Jan. 9, 2004
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team (3-5) started off 2004 with a pair of road victories in triangular dual-meet action Friday afternoon in the UCSB Campus Pool. The Irish rallied from a 21-point deficit with four events remaining for a 104-101 triumph over host UC Santa Barbara (2-2) and also defeated Wyoming (4-2) by a score of 133-98. The meet was the culmination of Notre Dame’s 12-day training trip, spent mostly in Mission Viejo, Calif.
“This was a very strong meet from our whole team,” said Irish head coach Tim Welsh. “It was as good a performance as we’ve ever had during our winter training trip. We are very encouraged by the aggressive and competitive swimming that allowed us to win events that were close. We trained extremely hard throughout the trip, and I am really pleased with our performance.”
UCSB held a 95-93 lead over the Irish with only the 400 freestyle relay left to be swum, meaning that whichever team won that race would capture the meet, regardless of any other finishes. The top quartets for both squads were side-by-side throughout the entire distance, but Notre Dame senior co-captain Matt Obringer (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School) touched the wall .44 seconds ahead of UCSB freshman Pat Cary to give the Irish a thrilling triumph. Junior Frank Krakowski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School), sophomore Tim Randolph (Crown Point, Ind./Merrillville H.S.), and freshman Louis Cavadini (South Bend, Ind./Riley H.S.) put the outcome in Obringer’s hands with strong initial legs. The quartet finished with a time of 3:08.62.
After holding a four-point lead over the Irish at the break, the Gauchos expanded their advantage to 76-55 with four races to go. It was then that Notre Dame took control, winning each of the final events to snatch the victory. Sophomore Doug Bauman (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School), the school recordholder in the event, initiated the comeback with a first-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 1:52.24. The 500 freestyle saw the Irish take the top two spots, with freshman Ted Brown (Kokomo, Ind./Western H.S.) winning in 4:37.32 and sophomore Patrick Davis (Clearwater, Fla./Jesuit H.S.) coming in second in 4:39.13. Sophomore Tyler Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum H.S.) ensured the meet would be decided in the final event by taking first in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:06.56.
In addition to Bauman, Brown, and the 400 free relay team winning their late races over the entire meet field, Notre Dame had two other swimmers win their events over both the UCSB and Wyoming competitors. Brown was a double winner, outtouching UCSB’s Brent Nolan by just .06 for a win in the 1,000 freestyle. His time of 9:26.53 was his best this season and the fourth-quickest in Irish history. Brown is the second-fastest Notre Dame swimmer ever in the event. Two events later, Krakowski won the 50 free in 21.45. He is the University recordholder in the race.
Notre Dame won eight of 13 events against the Cowboys. Junior David Moisan (Fisherville, Ky./Lousville Male H.S.) won the 200 individual medley in a time of 1:56.45, while sophomore Patrick Heffernan (Norcross, Ga./Norcross H.S.) topped all Wyoming swimmers in the 200 butterfly, coming home in 1:57.28.
Freshman Scott Coyle (Indianapolis, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern H.S.), Notre Dame’s lone diver, contributed to the Irish victory over the Cowboys with a first-place finish in the one-meter diving competition, which was held earlier in the week. The win was the first of his collegiate career. Coyle was fourth off the three-meter board. UCSB does not have any divers.
The Irish took the first race of the afternoon against the Gauchos, but were second to a Wyoming team. Bauman, Randolph, Krakowski, and Kegelman combined to finish the 400 medley relay in 3:27.77. The team of freshman Alan Carter (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park H.S.), Grenda, Cavadini, and freshman Nick Fanslau (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn H.S.) picked up two points for the Irish with a third-place finish vs. Wyoming with a time of 3:37.72.
Davis posted a time of 9:36.32 in the 1,000 free, good enough for second against the Cowboys and third vs. the Gauchos. Freshman Chris Zeches (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic H.S.) added an Irish point vs. Wyoming with a fifth-place result in 10:01.53.
Obringer was Notre Dame’s top finisher in the third event of the night, the 200 freestyle. His time of 1:44.18 was good for second place vs. Wyoming and third against UCSB. Freshman Brian Freeman (Sanger, Calif./Immanuel H.S.) was third and fifth, respectively, in 1:45.74.
In the 50 free, Randolph finished in 22.08, which was second against the Cowboys and fifth vs. UCSB. Freshman Tim Kegelman (Yorktown, Va./Tabb H.S.) managed a point vs. Wyoming with a fifth-place time of 22.80.
Sophomore Jamie Lutkus (Granger, Ind./Penn H.S.) swam a 1:57.24 in the 200 IM, which placed him second vs. Wyoming and third against UC Santa Barbara.
In the first race after the break, the 200 butterfly, sophomore Bryan Guarnier (Queensbury, N.Y./Glen Falls H.S.) finished third and fourth in a time of 1:58.69, while classmate Patrick O’Berry (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton H.S.) was fourth and fifth in 2:01.58.
Obringer touched the wall second in both meets in the 100 freestyle, in 47.77. Cavadini’s time of 48.51 was good enough for third vs. Wyoming and fifth against the Gauchos. Kegelman picked up a fourth-place finish against the Cowboys in 48.73.
In addition to the important victories in the last four races, the Irish got other points because of their depth. In the 200 back, Freeman finished in 1:53.79, which was second vs. Wyoming and third against UCSB, while Carter added a point against the Cowboys with a fifth-place time of 2:02.27.
Moisan made it a 1-2-3 finish vs. Wyoming in the 500 freestyle, completing the circuit in 4:44.26.
He then jumped immediately back into the pool and finished third (in both meets) in the 200 breaststroke in 2:09.01, while Lutkus’ 2:10.74 was fourth and fifth.
Bauman, Freeman, junior Matt Bertke (Edgewood, Ky./Covington Catholic H.S.), and Brown gave Notre Dame two final points in the 400 free relay, taking third in 3:13.87.
It was the first time Notre Dame had ever competed against either UCSB or Wyoming in dual-meet action. They became the 73rd and 74th schools to fall victim to the Irish in 46 years of varsity swimming and diving.
Five of Notre Dame’s eight opponents this season have been teams never before faced by the Irish in dual-meet competition.
Notre Dame will be in action again next weekend in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Irish will be part of a quadrangular meet with Villanova, first-time opponent Maryland, and seven-time defending BIG EAST champion Pittsburgh, 17th in the latest College Swim Coaches Association (CSCAA) dual-meet national rankings. The two-day meet will take place in Trees Pool and will get underway at 4 p.m. (EST) on Friday, Jan. 16 and will continue at 9 a.m. (EST) on Saturday, Jan. 17.