Aug. 2, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team will be well represented at this week’s ConocoPhillips Swimming National Championships in Irvine, Calif. Seven current Fighting Irish swimmers, along with two incoming freshmen will participate at the event, which takes place Wednesday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 7 at the William Woollett, Jr. Aquatic Center.
Jamie Lutkus (Granger, Ind./Penn), who will be a senior captain for the Fighting Irish during the 2005-06 campaign, is slated to represent the Irish Aquatics Swim Club in the 200 and 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. Nationals. Daniel Lutkus (Granger, Ind./Penn), Jamie’s younger brother, will not compete for Notre Dame until this fall, yet the incoming freshman joins three of his future teammates in Ted Brown (Kokomo, Ind./Western), Alan Carter (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) and Louis Cavadini (South Bend, Ind./Riley) on the Irish Aquatics 400-meter freestyle relay team.
Brown, a rising junior, will represent the Irish Aquatics for the second straight year at the U.S. Nationals. In 2004, he became the first Irish Aquatics swimmer ever to qualify for the evening finals at the national championships. He clocked a time of 4:33.43 in the 400-meter IM preliminaries to come in 22nd and qualify for the “C” final, where he timed in at 4:33.79 to maintain his position and finish 22nd. Brown will compete again in the 400-IM along with the 200-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle and the 400-freestyle relay.
Carter competed at the U.S. Nationals last year while representing the Pittsburgh-area Jewish Community Center. He posted a time of 58.77 in the 100-meter backstroke “B” final to place 12th overall. The junior-to-be returns this year as a member of the Irish Aquatics to participate in the 100-back once again.
Before Steve Shomberger (Spotsylvania, Va./Courtland) begins his senior season at Notre Dame, he will take to the pool at the Woollett Aquatics Center in the 200-meter backstroke as he too represents the Irish Aquatics. The Irish Aquatics is not affiliated with Notre Dame, though it rents the Rolfs Aquatic Center on the University’s campus as its practice facility and is coached by Tim Welsh, the head coach of the Fighting Irish men’s swimming and diving team.
Brian Freeman (Sanger, Calif./Immanuel), a junior-to-be, will also represent the Irish Aquatics on the 400 and 800-meter freestyle relays. Rising sophomore Eric Swenson (Scotch Plains, N.J./St. Joseph) is scheduled to swim the 100-meter breaststroke for his club team the Jersey Gators.
Jace Hopper (Las Vegas, Nev./The Meadows), who will be a freshman for Notre Dame this coming season, represents the Desert Storm Swim Club in California. Hopper will take to the pool in the 800-meter freestyle.
For more information on the 2005 ConocoPhillips Swimming National Championships, including full results, please log on to www.saloswimcamp.com/nationals2005/default.asp.
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