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#19 Irish In The Hunt After Day 1 At ACCs

Feb. 14, 2018

by Tony Jones

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GREENSBORO, N.C.
– The University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team flew out of the gate to stake its claim to a top spot on the leaderboard on day one of the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Swimming and Diving Championships. The No. 19 Irish scored 135 points on Wednesday to secure fifth place after the opening day of competition at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.

No. 18 North Carolina led the way with 151 points after opening night, with No. 7 Virginia in second place after scoring 143 points. No. 25 Duke is third with 139 points, followed by No. 14 Louisville in fourth place with 138 points.

After the Notre Dame nearly equaled the team record in a sixth-place finish in the 200 medley relay, Abbie Dolan, Kyra Sarazen, Lauren Heller and Skylar Fore threw down the fastest Irish 800 freestyle run in program history with a time of 7:04.31 to finish in fourth place. Divers Erin Isola (ninth place) and Kelly Straub (12th place) also scored crucial points in the 1-meter dive.

Day two of the 2018 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships is slated to begin at approximately 10 a.m. (ET) on Thursday with the preliminary heats of the 500 freestyle.

Coach Litzinger Said

“We are off to a solid start on the first night of ACCs. We are only 16 points out of first place and tied for fifth in an incredibly tight field. Last year we were eighth at this point, and to be in the hunt is exciting.”

“Out standout performers of the evening were the women’s 800 free relay that set a Notre Dame record in 7:04.31. The effort those ladies put in was tremendous. Our 200 medley relay was a great swim as well. Sofia Revilak became the first woman in ND history to split under 22 seconds with a 21.87, that is truly elite. I am excited to see what we can do individually.”

“Diving held their end of the bargain today on the 1-meter with Erin Isola grabbing ninth and Kelly Straub a 12th. Our point production is way up and much improved as we continue to build from last year.”

“Joe Coumos continues to prove he is among the elite divers in the ACC with his fourth-place finish in the men’s 3-meter, along with David Waszak in 15th. Our men’s team will be sitting in a good spot for next week after this start.”

“It is an incredibly deep, exciting meet, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next three days bring. Our women are ready.”

Top Irish Performances

Women’s 200 Medley Relay – The Notre Dame lineup of Carly Quast, Meaghan O’Donnell, Cailey Grunhard and Sofia Revilak posted an NCAA B-cut time of 1:37.15 for sixth place, just above the program record in the event. The top seven finishers all posted NCAA A-cut or B-cut standards.

Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay – Notre Dame’s Abbie Dolan, Kyra Sarazen, Lauren Heller and Skylar Fore swam an NCAA B-cut of 7:04.31 to set a program record in the distance and take fourth place. The Irish contingent shaved more than two seconds off the previous team record in the event.

Women’s 1-Meter Diving – Erin Isola claimed ninth place after scoring 255.70 points. Kelly Straub finished 12th with 253.95 points.

Men’s 3-Meter Diving – Joe Coumos placed fourth in the event final after scoring 401.15 points. Coumos tallied 356.80 points during the preliminary round. David Waszak finished in 15th place after scoring 311.75 points.

–ND–

Tony Jones, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2012 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame softball, men’s soccer and swimming and diving programs. A native of Jamestown, New York, Jones is a 2011 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, and prior to arriving at Notre Dame held positions at the University of Louisiana Monroe and with the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills.