Feb. 20, 2003
Uniondale, N.Y. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team, setting three team records, is in fourth place with 127.5 points after day one of the 2003 BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Championships. Pittsburgh is in first with 227 points, followed by Rutgers (170.5) and Virginia Tech (160).
The Irish opened tonight’s finals with a fourth-place finish by senior Andy Maggio in the one-meter diving event. Maggio, who missed the entire fall semester, finished with 283.20 points. Miami’s Miguel Velazquez was first with 347.10 points.
The 200 freestyle relay team of freshman Tim Randolph, sophomore Frank Krakowski, senior Jason Fitzpatrick and junior Matt Obringer matched Maggio’s feat with a fourth-place finish. The relay team posted a time of 1:22.02, a new Notre Dame record easily beating the old record of 1:23.09 set by Vince Kuna, Ray Fitzpatrick, Rob Fetter and Russell Preston in 1999.
Obringer then came right back and placed fifth sixth in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:30.50. Pittsburgh’s Eric Limkemann was first in 4:23.16, while Rutgers Sean Smith was second in 4:25.99.
Notre Dame had two finishers in the top eight in the 200 individual medley as frehman Jamie Lutkus was fifth in 1:51.15 and junior Josh Dermott was seventh in 1:51.45. Virginia Tech’s Joey Piekarski won in a time of 1:49.57, an NCAA “B” qualifying time.
Krakowski then placed seventh in the 50 freestyle. After shattering the Notre Dame record in the morning session with a time of 20.45, Krakowski posted a time of 20.53 at night. Rutgers’ Matt Campbell was first in 19.79.
Notre Dame also finished fourth in the 400 medley relay as the team of freshman Doug Bauman, Fitzpatrick, Krakowski and Randolph finished in a time of 3:19.45, setting a new team record. The relay team beat the previous record of 3:20.50 set by Brian Skorney, Steele Whowell, Scott Zumbach and Ray Fitzpatrick in 1999.