Jan. 24, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team picked up three dual meet wins Saturday while wrapping up the Shamrock Invitational at Rolfs Aquatic Center on Saturday. Victories over Michigan State (259.5-106.5), Denver (233-131) and West Virginia (265.5-97.5) moved Notre Dame’s overall record to 6-2 on the season.
The 24th-ranked Irish won eight events on the final day of the invite, and now look ahead to a dual meet at Michigan on Feb. 7 before the BIG EAST Conference Championships (Feb. 18-21).
“We swam tough and we had handedly won this meet coming into this session,” Irish head coach Brian Barnes said. “My message to the team was to be very tough. And you learn a lot as a coach when you go into the final session and you’re ahead and your team looks and is tired. You get a little more information on just who the horses on the team are and how they respond to that kind of a challenge. It was good to send the seniors out with a win; three wins here at home. And that’s the way we should send seniors out and we’re proud of that.”
200 Medley Relay: Notre Dame got out of the gates with an early win, this one coming behind Maggie Behrens, Samantha Maxwell, Kellyn Kuhlke and Amywren Miller in 1:43.91.
400 Individual Medley: An even field took the pool as the race opened … the backstroke saw significant differentiation with Denver’s Michelle Lowry striking out to the lead … Ashlee Edgell and Denver’s Jackie Leung entered the freestyle going head-to-head … Edgell was able to secure a small advantage and hold on to it … Lowry punched in a time of 4:23.40 to take first-place honors … Edgell tapped in at 4:27.88.
100 Fly: From opposite ends of the pool, Katie Casey and Spartan swimmer Becca Ebner entered contention as they attacked the final turn … Casey held on to her speed into the home stretch and took the gold in 56.19.
200 Free: Megan Farrell pushed to the lead with good separation through the first three laps … in the final 50-yards, Denver’s Olivia Dean made a run at the top spot storming to the final wall … Farrell defended her position and took the event with a 1:51.39.
100 Breast: After an early bout with Emily Kuhr of Denver, Maxwell gained a body length lead in the final stretch … Maxwell finished strong by punching in a 1:03.13.
100 Back: Michigan State’s Stephanie Fisher secured a safe lead moving into the second half of the race … she claimed victory in 56.77 … Behrens (58.41) was fourth.
800 Free Relay: The Irish gained an early hold after Lauren Sylvester finished the initial leg … Zeina Shanata continued the good work holding the lead for Amy Prestinario … Lowry started to close some ground on Prestinario as the final contestants entered the water … the Irish claimed victory in 7:30.74 after Farrell pushed through the final gate.
1-meter Diving: Heidi Grossman (280.70) and Natalie Stitt (273.20) took the top to spots in the event.
1,650 Free: The race opened with a five-yard lead secured by Sylvester after the first half … she was followed closely by Denver’s Lowry and Jackie Leung … with 500 yards to go, the lead transferred to Lowry who was followed by Leung and Lindsay Largo of West Virginia … Sylvester dropped back to fifth in 17:10.45.
200 Back: Lauren Parisi secured a third-place finish in 2:05.29 … Prestinario was seventh in 2:09.45.
100 Free: Miller was locked up with West Virginia’s Kayla Andrews during the first 50 yards … Andrews broke away off the second turn to take first in 50.52 … Miller was second in 51.05.
200 Breast: Maxwell took a commanding lead in the first half of the race that grew through to the finish … she registered a 2:17.80 followed by Isabel Perez (2:23.08) of West Virginia.
200 Fly: The first 100 yards went to Casey as Denver’s Lisa Ginder and Melissa Greeves went to work chipping away at the lead … Casey held out and claimed a Notre Dame victory in 2:03.00.
400 Free Relay: The field was very even throughout the first two legs of the competition … West Virginia’s Shaunna Purtell hit the wall first to finish up the third leg … Miller hit the water and immediately went to work on the competition … Miller sped past her opponent, Morgan Callaway of West Virginia, and sealed up the gold for Notre Dame (3:25.70).
–ND–