Feb. 17, 2018
by Tony Jones
GREENSBORO, N.C. — With five team record swims powering the way on the night, the University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team solidified a fifth-place finish at the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday night at the Greensboro Aquatic Pavilion. The Irish scored 775 points to break into the final ACC Championships top five for the first time since joining the conference prior to the 2013-14 season.
Lindsay Stone continued her record-setting weekend by swimming the fastest 1650 freestyle (16:07.66) and 1000 freestyle split (9:43.47) in program history on her way to a fifth-place finish. Stone previously re-set her own Notre Dame 500 freestyle record (4:42.85) on Thursday.
Abbie Dolan upgraded her program record time in the 100 freestyle on Saturday with a prelim effort of 48.36. Dolan ultimately finished eighth in the 100 free `A’ final with a time of 48.76.
Nicole Smith staked her claim to the fastest Notre Dame 200 butterfly swim in program history, touching the wall in 1:56.38 during her prelim heat. Smith capped the night off with a fifth-place finish in 1:57.17.
The Notre Dame 400 freestyle relay lineup of Abbie Dolan, Carly Quast, Skylar Fore and Sofia Revilak completed the record times for the Irish with a fourth-place time of 3:15.22. All five of the Notre Dame relay all-time records have fallen at least once thus far during the 2017-18 calendar year.
Notre Dame women’s swimming student-athletes await selections into the 2018 NCAA Championships, to be held from March 14-17 in Columbus, Ohio. The 2018 NCAA Zone Diving Championships are set for March 8-10 in Columbus.
Coach Litzinger Says
“Very proud of our women. As usual it was a team effort. For us to be knocking at the door for a fourth-place finish after dwelling at the bottom of the ACC is something that this team can be proud of. We have accomplished so many goals this season, and now it is on to the NCAA Championships to continue pursuing excellence.”
Top Irish Performances
Women’s 1650 Freestyle — Lindsay Stone claimed fifth place with a Notre Dame program record and 2017 NCAA invite time of 16:07.66. Stone slashed her own program record in the event by more than five seconds, with her 1000 split of 9:43.47 also an Irish record by more than four seconds. Molly Treble brought home 14th-place points with a finals swim of 16:25.51 for an NCAA B-cut, while Reilly Lanigan placed 18th in 16:38.90. Ellie Berdusco was 22nd with a time of 16:44.61.
Women’s 200 Backstroke — Alice Treuth finished in sixth place with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:54.13. Kyra Sarazen followed in 14th place with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:55.33.
Women’s 100 Freestyle — After swimming a Notre Dame program record of 48.36 during the morning prelims, Abbie Dolan placed eighth in the `A’ final with a time of 48.73. Skylar Fore claimed 15th place with a time of 49.23 (NCAA B-cut of 49.10 in the prelim heat), while Lauren Heller added points in 21st with an NCAA B-cut time of 49.39.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke — Meaghan O’Donnell led the way for Notre Dame in 19th place with an NCAA B-cut time of 2:13.07. Sherri McIntee posted a 22nd-place result with an NCAA B-cut of 2:13.98.
Women’s 200 Butterfly — Nicole Smith established a Notre Dame program record with a prelim swim of 1:56.38. Smith ultimately finished fifth with a time of 1:57.17 in the event final. Katie Rentz claimed 10th place with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:58.76 to add to the Irish point total.
Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay — The Notre Dame entry of Abbie Dolan, Carly Quast, Skylar Fore and Sofia Revilak established a Notre Dame program record with an NCAA A-cut time of 3:15.22 for fourth place. The foursome broke the prior Irish mark by nearly a full second.
Women’s Platform Diving — Kelly Straub scored a fifth-place finish with 226.30 points to lead the Irish. Erin Isola finished 20th with a total of 182.85 points.
Men’s Platform Diving — Peter Myers scored 17th-place points with a total of 263.35 points. Joe Coumos was 18th with 261.95 points.
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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.