into the second and final day of the three-team meet.
Notre Dame bookended wins in the 200 IM, 50 free and 1-meter dive with victories in the 200 free and 400 medley relays to give the Irish a 48-point cushion. Northwestern joined the Hawkeyes at the meet, but the Irish and Wildcats dualed just a few short weeks ago so both head coaches chose not to keep score in their matchup.
The Irish opened day one in style as the foursome of Christen McDonough, Catherine Mulquin, Genevieve Heidkamp and Hannah Bowen won the 200 free relay in 1:33.27, besting second place Iowa by almost two seconds (1.88).
Emma Reaney continued to impress as she lowered her own pool record in the 200 IM by going 1:58.42. The Lawrence, Kan., native set the previous record of 1:58.95 Jan. 26, 2013. Freshman Katie Miller made the event a 1-2 finish for the Irish as she touched the pad in 2:00.99. Both times by Reaney and Miller were NCAA B cuts.
Notre Dame absolutely owned the 50 free as six of the first eight swimmers to finish were Irish blue and gold. Senior Kelly Ryan claimed first in 23.17, followed by McDonough (2nd - 23.62), Mulquin (3rd - 23.64) and Bowen (4th - 23.70). Senior Mikelle Masciantonio (T-6th – 24.30) and Heidkamp (8th – 24.32) rounded out the Irish domination.
“I was really happy with the 50 because that time rivaled my personal best,” said Ryan. “It was nice to race in a fast suit as well because it’s great practice for the upcoming ACC meet.
“The team got off to a great start tonight winning five events. It’s fun to see everyone swimming in the fast suits because it really does help.”
In diving, junior Allison Casareto claimed first on the 1-meter board by a wide margin with 324.70 points. Teammate Lindsey Streepey took second with 292.00 points.
Notre Dame rounded out the evening with a win in the 400 medley relay as Mulquin, McDonough, Bridget Casey and Bowen touched the pad in 3:46.55, 1.65 seconds ahead of second-place Northwestern.
The finale of the Shamrock Invitational gets underway at 10 a.m. Saturday with the night session set for 5 p.m.
A pair of event wins and solid times across the board propelled the University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team during the first session of the 2014 Shamrock
Invitational in front of 432 fans Friday night at the Rolfs Aquatic Center.
The Irish enter day two of the competition Saturday with a 66-44 dual lead over Iowa, and a 58-52 edge over Missouri State following the opening night of the invitational.
After placing third in the 200 freestyle relay to open the racing, Notre Dame gained its first win of the meet in the 500 freestyle. Freshman Joe Petrone shaved more than six seconds off his previous top time in a victorious run of 4:30.39. Junior co-captain Patrick Murphy was immediately behind Petrone with a runner-up effort of 4:30.81. Senior two-time All-American Frank Dyer gave the Irish a podium sweep with a time of 4:32.46 to place third.
Sophomore Shane McKenzie paced Notre Dame in the 200 IM, taking third place following a trek of 1:50.75. Freshman Reed Fujan (1:51.25) was just behind in fourth place, followed by senior co-captain Colin Babcock (1:51.50) rounding out the top five in the favor of the Irish.
Iowa swept the podium in the 50 freestyle, but Notre Dame sophomore Michael Hudspith was hot on the trail of the leaders, winning his heat and tying for fourth overall with a season-best clip of 21.00. Sophomore Nicholas Sim (21.56) and freshman Jack Cobain (21.75) finished in 15th and 16th place, respectively.
Freshman Joe Coumos provided the second Irish win of the day, cruising to victory in the 3-meter dive with a cumulative score of 353.55 points, his sixth score of 350 or more points this season. Junior Ted Wagner put together a solid series of dives to place third with 331.10 points, with classmates Nick Nemetz (328.15 points) and Michael Kreft (322.00 exhibition score) providing Notre Dame with four of the top five scores.
Strong closing legs from Dyer and junior All-American Zach Stephens helped the Irish secure second place in the 400 medley relay to cap the day’s action, as the Notre Dame ‘A’ entry that also included Bogac Ayhan and Cameron Miller completed the race in 3:19.41. The Irish ‘C’ squad consisting of senior Bertie Nel, junior Patrick Olson, junior Broderick Kelley and Fujan added a point-scoring swim of 3:22.94 for fifth place.
Day two of the Shamrock Invitational is scheduled to begin Saturday at 10 a.m. inside the Rolfs Aquatic Center with the 200 medley relay. The men’s 1-meter diving competition will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the event’s third and final session is scheduled to get under way at approximately 5 p.m. Notre Dame seniors Colin Babcock, Joshua Choi, Frank Dyer and Bertie Nel, and senior manager Madison Boyle will be recognized prior to the start of Saturday night’s third session.
The University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team completed day one of the Shamrock Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame. After the first session of competition, the Hawkeyes trail Notre Dame 66-44, and Missouri State, 61-49.
The Hawkeyes’ lone win came in the 50-free, where Iowa finished 1-2-3 and tied for fourth. Sophomore Charles Holliday claimed the top spot, touching out in 20.81, while sophomore Roman Trussov (20.92), senior Gianni Sesto (20.98) and sophomore Jackson Allen (21.00) finished second, third, and tied for fourth, respectively.
Iowa picked up a second place finish in the first event of the competion -- the 200-free relay. Holliday, Allen, Sesto, and sophomore David Ernstsson teamed up to finish in 1:22.57, while the quartet of Trussov, junior Grant Betulius, freshman Jackson Halsmer, and freshman Josh Gill touched out in 1:22.91 to take fourth.
In the final event of the first session, the Hawkeyes secured third place in the 400-medley relay. Betulius, senior Andrew Marciniak, senior Tyler Lentz, and Sesto finished in 3:20.56 for Iowa.
In the diving well, sophomore Addison Boschult finished second in the 3-meter springboard, scoring 335.30. The score marks as a new season-best for the Omaha, Neb., native.
The team returns to the pool at 10 a.m. (CT) for the second session and conclude the two day invite with the final session beginning at 5 p.m. (CT).
The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team concluded the first day of the Shamrock Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame. After the first session of competition, the Hawkeyes lead Northwestern, 63-47, while trailing Notre Dame, 79-31.
Junior Becky Stoughton picked up the lone Hawkeye victory when she captured the 500-free title. The Peoria, Ill., native secured first place when she touched out in 4:51.33.
Iowa opened the invite with a second place showing in the 200-free relay. The quartet of sophomore Olivia Kabacinski, senior Elise Borja, sophomore Maggie Hofstadter, and freshman Emma Sougstad combined to finish in 1:35.15.
In the 400-medley relay, the final event of day one, seniors Lindsay Seemann, Karolina Wartalowicz, and Abby Tuchscherer, along with Kabacinski, placed fourth when they touched out in 3:50.14.
The Hawkeyes picked up a third and fourth place finish in the 3-meter springboard from redshirt juniors Abby Grilli and Joelle Christy. Grilli was third with a score of 283.45, while Christy took fourth with 273.90 points.
The team returns to the pool at 10 a.m. (CT) for the second session and conclude the two-day invite with the final session beginning at 5 p.m.
The Missouri State men's swimming & diving team came out firing on the opening day of the Shamrock Dual Invitational Friday at Rolfs Aquatic Center.
With the help of victories in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-medley relay, and a 1-2 finish in the 200 individual medley, the Bears lead No. 25 Iowa, 61-49, and trail host Notre Dame just, 58-52, after day one.
"I am pleased with way the men swam today," said MSU head coach Dave Collins. "Our goal coming in was to focus on tightening up the details for the MAC conference meet. We have also focused on a long-team goal of being relevant on the national stage. We have a long way to go this weekend, but days like today are very positive.
"I am looking forward to how we will respond tomorrow against two very good teams."
Juniors Paul Le and Caleb Schuermann and sophomores Uvis Kalnins and Jack Snow began the meet winning the 200-free relay in 1:22.01, over a half-second faster than Iowa's Charles Holliday, Allen Jackson, Gianni Sesto and David Ernstsson. The Bears' time ranks second on the team this season.
Sophomore Miguel Davila followed with a fifth-place swim in the 500 free in 4:33.85, before junior Vitalii Baryshok went 21.01 in the 50 free for sixth place. Snow gave the Bears two in the top 10, touching the wall in 21.36.
Junior Max Pratt was ninth overall in the 500 free, setting a career best in 4:35.70 and freshman Brandon Weissman was 10th in the event in a career-best 4:36.58.
Le and Kalnins were first and second in the 200 IM in 1:48.16 and 1:50.13. Le's time, while just off his season best in the event, hit the NCAA `B' standard.
Junior divers Garrett Nevels, Zach Wheeler and Elijah Swain turned in solid performances on the 1-meter board. Nevels was sixth, scoring 282.70 points. Wheeler scored 275.05 to place eighth after making a zone cut on the board Saturday versus Lindenwood and Missouri S&T. Swaim earned 208.50 to finish 11th.
Le, sophomore Isaac Springer, Baryshok and took the 400-medley relay in 3:15.68, beating the Irish by nearly four seconds and Hawkeyes by five. Senior Yuri Garanito, freshman Uldis Tazans, Schuermann and junior Matthew Wilson took fourth in 3:22.34 for the third-best mark in the event this season.
The second day of the meet is split into two sessions - one beginning at 9 a.m., and another at 4 p.m.
