Nov. 1, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team picked up eight top-two finishes Friday night but was unable maintain the momentum of a fast start, dropping a 206-94 dual meet decision to Purdue at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center.
Senior All-American Frank Dyer (200 freestyle) and junior John Nappi (1,650 freestyle) were each event winners for the No. 22 Irish. Nappi logged a swim of 15:48.15 in the mile for a four-second victory over teammate Kevin Hughes (15:52.19) and the first Notre Dame win of the meet. Dyer touched the wall in 1:38.64 during the 200 free to edge Purdue’s Filip Bujoczek by a mere .14 (1:38.78).
Dyer narrowly missed winning his second race of the competition during the 500 freestyle, tapping the pad in 4:30.26 to finish just off the pace of Bujoczek (4:30.16).
The Notre Dame ‘B’ entry in the 200 medley relay of Matthew Buerger, Colin Babcock, Jack Cobain and Patrick Olson registered a time of 1:32.73 in the opening race of the night to claim runner-up honors.
Junior All-American Zach Stephens narrowly missed an NCAA B-cut in the 100 breaststroke, logging a time of 55.45 in a second-place effort behind Purdue’s Lyam Dias. Dias and Stephens went one-two again in the 200 breast, with Stephens touching the wall in 2:00.21 for his second silver medal of the meet.
Junior James McEldrew registered a 200 backstroke time of 1:50.54 to lead four Notre Dame swimmers in the event, securing runner-up honors behind Boilermaker Guillermo Blanco (1:48.82).
In his second career start, freshman diver Joseph Coumos brought home a pair of silver finishes off both the 1 and 3-meter boards. Coumos scored 363.60 points off the 1-meter board to narrowly place behind Purdue’s Layne Rogers (365.55), before finishing just behind Rogers in the 3-meter event thanks to a 368.93 total.
Notre Dame returns to dual meet competition on Nov. 9 for tri-dual racing with Virginia Tech and host Pittsburgh. The meet will start at 11 a.m. (ET) at Trees Pool in Pittsburgh, Pa.
ADDITIONAL EVENT-BY-EVENT INFORMATION:
200 Medley Relay: The Notre Dame ‘C’ relay squad of Bertie Nel, Joshua Choi, Broderick Kelley and Reed Fujan claimed fourth place with a team time of 1:36.26. The ‘D’ entry of Michael Scheid, Andrew Jensen, Matthew DeBlasio and Nicholas Sim posted an exhibition swim of 1:39.17.
1,650 Free: Brennan Jacobsen gave the Irish a third top-five finisher in the event, placing fifth with a time of 16:07.90. Co-captain Patrick Murphy chipped in an exhibition time of 16:50.77.
200 Free: Trent Jackson earned fourth place honors with a time of 1:42.03. Michael Hudspith was right behind in the fifth position after an effort of 1:42.31. Joe Petrone clocked a time of 1:43.23 in an exhibition run.
100 Back: Bogac Ayhan led all Notre Dame swimmers with a third place time of 51.39. Tom Anderson (51.81) was fifth, followed by Buerger (52.00, seventh) and Nel (52.80 in an exhibition swim).
100 Breast: Cameron Miller tapped the wall in third place with a time of 55.71 to give the Irish a pair of podium finishers. Co-captain Colin Babcock (56.30) placed fourth.
200 Fly: Kevin Bradley led Notre Dame in fourth place following a swim of 1:52.14. Fujan (1:54.33, fifth), Kelley (1:56.22, sixth) and Jensen (1:56.48) also represented the Irish in the event.
50 Free: Olson recorded a time of 21.55 for fourth place, while Sim followed close behind in fifth (21.87).
100 Free: Babcock took third after clocking a 46.71, with Jackson (47.27, sixth), Hudspith (47.37, seventh) and Fujan (47.49).
200 Back: Anderson touched in right behind McEldrew with a third place time of 1:50.83. Shane McKenzie swam the course in 1:54.63 to finish in sixth.
200 Breast: Miller added another third place time of 2:04.90. Olson came in fifth following a time of 2:06.21.
500 Free: DeBlasio (4:40.34, sixth place) and Petrone (4:41.99, seventh place) finished behind the runner-up Dyer. Jacobsen added an exhibition swim of 4:43.70.
100 Fly: Ayhan posted a time of 52.55 for fifth place, Kelley a 52.57 for sixth place and Buerger a 52.74 for seventh place.
400 IM: Anderson was the leading Notre Dame swimmer after posting a time of 4:01.58 (fourth place). Bradley (4:03.19, fifth), Nappi (4:03.97, sixth) and McEldrew (4:06.28) also competed for the Irish.
200 Free Relay: The Notre Dame ‘B’ entry of Olson, Buerger, Hudspith and Jackson placed fourth with a time of 1:26.02.
1-Meter Dive: Nick Nemetz placed sixth place with a total score of 305.85 off the 1-meter board. Michael Kreft placed eighth following a score of 287.25.
3-Meter Dive: Kreft was the next Notre Dame finisher behind Coumos, tallying a combined 348.53. Nemetz was again sixth with a score of 314.40.
–ND–