John Williamson posted a 16h-place finish in his final heat of the 200-meter butterfly Monday at the U.S. Open

Irish Finish Strong At Hawkeye Invitational To Close Season's First Half

Dec. 2, 2012

Complete Results

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team capped a successful start to its season with a second-place finish Sunday at the Hawkeye Invitational at the University of Iowa Aquatic Center.

The Fighting Irish, the No. 19 squad in the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll, ended the three-day meet with 794 points. No. 1 Michigan led throughout the competition on its way to repeating as the Hawkeye Invitational champion.

Sophomore Zachary Stephens claimed his second NCAA B-cut time of the weekend, swimming the 200 breast in a season-best 1:58.26 for runner-up honors Sunday. Stephens logged his first B-cut with a time of 55.21 in the 100 breast on Saturday.

Fellow sophomore John Williamson was the next Fighting Irish swimmer to register an NCAA B-cut, shaving nearly three full seconds off his previous season-best with a time of 1:46.90 in the 200 fly final. Williamson was the top Notre Dame finisher in the event (third place).

All-American Frank Dyer added his third individual B-cut of the meet with a time of 44.06 in the 100 free, his fastest outing in the stroke this season. The Fighting Irish junior received fourth-place points in his final solo race of 2012.

Notre Dame is scheduled to return to dual meet action Jan. 18, 2013, at Cleveland State.

Event-By-Event:

1650 Free: Kevin Hughes equaled his fastest 1000 free split of the season (9:35.07) on his way to a sixth-place finish in 15:38.60. Brennan Jacobsen (15:42.59) and James McEldrew (15:43.65) rounded out the top-10 swimmers in the event.

200 Back: Bertie Nel posted a fourth-place time of 1:46.31 to earn both an NCAA B-cut and the top Notre Dame finish in the stroke. Nel’s time was a new career-best.

100 Free: Dyer closed his strong fall showing in free events with his fastest effort this season in the 100 free (44.06). John McGinley joined Dyer with a sub 45-second finish, tapping the wall in 44.97.

200 Breast: Stephens, the school record holder in the 200 breast, upped his season-best time in the stroke Sunday (1:58.26). Stephens became the first swimmer in Rolfs Aquatic Center history to clear the two-minute barrier (1:59.03) against Louisville Nov. 10. Christopher Johnson shaved six seconds off his top season time with a ninth-place finish in 2:00.92.

200 Fly: Williamson’s NCAA B-cut time (1:46.90) was the fastest in 2012 for the program record holder in the stroke. Williamson logged a time of 1:44.74 at last season’s BIG EAST Championships. Bill Bass touched the wall in 1:48.72 for seventh place.

Platform Dive: John Andrade scored a total of 245.85 points to lead the Fighting Irish. Nick Nemetz (241.75) and Ryan Koter (236.50) claimed fifth and sixth place, respectively.

400 Free Relay: The Notre Dame entry of Dyer, Kevin Overholt, McGinley and Bass clocked a time of 2:58.12 to finish in fourth place.

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