The University of Notre Dame men's swimming and diving teams earned a pair of victories Saturday at the 18th-annual Shamrock Invitational, finishing second to Big Ten foe Iowa. The Irish won 293-75 against Incarnate Word and bested Missouri State 218-150, but fell by a mere 20 points to the Hawkeyes, 195-175. The Irish move to 5-6 on the season.
"We started the weekend by putting ourselves in a position to have a hard-fought meet with a ranked opponent that we met earlier in the season, and see if we could equal our performance competitively," Irish head coach Matt Tallman says. "We fought down to the wire coming down to the last couple of events, and I was proud of the guys and their efforts to race.
"We definitely have some work to do still though," he continued. "We've got a few weeks left in this championship segment of the season, and we'll have to perfect some things for sure to make ourselves better at Georgia Tech and Iowa."
Georgia Tech hosts the ACC Conference Championships Feb. 25 through March 1, while Iowa is the host of the NCAA Championships March 23-29.
In the morning session, Notre Dame broke their own pool record in the 800 free relay, as the C-team lineup of Kevin Hughes, Broderick Kelley, Patrick Murphy and Michael Hudspith won the race and set the record with their 6:35.03 mark. The Irish B-team of John Nappi, Joseph Petrone, Matthew DeBlasio and Jonathan Williamson came in sixth (6:55.17), while the A-team was disqualified.
Other morning highlights for the Irish included a neck-and-neck race in the 100 breast, with Iowa's Roman Trussov out-touching Zachary Stephens 54.4 to 54.94. Close behind were Patrick Olson (third, 55.68) and Cameron Miller (fourth, 55.77). Andrew Jensen finished 10th (58.56). In 100 back, Bogac Ayhan claimed third place (50.17) and Rob Whitacre finished sixth (50.76). Justin Plaschka finished 10th (51.86) and Gabe Ostler touched the wall in 51.19.
In diving, sophomore Joseph Coumos won the three-meter event (377.50), but it was classmate James Lichtenstein that drew the most cheers Saturday as he set a new personal best with his 326.20 score. Nick Nemetz finished second (374.15) and Ted Wagner claimed fourth (347.35). Rounding out the top five was freshman Peter Myers (346.55). Lichtenstein finished ninth and was followed by Michael Kreft (317.65).
In the evening swims, Nappi started things off strong for the Irish, breaking the pool record in the 1650 and winning the race with his 15:21.60 mark.
"John Nappi for sure knew in the mile race it was going to be his last mile in this pool - so we talked about him being capable of breaking that record, and he really put pen to paper and went after it right from the beginning. The relay was four guys who are certainly capable of doing that, and I was glad to see those guys get their names on the board," Tallman admits.
"Tonight was a great night; I was in a really good mood, it's senior night, and I was happy it's been a great four years. I really wanted to culminate my four years by swimming at Rolfs, and I was lucky enough to do that," Nappi explains. "It was pretty fun."
In the 200 back, Whitacre had the top time of 1:51.83, good for sixth place, and was followed closely by Thomas Anderson (seventh, 1:52.37) and Ayhan (ninth, 1:52.83). In the 100 free it was the freshmen class that put on a show, with Plaschka finishing first (45.31) and Joseph Krause claiming second (45.48). Richard Mannix came in 12th (46.67), while sophomore Trent Jackson finished 14th (46.78) and Benjamin Jany came in 25th (49.52).
In 200 breast, Stephens was again out-touched by Trussov (1:59.35), with Miller finishing third (2:04.26) and Olson clinching fourth (2:06.42). In the 200 fly, the usual suspects of Williams, Bradley and DeBlasio all put in strong performances, with Williamson earning second place (1:50.07), Bradley finishing sixth (1:54.43) and DeBlasio coming in 12th (1:57.25). Reed Fujan also swam to 11th place with his 1:56.82 showing.
The Irish are next in action next Saturday, Feb. 7th, as they host Cleveland State. The meet starts at noon.
It would have been tough for the University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team to script a better weekend. In their biggest home meet of the year, the Irish won 17 events, earned 15 runner-up finishes, broke five Rolfs Aquatic Center pool records and recorded 11 NCAA B Cuts to blow past opponents Iowa and Incarnate Word at the 2015 Shamrock Invitational. In addition, eight senior student-athletes were honored in a ceremony prior to Saturday evening’s final session that brought back many fond memories of the last four years together.
“I knew this would be one of my last times competing here (Rolfs) at this pool, so I tried to have the most fun I possibly could,” said senior diver Allison Casareto, who swept both diving events this weekend. “I tried to liken everything to a practice and take in all that I could that is enjoyable about the pool, about the boards and the people around me and soak in all that energy and see where it took me.”
Casareto wasn’t the only senior that had a big weekend. All-American Emma Reaney surprised no one with an impressive meet that featured three individual wins, four relay victories and four pool records (two individual, two relay) as she slowly begins to put a cap on her world-class time here at Notre Dame.
“At this point in the season, this is exactly where I want to be with my 200 IM and 200 breast,” said Reaney. “I trained a lot of sprint stuff before world championships because I thought I was only going to do the 50 and 100 (breast) and then when I got back I trained mostly 200 stuff. So I need to kind of get my sprint back, I wish my 100 (breast) had been a little faster today.
As far as the sort of finality that surrounded the weekend with Saturday’s senior ceremony, Reaney hasn’t had time to reflect on it quite yet.
“I don’t know when it’s going to hit (the emotion of being a senior) because I still don’t feel like November was our last football game. I still feel like we will be going back next season. It’s going to take awhile for it to all sink in. We have a team dinner tonight where the juniors read speeches about the seniors and my best friend in the whole world is reading mine, I’m getting choked up just thinking about it, so that’s when it’s going to get emotional.”
Notre Dame (6-9) wraps up its regular season next weekend with a 12 p.m. ET Saturday dual meet with Cleveland State. Admission is free for all fans.
EVENING SESSION
Notre Dame swept the 200 breast, led by Reaney’s pool record in the event. She went 2:09.11 to lower her mark of 2:10.75 set January 12, 2013. Freshman Sherri McIntee (2:15.48) and sophomore Danielle Margheret (2:16.31) followed right behind Reaney to help extend Notre Dame’s impressive lead over both opponents.
The Irish claimed the top two spots in the 200 back, as sophomore Katie Miller touched the wall first in 2:00.05 and junior Catherine Galletti placed second in 2:01.48.
In the 100 free, sophomore Catherine Mulquin notched an NCAA B Cut (49.81) to win the event by 1.84 seconds. Senior Hannah Bowen claimed second in 51.55.
Another event, another sweep for the Irish, as the trio of senior Courtney Whyte (1:58.70), senior Bridget Casey (1:58.81) and senior Melissa Scott (2:01.24) took all three spots on the figurative podium. Whyte and Casey both registered NCAA B Cuts, with Whyte just missing out on the pool record by .08 seconds.
The Irish closed out the meet with a fun 400 free relay that allowed all seven swimming seniors an opportunity to compete. The foursome of Reaney, Genevieve Bradford, Galletti and Mulquin claimed first in 3:22.03, while Suzanne Bessire, Bowen, Whyte and Elizabeth House placed second in 3:27.44.
MORNING SESSION
Notre Dame started off day two with its third pool record of the weekend, as Galletti, Reaney, Whyte and Mulquin lowered the school mark in the 200 medley relay. The foursome went 1:40.33 to break Auburn’s record of 1:40.84 that was set by Bos, Duncan, Riordan and Vanderpool-Wallace Oct. 21, 2011.
The Irish swept the top five spots in the 100 fly, led by Galletti’s pool record time of 53.35, which was also an NCAA B Cut. Reaney claimed second and also notched an NCAA B Cut (53.99), while Whyte finished third (54.81).
Galletti won her second individual event of the day in the 100 back, notching an NCAA B Cut time of 53.95. Mulquin (54.48 – NCAA B Cut) and Whyte (55.69) helped the Irish sweep the top three spots.
On the 1-meter, Casareto completed her weekend sweep by totaling 321.50 points on her way to victory. Teammates Lindsey Streepey (298.70) and Emma Gaboury (281.20) claimed second and a tie for third, respectively.
It was a Notre Dame sweep in the 200 free, as House took first in 1:50.72, followed by senior Suzanne Bessire (1:52.03) and freshman Molly Treble (1:52.94).
Reaney turned in an effortless performance in the 100 breast, as she notched an NCAA B Cut time of 1:00.05 to pick up her second individual victory of the meet. Margheret claimed second in 1:02.63.
The Irish placed two competitors in the top three in the 400 IM, as Casey took second (4:21.56) and Miller placed third (4:21.71).
Notre Dame closed out the morning session with a win in the 800 free relay, as Bessire, Bradford, House and Reaney touched the pad in 7:26.95.
The 19th-ranked University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team wrapped up day-two competition at the Shamrock Invitational Saturday at the Rolfs Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana. The Hawkeyes posted wins over Notre Dame (195-175), Incarnate Word (299-69), and Missouri State (215-153).
“We’re thankful to Notre Dame for once again putting on an outstanding meet as a first-class host,” said UI head coach Marc Long. I’m proud of this group of athletes and very pleased with our performance this weekend. We packed in a championship-style meet in a 24 hour span which made for some gutsy racing.”
The Hawkeyes posted three straight wins down the final stretch to take control of the lead as the meet winded down. Roman Trussov was the first to get things going in the 200 breast -- leaving his mark with a new pool record. Trussov led the field touching in with a first-place time of 1:58.86.
“Roman was outstanding tonight,” said Long. “To break a pool record at Notre Dame in this 30-year old aquatic center is really something special.”
Newcomer Jerzy Twarowski followed up with a win in the 200 fly to extend the Black and Gold lead. The Krakow, Poland, native touched in at the 1:58.86 mark.
“Jerzy is impressing everyone with what he’s been able to do so far this season as just a freshman,” said Long. He’s putting together quite a year and I’m excited to see how far he can go.”
In the 400 free, the quartet of Joseph Halsmer, Brian Donatelli, Grant Betulius, and Thomas Rathbun swam to Iowa’s final win. The foursome swam to a top time of 3:01.08. Halsmer and Betulius also had third-place showings in their respective individual events. Halsmer finished third in the 100 free (45.58) and Betulius in the 200 back (1:50.50).
Two Hawkeyes also captured runner-up finishes in the final session. Chris Dawson in the opening event -- the 1,650 free -- coming in with a time of 15:41.64 and Andrew Parker in the 200 back 1:48.67.
A talented group of Notre Dame divers stole the show in the diving well taking four of the top five spots. UI divers Brandis Heffner (332.50), Matthew Mauser (329.95), and Addison Boschult (326.20) finished 6-7-8 for the Black and Gold.
“It’s disappointing that we left some dives out there but we continued to battle and kept fighting,” said UI diving coach Todd Waikel. “Brandis, Matthew and Addison each missed at least one dive a piece which can be a setback, but they stuck in there and kept fighting. I was happy to see Matt get his Zone Diving Standard and that’s a really great accomplishment for him. We’re going to take what we learned from this meet and keep working towards Big Tens.”
The Hawkeyes return to action Feb. 6, hosting Western Illinois and South Dakota at 6 p.m. (CT) in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium in Iowa City.
The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team completed the third and final session at the Shamrock Invitational Saturday at the Rolfs Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana. The Hawkeyes finished the weekend’s competition with a win over Incarnate Word (279-77) and fell to Notre Dame (282.50-87.50).
“We’re thankful to Notre Dame for once again putting on an outstanding meet as a first-class host,” said UI head coach Marc Long. “We had some gutsy racing this weekend and I’m proud of this group of athletes. It feels good to race hard and race well. It’s never fun to lose but I saw some really good things.”
Becky Stoughton set the tone early in the final session, picking up the team’s lone win in the 1,650 free with a time of 16:22.64. Izzie Bindseil (17:22.96) finished sixth and Hillary Weigand followed in seventh (17:23.39).
“Becky had an outstanding weekend with a strong finish Saturday in the 1,650 free,” said Long. “She’s been great all year and she really stepped up tonight nearly breaking the pool record in a 30-year old pool.”
In the 200 back, the Hawkeyes had a strong showing from newcomers Meghan Lavelle and Rowan Hauber. Lavelle finished third (2:02.22) and Hauber was close behind coming in fourth (2:03.50).
Lauren Leehy paced the Black and Gold in the 100 free with a third-place time of 51.96. Hauber was a nose behind touching in at the 51.99 mark.
The Hawkeyes also had a third-place showing in the 400 free relay. The quartet of Meghan Lavelle, Lauren Leehy, Olivia Kabacinski, and Emma Sougstad swam a time of 3:29.55. Taylor Flummerfelt, Nikol Lagodzinska, Allison Orvis, and Carly O’Brien finished fourth (3:34.36).
Sougstad also swam to a fourth-place finish in the 200 breast. The Forest City, Iowa native touched in with a time of 2:17.74.
In the diving well, the Hawkeyes gathered third and fifth place showings from Joelle Christy and Abby Grilli. Christy finished third posting a score of 281.20 and Grilli was close behind coming in fifth off of 279.75 points.
“It’s disappointing that we left some dives out there but we continued to battle and kept fighting,” said UI diving coach Todd Waikel. “Joelle and Abby both missed at least one dive a piece which can be a setback but they both stuck in there and kept fighting and I was glad to see they never gave up. Joelle really impressed me by making it back into the top-3 finishers. We’re going to take what we learned from this meet and keep working towards Big Tens.”
The Hawkeyes return to action Feb. 6, hosting Western Illinois and South Dakota at 6 p.m. (CT) in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium in Iowa City.
Missouri State earned victories in three races and set several season-best times as the men’s swimming and diving team completed its Shamrock Invitational appearance on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Rolfs Aquatic Center.
The Bears fell to the 19th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, 215-153, and the host Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 218-150, but defeated Incarnate Word, 261-99, in the dual-format Invite.
“I was very pleased with the way the men competed this weekend against some very good programs,” head coach Dave Collins said. “This experience was exactly what we needed as we prepare for the MAC Championship.”
Paul Le competed in five different races – two of which were relays – for the Bears Saturday, finishing first in the 200 back (1:45.48) and runner-up in the 100 back (48.26) and 100 fly (48.99).
Uvis Kalnins earned the first victory for the Bears of the day, placing first in the 400 IM in a time of 3:59.26. Kalnins competed in four races for MSU Saturday, swimming in two relays and finishing fourth in the 100 free (45.75).
Caleb Schuermann, Isaac Springer and Kacper Cwiek each raced in three events with top-10 finishes. Schuermann finished the 200 free in first in a top time of 1:39.45 and also had a season-best time while placing seventh in the 100 free (46.16). Springer competed in two individual races, finishing fifth in both the 100 breast (57.01) and 200 breast (2:07.19). Cwiek placed fourth in the 400 IM (4:02.78) – the second fastest MSU time this season – and seventh in the 200 fly (1:54.66)
Max Pratt competed in multiple events, earning a season-best 1:40.84 in the 200 free for runner-up honors, while also setting a personal-best time in the 1650 free (16:06.66) for sixth place. Matthew Wilson finished fourth in the 200 fly (1:52.05) and finished the 100 fly in 50.09 for a season-best time.
“The team gave a great effort from start to finish of a very tiring meet format,” senior Matthew Wilson said. “It’s encouraging to see how our team rises to the occasion with tough competition.”
The Bears had six others that earned top-10 individual performances in Saturday’s events. Garrett Nevels competed in the 3-meter dive and earned third place with 372.65 points. Miguel Davila placed fourth in the 1650 free (15:57.06) and seventh in the 400 IM (4:05.99). In the 200 back, both Jack Snow and Will Frisbie earned season-best times in the event, while Frisbie also finished with his best time in the 100 back this season. Uldis Tazans placed sixth and seventh in the 100 and 200 breast, respectively, and Ethan Bresette came in eighth in the 1650 free to round out the MSU top-10 finishes.
“Coming off of another tough week of training, the boys responded well to a talented field,” senior Max Pratt said. “The Bears are headed in the right direction and I can’t wait to see what the championship season brings.”
The Missouri State men’s swimming and diving team wrapped up its regular season Saturday with the conclusion of the Shamrock Invitational. The men’s team next heads to the Mid-American Conference Championships on Wednesday, March 4, in Geneva, Ohio. The Missouri State women’s swimming and diving team will head to Carbondale, Ill., for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships beginning on Wednesday, March 18.
