Jan. 31, 2004
Notre Dame, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team fell to Michigan 166-134 in dual meet action at the Rolfs Aquatic Center. Michigan, ranked 16th in the nation improves to 8-1 on the season, while Notre Dame, ranked 21st nationally, is now 7-2.
Michigan won nine events Saturday, including the first three races. The Wolverines easily won the 400 medley relay with a time of 4:13.78. Notre Dame’s team of Rebecca Grove, Courtney Choura, Christel Bouvron and Katie Eckholt was second in 4:18.83, while Michigan’s B team was third (4:20.00).
In the 800 freestyle, Michigan’s Susan Gilliam dominated the race from start to finish as she won in 8:43.56. Emily-Clare Fenn of Michigan was second in 8:49.26, while Irish freshman Katie Carroll was third in 8:51.10. Notre Dame junior Kelli Barton was fourth in 8:58.31.
Michigan had a chance to take a huge lead when the Wolverines finished 1-2-3 in the 200 freestyle, but Gilliam and Lindsey Smith were disqualified for swimming in the wrong lanes giving the victory to Amy McCullough in 2:02.01. Notre Dame’s Ellen Johnson was second in 2:03.63, followed by freshman Ann Barton in 2:05.78.
Danielle Hulick earned Notre Dame’s first win of the day in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:03.62. Grove was third in 1:03.86, followed by Kristen Peterson in fifth (1:06.12).
Michigan went 1-2 in the 100 breaststroke as Kelli Stein was first in 1:11.77. Wolverine teammate Else Larsen was second (1:13.03) while Notre Dame took third through fifth as Georgia Healey was third in 1:13.92. Choura was fourth in 1:14.25, while Jessica Stephens was fifth.
Senior Lisa Garcia continued her solid weekend with a first-place finish in the 200 butterfly. Garcia finished in 2:16.87, just ahead of teammate Bouvron who posted a time of 2:17.17. Garcia won two events yesterday against Michigan State and Ohio State, including the 200 butterfly.
Hulick posted her second victory of the day in the 50 freestyle with a winning time of 26.40. Grove was fourth in 27.39, while Eckholt was sixth in 27.60.
Meghan Perry-Eaton won both diving events on Saturday with easy wins in both the one- and three-meter boards. The senior won the one-meter event with 302.63 points. Michigan’s Tealin Keleman was second with 264.00 points. The results were the same in the three-meter event as Perry-Eaton finished with 315.38 points compared to Keleman’s 280.73. With the wins today, Perry-Eaton avenged her only loss of the season, which was to Keleman, two weeks ago at the Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich., on the one-meter board. Perry-Eaton did beat Keleman in the three-meter event with a Notre Dame school record score.
In the 100 freestyle, Carroll was second, while Hulick was fourth for Notre Dame. Smith took first in 56.71, followed by Carroll in 57.27. Hulick posted a time of 57.57.
In the 200 backstroke, Notre Dame’s Johnson posted an NCAA “B” qualifying time and career-best of 2:15.37 in placing first in the event. Ann Barton was second at 2:17.50, while Michigan’s Sara Johnson was third in 2:18.62.
Michigan wrapped up the meet by taking the first four places in the 400 freestyle as Gilliam won in 4:15.26. Fenn was second in 4:20.28. Notre Dame’s Kelli Barton was the top finisher in fifth at 4:29.80.
The Irish claimed second through fourth in 100 butterfly as Bouvron (1:02.60) earned runner-up status behind Anne Weilbacher. Stephens was third in 1:04.13, Garcia was fourth in 1:04.59.
Carroll won her first event of the day in the 200 individual medley, winning in 2:18.37 in what was the last victory for the Irish as Michigan was first in the 400 free relay.
Notre Dame has its final dual meet of the 2003-04 season next Saturday against Oakland at the Rolfs Aquatics Center. Meet time is 1:00 p.m.