Nov. 9, 2013
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team won a total of six individual race titles Saturday in a tri-dual meet against Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, downing the Panthers 162-138 and falling to the Hokies 181-119 at Trees Pool. It was the first official meet for the Irish against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents since Notre Dame joined the ACC last summer.
Notre Dame (2-4) earned its first race win of the day in the 200 freestyle. Senior All-American Frank Dyer was the first to the wall with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:37.84 for the gold medal in the event. Sophomore Michael Hudspith (1:41.29, seventh), freshman Trent Jackson (1:41.54, eighth) and junior Kevin Hughes (1:41.59, ninth) rounded out the Irish swimmers in the event.
Dyer became the first Notre Dame double-winner of the meet in the 500 freestyle, shaving nearly 10 seconds of his previous season-best to post a victorious 4:26.77. Hughes checked in with a sixth-place swim of 4:36.40.
Junior All-American Zach Stephens added a win of his own in the 200 breastroke, traversing the course in 2:01.14 for the Irish gold medal. Junior Cameron Miller added a third-place time of 2:04.44, while junior Patrick Olson (2:07.22, sixth) and sophomore Andrew Jensen (2:08.32) rounded out the Notre Dame competitors.
Stephens then joined Dyer as a multi-event winner with a season-best 1:49.36 in the 200 IM that paced the field. Senior co-captain Colin Babcock insured a 1-2 Irish finish with a readout of 1:52.12 for runner-up honors.
Babcock was the fifth overall Irish winner on the day, logging an effort of 55.76 in the 100 breaststroke to finish just ahead of Miller (55.93). Jensen placed ninth with a swim of 58.42.
Freshman diver Joe Coumos continued his shining rookie campaign with a victory off the 3-meter board. Coumos scored 345.35 points to take the top spot in the event over Pittsburgh’s Harry Bergman (341.85). Junior Nick Nemetz was the fourth-place finisher in the event with a score of 320.25.
Nemetz added a runner-up result in the 1-meter dive, scoring a total of 321.00 points to lead Notre Dame.
Sophomore Bogac Ayhan logged a season-best swim in the 100 backstroke, touching the pad in 50.01 to score runner-up points for Notre Dame. Sophomore Matthew Buerger completed the race in sixth place with a time of 51.58, while senior Bertie Nel was right behind with a seventh-place run of 51.63.
Stephens swam his fastest 50 freestyle time of the season, placing third in the field after clocking in at 20.54.
Junior James McEldrew contributed the top Notre Dame 200 backstroke time of the season, logging a 1:50.14 to place fourth. McEldrew bested his own mark of 1:51.05 set in a tri-dual meet against Michigan and Auburn Oct. 12 at the Rolfs Aquatic Center.
Notre Dame returns to the Rolfs Aquatic Center to host Michigan State Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. (ET). Live results for the meet will be available at UND.com
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