Dec. 4, 2004
ATHENS, Ga. – Freshman Caroline Johnson (Springfield, Mo./Glendale H.S.) finished third and posted an NCAA “B” time in the 100-yard backstroke to lead the 21st-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s swimming team Saturday in the Georgia Fall Invitational in the Gabrielsen Natatorium. After two days of competition, the Irish stand tied for fifth with Michigan State in the team standings of the ultra-competitive championship-style meet with 177 points.
Johnson qualified third with a collegiate-best time of 56.21 and then improved upon that mark, finishing in 55.93. She is just the sixth swimmer in Notre Dame history to go faster than 56.00 in the event, and it was Notre Dame’s second NCAA “B” cut (consideration, but not automatic qualifying time for the NCAA meet) of the 2004-05 season. Winning the race was California junior Helen Silver, who was 13th in the 2004 NCAA Championships, with a time of 54.96, while her teammate, sophomore Sherry Tsai, was next in 55.79. Johnson outtouched Georgia senior Sam Arsenault by .06 seconds for third, Notre Dame’s highest finish during the first two days of the meet.
Another rookie, Noémie Brand (Pointe Claire, Québec/Phillips Exeter Academy [NH]), was next for Notre Dame in the event, taking 20th with a time of 58.71 after qualifying with a collegiate-best mark of 58.61. Sophomore Rebecca Grove (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown H.S.) was right behind Brand in 21st with a 59.26, while senior Kristen Peterson (Wichita, Kan./Bishop Carroll H.S.) was 23rd in 59.55 after posting a season-best time of 58.80 in prelims.
Junior Christel Bouvron (Singapore, Singapore/Raffles Girls’ Secondary School) was the other Irish swimmer to take part in the A final on Saturday, as she ended eighth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 56.86. In the morning session, she qualified with a season-best 56.16. Sophomore Jessica Stephens (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg H.S.) took 16th in the event with a finals time of 57.72.
Notre Dame had three swimmers in the B final of the 400 individual medley, with sophomore Ann Barton (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain H.S.) winning the race with a career-best time of 4:24.26 to place ninth overall. It established her as the 10th-quickest Irish swimmer ever in the event. Sophomore Kiley Gooch (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.) finished 15th with a time of 4:35.68 after qualifying with a season-best 4:31.08. Senior co-captain Kelli Barton (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral H.S.) ended 16th in 4:38.57 following a season-best prelims time of 4:32.07.
Freshman Kelly Battle (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny H.S.) took 22nd in the 400 IM, posting a collegiate-best time of 4:36.25. Another rookie, Katie Hopkins (Ellicott City, Md./Notre Dame Preparatory School), bettered her previous season best by nearly nine seconds, taking 23rd with a time of 4:36.43. Sophomore Abby Strang (St. Simons Island, Ga./Bolles School) just missed an evening swim, finishing 27th with a mark of 4:41.75 that was more than seven seconds faster than her prior best in 2004-05.
In the 100 breaststroke, freshman Natalie Burke (Cape Town, South Africa/Reddam House College) led the way with a 15th-place finish in 1:06.61 following a collegiate-best prelims time of 1:06.06. Senior co-captain Georgia Healey (New York, N.Y./Trinity School) also had a season best in the morning (1:06.02), and she finished 16th at night.
Stephens was second in the C final to finish 18th with a time of 1:05.87, while junior Courtney Choura (Bridgeville, Pa./Oakland Catholic H.S.) was 21st in 1:06.84. Sophomore Annie Sweeney (Los Gatos, Calif./Archbishop Mitty H.S.) just missed the evening finals, turning in a season-best time of 1:09.35 that was good for 26th.
Sophomore Ellen Johnson (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy) took 13th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.13, while Grove was 21st with a season-best mark of 1:53.21. Bouvron notched a season best (1:54.45), but missed the evening finals, ending 27th.
Notre Dame began the evening session by placing 10th in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:46.36. That mark was achieved by Caroline Johnson, Healey, Bouvron, and Grove.
In the final race of day two, Caroline Johnson, Ann Barton, Ellen Johnson, and Grove finished eighth in the 800 free relay with a time of 7:32.61.
Three Irish divers and one swimmer also took part in this weekend’s Notre Dame Invitational, which wrapped up on Saturday. Despite entering just four student-athletes in a total of seven events, Notre Dame finished 12th with 216 points.
The Irish will conclude action in the Georgia Fall Invitational on Sunday. Fans can follow the meet via live results and live streaming video available on the University of Georgia’s official athletics website, www.georgiadogs.com.