Jan. 30, 2018
by Tony Jones
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – With a successful weekend at the Shamrock Invitational in the rearview mirror for the University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) took notice of strong Irish performances in the water at the Rolfs Aquatic Center. Freshman Zach Yeadon was tabbed as the ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week, sophomore Abbie Dolan brought home ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week honors and senior Joe Coumos repeated as ACC Men’s Diver of the Week on Tuesday.
The three weekly ACC citations pushed the Irish total to eight conference weekly accolades earned thus far in the 2017-18 season, with each athlete now a multi-time winner. Yeadon added Tuesday’s award to his recognition as the top men’s ACC swimmer on Oct. 10, Dolan has been the ACC’s standout women’s swimmer three times with Tuesday, Oct. 10 and Nov. 14 on her résumé, and Coumos brought home top ACC men’s diver plaudits on Oct. 24 and Jan. 23 to go along with this week.
ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week Zach Yeadon
Yeadon picked up a pair of victories for Notre Dame in a first-place finish against a five-team field that included No. 18 Ohio State and No. RV Iowa. Yeadon raced to an NCAA B-cut time of 4:22.85, the fastest time in Division I men’s swimming over the past week, to win the 500 freestyle on the opening day of competition Friday. He then nearly added a qualifying standard in his first official 400 IM swim (3:55.08) of the year to take second place. Yeadon closed the weekend with a Rolfs Aquatic Center record time of 15:02.06 (also the fastest DI time of the week) to take the event win and an NCAA B-cut in the 1650 freestyle on Saturday.
Yeadon’s record time was one of three Notre Dame men’s swimming pool records set during the meet, joining a 1:42.90 effort in the 200 backstroke by Rob Whitacre and a 1:27.40 effort by the 200 medley relay squad of Whitacre, Steven Shek, Justin Plaschka and Daniel Speers.
ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week Abbie Dolan
Dolan posted three podium finishes to aid Notre Dame to first place at the Shamrock Invitational in a field that included No. 13 Ohio State and No. 18 Wisconsin. Dolan opened with an NCAA B-cut time of 22.66 in the 50 free (sixth-fastest time in the nation last week) to place runner-up to OSU’s Liz Li, who ranks in the top 20 nationally in the event this season. Dolan later added an NCAA B-cut of 1:47.24 in the 200 free to take second place. Dolan capped her individual performances with a win in the 100 free in an NCAA B-cut time of 49.12 (ranked third in DI last week), just .02 of a second from equaling the meet record.
In addition, Dolan swam as part of the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:30.15), 400 medley relay (3:37.42), 800 freestyle relay (7:12.35) with Kyra Sarazen, Skylar Fore and Lauren Heller, and 400 freestyle relay (3:17.05) with Carly Quast, Fore and Sofia Revilak, with the last two lineups setting Rolfs Aquatic Center records in each event. Adding to the swimming record efforts was a historic 1650 freestyle swum by Lindsay Stone that not only broke both the Notre Dame and Rolfs Aquatic Center records, but was the fastest in the event in Division I women’s swimming last week.
ACC Men’s Diver of the Week Joe Coumos
Coumos earned an event sweep at the Shamrock Invitational, capping his second straight weekly event double. Competing in a field against ranked foes from No. 18 Ohio State and No. RV Iowa, Coumos tied a Rolfs Aquatic Center record with a score of 408.55 points to win the 1-meter dive on Friday night. He completed the weekend double with a facility and program record 419.80 points in the 3-meter competition on Saturday.
Coumos has posted the top score in the ACC off the 1-meter board in competition this season entering the season’s final dual meet against Green Bay and Ball State on Feb. 3. Coumos previously scored 414.15 points in a dual victory over Iowa (Jan. 12-13). His score of 419.80 off the 3-meter board at the Shamrock Invitational ranks second among all divers in the conference this season as of Jan. 30.
2017-18 Notre Dame Swimming and Diving ACC Weekly Honors
ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Zach Yeadon – Jan. 30
Zach Yeadon – Oct. 10
ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Abbie Dolan – Jan. 30
Abbie Dolan – Nov. 14
Abbie Dolan – Oct. 10
ACC Men’s Diver of the Week
Joe Coumos – Jan. 30
Joe Coumos – Jan. 23
Joe Coumos – Oct. 24
–ND–
Tony Jones, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2012 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame softball, men’s soccer and swimming and diving programs. A native of Jamestown, New York, Jones is a 2011 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, and prior to arriving at Notre Dame held positions at the University of Louisiana Monroe and with the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills.