February 26, 1999

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team continues to lead the BIG EAST swimming and diving championships with a total of 586.50 points, 180 points more than their closest competitor Villanova. The men stand in third with 358 points, trailing second-place Syracuse by 26 points.

More records fell for the women as the 200 medley relay team of Kelly Hecking, Brittany Kline, Elizabeth Barger and Carrie Nixon finished in a time of 1:42.47 setting a BIG EAST and Notre Dame record. Junior Elizabeth Barger broke her own BIG EAST record with a time of 55.53 in the 100 butterfly, while Hecking captured first place in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.00.

The men’s 200 medley relay team of Brian Skorney, Steele Whowell, Brendan Lechner and Vince Kuna, broke a school record with a time of 1:32.24. Scott Zumbach set a school record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 3:58.23. Ray Fitzpatrick’s time of 1:39.12 also broke the school record in the 200 freestyle and qualified as a B consolation time for the NCAA Championships. Steele Whowell bested teammate Dan Szilier’s school record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 56.55.

The BIG EAST swimming and diving championships finish on Saturday with the women looking to win their third straight title and the men looking for their best finish ever.

Day One Highlights

The Notre Dame 400 medley relay team of Kelly Hecking, Shannon Suddarth, Elizabeth Barger and Carrie Nixon set a BIG EAST and school record with a time of 3:43.17. Freshman Heather Mattingly posted her second-best score in the three-meter diving event with a 517.75 to capture second place behind Miami All-American Jenny Keim. In the 50 freestyle, Nixon, not only set a BIG EAST and school record with her time of 22.62, but also automatically qualified for the 1999 NCAA Swimming Championships. The 200 freestyle relay team of Hecking, Nixon, Brooke Davey, and Laura Shepard set a BIG EAST and school record with a time of 1:32.96.

The men’s 400 medley relay team of Brian Skorney, Steele Whowell, Scott Zumbach, Ray Fitzpatrick set a school record with a time of 3:20.50, while recording a second-place finish. Fitzpatrick also set a school record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.73. Fitzpatrick had earlier combined with Vince Kuna, Rob Fetter, and Russell Preston, to set a school record in the 200 freestyle relay with a fourth-place time of 1:23.09. Zumbach also set another school record with his runner-up time of 1:50.68 in the 200 individual medley.

Day II Results
BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Championships:

Women’s team scores: 1. Notre Dame 586.50, 2. Villanova 406.50, 3. Miami 375, 4. Pitssburgh 308, 5. West Virginia 221, 6. Syracuse 189.50, 7. Connecticut 166.50, 8. Boston College 142, 9. Rutgers 106, 10. Seton Hall 71, 11. Providence 62, 12. Georgetown 58, 13. St. John’s 42.

Men’s team scores: 1. Pittsburgh 565, 2. Syracuse 384, 3. Notre Dame 358, 4. Miami 229, 5. Rutgers 216, 6. Connecticut 164, 7. West Virginia 153, 8. Villanova 151, 9. St. John’s 137, 10. Seton Hall 130, 11. Georgetown 105, 12. Providence 72, 13. Boston College 62.

Women 200 medley relay: 1. Notre Dame 1:42.47 (BIG EAST and NOTRE DAME record) 2. Villanova 1:44.35, 3. Pittsburgh 1:45.46.

Men’s 200 medley relay: 1. Syracuse 1:31.03, 2. Pittsburgh 1:31.45, 3. Notre Dame 1:32.24

Women’s 1-meter diving: 1. Jenny Keim, Miami, 454.15; 2. Jamie Tomazich, Pittsburgh, 437.20; 3. Heather Mattingly, Notre Dame, 415.20. Other Notre Dame finishers: 5. Gina Ketelhohn 381.30; 10. Jessica Johnstone, 323.70

Women’s 400 IM: 1. Maddy Crippen, Villanova, 4:11.86; 2. Julie Kemp, Miami, 4:22.59; 3. Katie Armitage, Villanova, 4:23.31. Other Notre Dame finishers: 4. Tiffany O’Brien, 4:24.50; 9. Anne Iacobucci, 4:31.74

Men’s 400 IM: 1. Daniel Karlsson, Syracuse, 3:53.46; 2. Craig Peterson, Pittsburgh, 3:58.21; 3. Scott Zumbach, Notre Dame, 3:58.23. Other Notre Dame finishers: 6. Ryan Verlin, 4:01.64; 8. Jonathan Pierce, 4:07.86; 12. John Lubker, 4:05.05; 13. Sean Casey, 4:05.36

Women’s 100 Fly: 1. Elizabeth Barger, Notre Dame, 55.53 (BIG EAST and NOTRE DAME record); 2. Liz Lauwaert, Villanova, 55.95; 3. Carrie Nixon, Notre Dame, 56.03. Other Notre Dame Finishers: 5. Alison Newell, 56.16; 11. Laura Shepard, 57.93.

Men’s 100 Fly: 1. Brian Elko, Pittsburgh, 49.04; 2. Jaak Savvi, St. John’s, 49.13; 3. Jose Gonzalez, Syracuse, 49.16. Other Notre Dame finishers: 7. Brandon Lechner 50.16; 12. Rob Fetter, 50.80.

Women’s 200 free: 1. Kristen Olson, Villanova, 1:48.90; 2. Christy Cech, Miami, 1:49.20; 3. Kristen Van Saun, Notre Dame, 1:49.58. Other Notre Dame finishers: 8. Tara Riggs, 1:52.66, 12. Brenda Reilly, 1:52.49; 14. Brooke Davey, 1:53.59.

Men’s 200 free: 1. Steve Siler, Pittsburgh, 1:38.81; 2. Ray Fitzpatrick, Notre Dame, 1:39.12; 3. Rich Munson, Seton Hall, 1:40.22. Other Notre Dame Finishers: James Scott-Browne 1:42.32.

Women’s 100 breaststroke: 1. Rhiannon Leier, Miami, 1:02.46, 2. Allison Lloyd, Notre Dame, 1:02.49; 3. Shannon Suddarth, Notre Dame, 1:02.82. Other Notre Dame results: 4. Brittany Kline, 1:03.04; 6. Kathleen Rimkus, 1:03.35

Men’s 100 breaststroke: 1. Ilia Mikailov, Syracuse, 55.94; 2. F. Lichtenberger, Miami, 56.02; 3. Steele Whowell, Notre Dame 56.55. Other Notre Dame finishers: 4. Dan Szilier, 56.73; 16. Antonio Fonseca, 59.48.

Women’s 100 back: 1. Kelly Hecking, Notre Dame, 56.00; 2. Jackie Gruters, Villanova, 56.77; 3. Julie Lapinsky, Villanova, 57.59. Other Notre Dame finishers: 9. Maureen Hillenmeyer, 58.38

Men’s 100 back: 1. Josko Vucetic, Syracuse, 49.43; 2. Brian Elko, Pittsburgh, 49.54; 3. Brett Bergmann, Syracuse, 49.91. Other Notre Dame Finishers: 8. Brian Skorney, 51.87; 11. Chris Fugate, 51.89; 12. David Horak, Notre Dame, 52.17; 15. Russell Preston, 53.21.

Men’s 3-meter diving: 1. Rio Ramirez, Miami, 680.55; 2. Stefan Ahrens, Miami, 654.55; 3. Imre Lengyel, Miami, 645.10.

Women’s 800 Free Relay: 1. Villanova 7:22.23; 2. Notre Dame (Newell, Hecking, Van Saun, Riggs) 7:26.92; 3. Miami 7:31.69

Men’s 800 Free Relay: 1. Pittsburgh 6:43.46; 2. Syracuse 6:43.86; 3. Notre Dame (Fitzpatrick, Scott-Browne, Fetter, Whowell) 6:46.54