March 8, 2001
The University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team will be represented by junior Kelly Hecking (Rutherford, NJ) and freshman Marie Labosky (Churchville, Pa.) at the 2001 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship in Long Island, NY, March 15-17. Labosky will compete in the 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley and the 1,650 freestyle. Hecking will be in the 100 and 200 backstroke field.
Junior diver Heather Mattingly (Houston, Texas) will attempt to qualify for the championship meet when she takes part in the 2001 NCAA Zone Diving Meet in Bloomington, Ind., this weekend (March 9-10).
Hecking, Labosky and Mattingly each played major roles in Notre Dame securing its fifth-straight BIG EAST Championship title on Feb. 17.
Labosky placed second in 1,650 freestyle and the 400 individual medley while also capturing her first individual BIG EAST title in the 200 individual medley. Labosky has made her presence known in the Irish record books in her rookie season, setting the 200 (2:01.74) and 400 (4:16.94) IM school records at the BIG EAST meet.
She enters the NCAA meet ranked 22nd in the 1,650 freestyle (16:32.30), 15th in the 400 IM (4:16.94) and 19th in the 200 IM (2:01.74).
Hecking, who had swept the 100 and 200 backstroke five times during the 2001 dual meet season, continued that pattern at the BIG EAST meet. She won the 100 and 200 backstroke, claiming her 13th and 14th BIG EAST titles of her career (nine on relay teams, five individual). Hecking’s 100 backstroke time of 55.98 set a new school record.
Hecking is a veteran swimmer in NCAA competition, competing in the 100 and 200 backstroke during her previous two seasons with the Irish. She has earned honorable mention All-American status twice as a member of the ninth-place 400 medley relay team in 2000 and the 11th-place 400 medley team in 1999. This season, she has posted the 18th-best time in the field in the 100 backstroke (54.98) and the 16th-fastest time in the 200 backstroke (1:58.70).
Mattingly became the first Irish diver to place at the NCAA championship meet (15th) last season and earned honorable mention All-America honors. She place fifth and sixth in the one-meter and three-meter competition, respectively, at the 2001 BIG EAST Championship. Mattingly currently holds all of Notre Dame’s diving records in both the one- and three-meter board.
Results of the championship meet next week and this weekend’s NCAA Zone diving meet will be available on the world wide web at www.NCAAChampionships.com and the Notre Dame official athletic web site, www.und.com.