Nov. 30, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will host the Notre Dame Invitational this Thursday-Saturday in the Rolfs Aquatic Center. This will mark the last event for both teams for the first semester of the 2005-06 season. The Fighting Irish men, who are ranked 19th in the latest CSCAA Dual Meet Rankings, posted a 4-1 record during the first two months of the season, while the Irish women own a 2-2 mark through the first semester of action. Each day of the competition will feature two sessions, 10:00 a.m. preliminaries and 6:30 p.m. finals. Admission is free.
Comprising the swimming field along with the Fighting Irish will be the University of Indianapolis, North Dakota, Saint Louis, Truman State, Utah and Wyoming. Hillsdale College will be participating just in the women’s competition, while Southern Illinois and Youngstown State will only participate in the diving events.
The Irish men have won seven of the 11 Notre Dame Invitational meets since the team began hosting the event again after an 11-year hiatus. Last year, Notre Dame racked up 2,709 points en route to the win. Highlights included current junior Tim Kegelman posting NCAA “B” cut times in the 100 (47.66) and 200-yard butterfly (1:47.53) along with the 200-yard individual medley (1:49.48). All of those times were also pool, meet and school records. The 100 fly time would hold up and qualify him for the 2005 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. One other Rolfs Aquatic Center record was established at last year’s Notre Dame Invitational as West Virginia’s Pablo Marmolejo swam the 400-yard individual medley in 3:57.08.
The Fighting Irish own six Notre Dame Invitational records in all. Dan Szilier posted the 200-yard breast standard in 1998 with a time of 2:01.02 and Sean Hyer totaled 579.60 points in the three-meter 11 dives back in 1993. Three current Irish swimmers were on the record-setting 200-yard medley relay squad back at the 2003 meet. Kegelman, Doug Bauman, Tim Randolph and Frank Krakowski (a 2005 graduate) combined to clock a time of 1:31.62.
Bauman also broke his University record in the 100-yard back at last year’s invitational by going 50.11 without resting or shaving. He would go on to top that time with a mark of 50.08 at the 2005 BIG EAST Championships.
Notre Dame has posted wins this season over Texas A&M (132-111), Pittsburgh (122-121), Michigan State (122.5-120.5) and St. Bonaventure (203-92). The only loss for the Irish came at Purdue (132-111). Several Fighting Irish student-athletes have already posted BIG EAST cuts as the team looks to defend its conference title.
The Notre Dame men’s team will travel to Boca Raton, Fla. in late December for its annual Holiday Break training before returning to dual meet action on Friday, Jan. 13, 2006 at Evansville.
Stay up-to-date on the Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team by logging on to und.com or by calling the official Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
THURSDAY EVENTS
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
Men’s One-Meter Diving
500-Yard Freestyle
200-Yard IM
50-Yard Free
Women’s Three-Meter Diving
400-Yard Medley Relay
FRIDAY EVENTS 200-Yard Medley Relay
Women’s One-Meter Diving
400-Yard IM
100-Yard Butterfly
200-Yard Freestyle
100-Yard Breaststroke
100-Yard Backstroke
Men’s Three-Meter Diving
800-Yard Freestyle Relay
SATURDAY EVENTS 1,650-Yard Freestyle
200-Yard Backstroke
100-Yard Freestyle
200-Yard Breaststroke
200-Yard Butterfly
Synchronized Diving (exhibition)
400-Yard Freestyle Relay