Dec. 6, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team completed a dominating weekend by finishing first in the Notre Dame Invitational Saturday in the Rolfs Aquatic Center. The Irish held a 710-point (2,259.5-1,549.5) advantage over second-place Harvard in winning their home event for the third year in a row and sixth time in nine years.
Sophomore Tyler Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum H.S.) provided the lone Irish victory of Saturday evening, winning the 200 breaststroke in 2:03.83.
Though the Irish got just one event victory on the final day of competition, they had a number of high finishes. In the first race of the day, the 1,650 freestyle, Notre Dame took five of the top nine spots, including three of the top four. Freshman Chris Zeches (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic H.S.) led the way, finishing second in 15:48.77, while classmate Ted Brown (Kokomo, Ind./Western H.S.) was third in 15:57.19 and sophomore Patrick Davis (Clearwater, Fla./Jesuit H.S.) was right behind, touching in 15:59.57.
Notre Dame took three of the top five positions in the 200 backstroke. Sophomore Doug Bauman (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School) was the runner-up in 1:49.49, while freshmen Brian Freeman (Sanger, Calif./Immanuel H.S.) and Alan Carter (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park H.S.) finished fourth (1:51.26) and fifth (1:52.55), respectively.
Sophomore Tim Randolph (Crown Point, Ind./Merrillville H.S.) was the runner-up in the 100 freestyle, posting a time of 45.94.
Sophomore Bryan Guarnier (Queensbury, N.Y./Glen Falls H.S.) led the Irish in the 200 butterfly, finishing third in 1:52.75.
In the final event of the meet, the Irish quartet of senior co-captain Matt Obringer (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School), Randolph, Carter, and freshman Nick Fanslau (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn H.S.) finished fourth in 3:05.76.
Notre Dame will return to action Jan. 9 in holiday competition in Mission Viejo, Calif.
Other top-eight Irish finishers from the final day of the Notre Dame Invitational are listed below:
Matt Bertke, sixth, 1650 free, 16:07.72
Steve Shomberger, seventh, 20 back, 1:53.47
Matt Obringer, sixth, 100 free, 46.36
Frank Krakowski, seventh, 100 free, 46.46
Jamie Lutkus, fourth, 200 breast, 2:04.99
Josh Dermott, fifth, 200 breast, 2:06.58
David Moisan, eighth, 200 breast, 2:08.71
Patrick O’Berry, fifth, 200 butterfly, 1:53.23
Ted Brown, sixth, 200 butterfly, 1:53.44
Patrick Heffernan, seventh, 200 butterfly, 1:54.25
Chris Barnes, Drew Pittman, Matt Bertke, Tim Kegelman, eighth, 400 free relay, 3:08.40