Nov. 6, 2014
WatchND Free Video Stream– Saturday Only
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Another weekend of competition brings another great opportunity for the University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team to keep improving, as it welcomes in Atlantic Coast Conference foes Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech to Rolfs Aquatic Center for a two-day double dual meet. Action gets underway at 5 p.m. Friday and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“This meet is important because we get to see two ACC teams in our pool, it’s a multi-day meet and we will swim every event that makes up a championship program,” interim head coach Tim Welsh says. “It gives us a look at a full slate of events in less than 24 hours so it will be a lot of competition in a short period of time.”
In what is quickly becoming a yearly occurrence, the Irish (2-4) are playing host to the Panthers (4-1) and Hokies (4-2). Last year, the three teams met up at Trees Pool in Pittsburgh with Notre Dame claiming dual wins over both Pitt (193-107) and VT (162-138). Posting big days for Notre Dame were senior Kelly Ryan, junior Emma Reaney and freshman Katie Miller, as the first two won three individual events, while the later claimed a pair of individual crowns.
Notre Dame is coming off a 170-128 loss to No. 24 Purdue at home last Saturday that offered a lot of positives for the Irish.
“You can certainly measure the team’s improvement by the drop in times and increase in points on the boards that we turned in last week against Purdue,” Welsh says. “We are seeing improvements in practice every day.”
With this meet, the Irish are presented with another opportunity to get better, as the program inches closer and closer to the big fall semester finale in Austin, Texas – the Texas Invitational.
“Sometimes the easiest answer is the truth,” Welsh says. “We want to see improvement. People getting faster would be good, relays getting faster would be really good. We would also love to start to see more depth in certain events.”
Fans can follow the meet through live stats (UND.com) or by downloading the Meet Mobile app on smart phones. WatchND will live stream Saturday’s action for free beginning at 10 a.m. on UND.com.
OFF THE BLOCKS
– The Irish enter the double dual meet with a 2-4 record after falling to No. 24 Purdue, 170-128, last Saturday at Rolfs Aquatic Center. While the result wasn’t what the team wanted, there were several positive performances of note. Junior Lindsay Streepey earned ACC Female Diver of the Week honors after claiming victory on the 3-meter board over 2008 Olympian Mary Beth Dunnichay (10-meter synchronized diving). Elsewhere, sophomore Catherine Mulquin won the 100 back and senior Emma Reaney claimed both breaststroke events to lead the Irish.
– While still very early in the season, senior Emma Reaney sits No. 2 in the ACC in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.90) and No. 3 in the 200 breaststroke (2:14.16). Both NCAA B cuts were tallied against Purdue last weekend. Last year, Reaney won the ACC Championship in both events, turning in times of 58.46 in the 100 and 2:04.34 in the 200. Her time in the 200 was an NCAA and American record, a mark she broke a month later at the NCAA Championships.
– The 200 medley relay squad turned in its best performance of the year against the Boilermakers, as the foursome of Mulquin, Reaney, Courtney Whyte and Catherine Galletti claimed first in 1:42.16.
– Notre Dame’s busy November continues next weekend, as the Irish welcome in Big Ten opponent Illinois for a 5 p.m. Friday dual meet. The meet will be the last of the semester at Rolfs Aquatic Center. The Irish will next be at home Jan. 30-31 for the Shamrock Invitational. Notre Dame closes out the fall semester at the Texas and Iowa Invitationals in early December. The swimmers will head to the Lone Star State, while the divers will venture to the Hawkeye State.
– Already active on social media through Facebook (/NDwSwimmingDiving), Twitter (@NDwSwimming) and Instagram (NDwSwimming), the latest venture for the program is a diving only Twitter account (@NDDiving). Give them a follow!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday
200 Free Relay
**10-Minute Break**
Women’s 1-Meter Diving
400 IM
100 Fly
200 Back
**10-Minute Break**
100 Breast
100 Free
1,650 Free
Men’s 3-Meter Diving
200 Medley Relay
**20-Minute Break Or
Until Men’s Diving Finishes**
800 Free Relay
Saturday
400 Medley Relay
**10-Minute Break**
Men’s 1-Meter Diving
500 Free
200 IM
50 Free
**10-Minute Break**
200 Fly
100 Back
200 Breast
Women’s 3-Meter Diving
200 Free
**20-Minute Break Or
Until Men’s Diving Finishes**
400 Free Relay
–Russell Dorn, Assistant Media Relations Director
–ND–