NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame’s swimming and diving team head coach Mike Litzinger announced the captains for the 2018-19 season prior to their first meet Wednesday. The team will feature six captains, three men and three women. Seniors Daniel Fujan, Matt Grauslys and Jack Russell will represent the men’s side while Meaghan O’Donnell, Kyra Sarazen and Alice Treuth were named the women’s captains.
“We have an excellent group of seniors this year and leadership is spread among them,” Litzinger raved.
In four years with the Irish, all six have demonstrated strong leadership qualities both in and out of the pool. Hailing from three different colleges, the Mendoza College of Business, the College of Engineering and the College of Science, the six bring a unique background to the team.
Fujan and Russell both come from the Mendoza College of Business where they are majoring in marketing and management consulting, respectively. Grauslys can be found in the College of Engineering when not at Rolfs Aquatic Center.
“I am very proud to have Dan, Matt and Jack lead out men’s team this season. They are all Notre Dame men, and have seen this group through to its transformation into a perennially respected team on the NCAA level,” Litzinger said.
Through four years, these men have led the team in the pool, recording numerous personal bests and finishing first at many meets. Last season, Grauslys finished third at the ACC Championships in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:48.16. Placing second in the 100-yard freestyle at the 2017-18 Ohio State WInter Invite, Fujan recorded a career-best time of 43.92 seconds. Russell also set personal best times in 2017-18 with a 54.42 second finish in the 100-yard breaststroke and touching the wall in 2:00.73 in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Competing at the ACC Championships meet last year, O’Donnell and Sarazen both finished with personal-record performances. O’Donnell covered the 200-yard IM race in 2:01.31 while Sarazen tied her career best 200-yard backstroke time of 1:55.33. She was also the recipient of the Golden Dumbbell Award, presented annually by the strength and conditioning coaches.
O’Donnell and Treuth are both enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business, pursuing degrees in accounting and pre-professional studies, respectively. Sarazen is a neuroscience and behavior major in the College of Science.
“Meaghan, Kyra and Alice represent the body of our team. One that has been a part of the rebuilding and reshaping of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving. I couldn’t be more proud to have them represent this group of women as we head into our best season yet,” Litzinger added.
The Irish dive in to the 2018-19 season on Tuesday as they head to Bloomington, Indiana, for a series of dual meets. Competing as a single meet, the Irish will face host, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri in a set of three consecutive dual meets. They then travel to Atlanta, Georgia, for their first Atlantic Coast Conference meet of the year against Georgia Tech. Notre Dame hosts their first meet of the season on October 26 when in-state rival Purdue travels to Notre Dame for an evening meet.
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