March 9, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Freshman Frank Dyer has earned an invitation to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, as announced Wednesday. Dyer is just the second swimmer in program history to advance to the NCAAs, which this season will be held March 24-26 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Dyer qualified to swim the 500 free, and will also swim the 100 and 200 freestyle (two events in which he achieved NCAA B-cut performances during the regular season).
“Congrats to Frank, as this has been a goal of his from the day he first stepped foot on campus,” Irish head coach Tim Welsh said. “For him to qualify for the NCAA Championships marks a wonderful day for our program, and he is most deserving of representing our team on the national scene. Frank is a great competitor and a hard-working young man. Our team has been knocking on the door of the NCAAs for several years, and he’s taken that first big step for us to get there.”
Tim Kegelman is the only other Irish swimmer to earn an invitation to the NCAA Championships, doing so in 2005. Kegelman swam the 100 fly, 200 fly and 200 individual medley.
Divers Michael Bulfin and Bob Ebel competed in the NCAA Championships in 2006 and 1975, respectively.
Eyeing bids to the NCAA Championships will be the Irish diving crew, who will be competing in the NCAA Zone action March 10-11 in Columbus, Ohio. Leading the Notre Dame effort off the boards will be 2011 BIG EAST Conference Diver of the Year Eric Lex and the league’s top diver in 2010, Wes Villaflor.
Live results for the meet will be available at UND.com.
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