March 3, 2016

By Lizzie Mikes

NOTRE DAME, Ind. ââ’¬” The University of Notre Dame women’s swim team received word Thursday morning that freshman freestyler Ella Moynihan (Denver, Colo. / Arapahoe) was invited to race at the 2016 NCAA Championship Meet. The meet will be held March 16-19 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Ga. Georgia Tech will serve as the host institution.

Moynihan, who qualified in the 200 free, owes the trip to her leadoff split in the 800 free relay at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship. Her time of 1:45.46 was two and a half seconds under the NCAA B-cut time of 1:47.99, but equally shy of the NCAA A-cut automatic qualifying time of 1:43.82.

Moynihan has had a breakout season with the Irish in her first year. Her name appears twice in the Irish record books ââ’¬” once with the 400 free relay team of Catherine Mulquin, Catherine Galletti and Sofia Revilak as the pool record holders at the Rolfs Aquatic Center (3:20.29), and again as the 500 free school record-holder. Moynihan set the 500 mark just two weeks ago at the 2016 ACC meet on Feb. 18.

A total of 322 participants ââ’¬” 281 swimmers and 41 divers ââ’¬” will compete at the championship meet. Swimmers qualified by meeting established minimum times for events in which they entered throughout the regular season. Divers will be determined by performances at the Zone Diving Meets, held March 7-12. A complete list of swimmers competing is available at www.usaswimming.org/ncaa.

ESPN3.com will stream finals sessions live on Friday and Saturday. Wednesday’s evening session, Thursday’s sessions, along with morning sessions Friday and Saturday, will be streamed live on NCAA.com. Additionally, ESPNU will air a two-hour broadcast via tape delay at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 29. Live results will be available on NCAA.com.

Moynihan’s Top Times 2015-16

50 Free: 23.15 (Purdue Invitational)

100 Free: 50.32 (ACC Championship)

200 Free: 1:45.46 (Lead leg 800 free relay, ACC Championship)

500 Free: 4:44.29 (ACC Championship)

1,000 Free: 10:25.01 (vs. Virginia)

— ND —

Lizzie Mikes serves as Media Services Coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. A 2013 graduate of Johnson & Wales University, she oversees credential management and is the athletic communications director for Fighting Irish men’s and women’s swimming and diving and track and field. She has assisted with numerous NCAA postseason events hosted by Notre Dame, and is heavily involved in the day-to-day tasks of the athletic communications office.