Jan. 29, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Amywren Miller registered an NCAA B-cut performance in the 50 free with a 23.01 to earn one of three Notre Dame wins Friday to open the Shamrock Invitational at the Rolfs Aquatic Center. Miller was joined in the win column by Natalie Stitt (1-meter diving) and the 200 free relay tandem. In fact, Miller also anchored the relay squad that was led by Amy Prestinario, Lauren Scott and Kellyn Kuhlke.
The Irish pace the four-team field in the non-conference swimming and diving event which is being scored as separate dual meets between each squad. Notre Dame leads Denver (89-21), Iowa (71-39) and Missouri (70-40) heading into Saturday’s morning session which is slated to start at 10:00 a.m. (ET). Live stats will be available at UND.com.
“We got to see some swimmers come out and perform the best they have all year,” Irish head coach Brian Barnes said. “You see a little bit more of our depth come through the woodwork here at the end of the season to give us a little bit of a preview for our conference meet. I thought in several circumstances we raced tough. We are quietly working hard and I am happy to have a lead going into tomorrow, and we have to keep the pressure on.”
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200 Free Relay: Prestinario swam to a solid second-place position after the leadoff leg of the meet’s first event … Scott and Kuhlke kept the Irish in contention for second place … Miller powered home with a final split of 22.50 to hit the wall for an overall time of 1:34.24 … that proved to be the gold-winning time after the original top placers from Missouri were disqualified.
500 Freestyle: Gracie Fredlake (4:57.69) and Lauren Sylvester (4:59.41) started strong, but could not overtake a quintet of Missouri swimmers, led by Colleen Gordon with an NCAA B-cut 4:51.42 … Fredlake (4:57.69) and Sylvester (4:59.41) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, as the highest Irish finishers.
200 Individual Medley: After the halfway point it looked as if Megan Farrell would be battling for gold … but Samantha Maxwell used her strong breaststroke leg to catapult into the final mix for the golden position … the freestyle leg boiled down to a three way sprint to the wall, and Iowa’s Katarina Tour emerged victorious at the touch (2:05.24), edging out Maxwell (2:05.30) … Farrell took fourth in 2:06.02.
50 Freestyle: Miller powered to gold in the splash and dash, posting a time of 23.01 for an NCAA B-cut … Prestinario, swimming out of the first heat, touched the wall in 23.92 to take fourth overall in the event.
1-meter Diving: Stitt and Heidi Grossman took the top two spots with scores of 293.40 and 274.75, respectively … Iowa’s Veronica Rydze took third with a score 267.75.
400 Medley Relay: Kim Holden (55.67) broke free of the field on the backstroke to supply the Irish with the early lead … Maxwell (1:01.60) blazed the pool with a breaststroke split nearly two full seconds than the nearest competitor … Katie Casey (55.72) maintained the lead for the Irish in the butterfly … Miller cleaned up the rest of the field on the anchor leg of freestyle, splitting a 50.73 to lead the Irish to their second relay and third overall gold of the night in (3:43.72).
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