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2023-24 Swimming and Diving Roster

Sarah Bender 2022-23 Swimming and Diving Roster

Free / IM / Breast

Class Freshman
Hometown Glen Allen, VA
High School Douglas S. Freeman
Sarah Bender - Swimming and Diving - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Bio

Honors & Awards

2021 Notre Dame ACC Championship Team

As a Freshman (2020-21)

  • Placed third in the 400-yard IM (4:19.08). Placed third in the 200-yard IM (2:02.81). Placed first in the 200-yard Backstroke (2:14.53) in the virtual meet vs. West Virginia (Nov. 6-7, 2020).
  • Placed second in the 200-yard Medley Relay with Bayley Stewart, Megan Deuel, and Peyton D’Emanuele (1:41.82). Placed second in the 100-yard Breaststroke (1:04.19). Placed first in the 200-yard Breaststroke (2:17.45). Placed first in the 200-yard IM (2:04.22) in the dual meet win vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 4, 2020).
  • Placed fifth in the 200-yard IM (2:02.63). Placed fourth in the 400-yard IM (4:21.80). Placed tenth in the 100-yard Breaststroke (1:04.80). Placed fourth in the 200-yard Breaststroke (2:16.12) in the win over No. RV Akron in the Shamrock Invitational (Jan. 21-23, 2021).
  • Placed fourth in the 200-yard Backstroke (2:02.52). Participated in the 100-yard Backstroke (56.59) in the dual meet win over West Virginia (Jan. 29-30, 2021).
  • Placed twenty-third in the 400-yard IM (4:20.47). Placed twenty-fourth in the 200-yard Breaststroke (2:15.79) in Notre Dame’s fifth-place finish at the ACC Championships (Feb. 17-20, 2021).

PREP & PERSONAL

Club Team: NOVA of Virginia Aquatics

Best Times: 50 free: 23:70, 100 free: 51.36, 200 free: 1:50.08, 200 back: 1:59.16, 100 breast: 1:03.09 (1:12.60 LCM), 200 breast: 2:14.12 (2:34.19 LCM), 200 IM: 2:01.50 (2.18.41 LCM), 400 IM: 4:16.80 (4:54.98 LCM)

  • VHSL All-State in the 100 and 200 freestyle as a junior
  • USA Swimming Scholastic All-American as a sophomore and junior
  • School record-holder in the 100 Free and 200 IM

Litzinger’s scout: “Sarah is a very talented all-around athlete. She is very gutsy and team-driven. Her Notre Dame roots are strong, and I know that she will give a great effort every time she hits the water for us.”

  • Received several academic awards in high school, including Math award (11th), National French Exam Bronze Medal (9th and 11th), Art award (9th), National AP Scholar (11th), National Merit Semifinalist, Scholastic Art and Writing Silver Key winner (9th)

  • School record holder in the 100 Free, 200 IM, 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay and 400†Free Relay, team runner-up at VHSL 5A States in 2018

  • Club honors: 9x USA Swimming Junior Nationals Finalist, 12x NCSA Finalist, 4x Virginia Swimming State Champion in the 200 breaststroke (3x LCM, 1x SCY), state record holder in the 400 Medley and 400 Free relays LCM, NCSA Runner-Up in the 800 Free relay (2019), NCSA women’s team runner-up in 2017, 2x USA Swimming Scholastic All-America

  • Member of Rebelettes 2020 Service Club at Freeman HS from 2016-20 (all-girls service group completing outreach projects during the school year), member of French club at Freeman HS from 2016-20 (completes language-based activities and community events), member of Beta Club (in-school tutoring honors society), French NHS (language tutoring), Mu Alpha Theta (math tutoring honors society), and National Honors society from 2019-20, volunteer at Richmond Marathon (2016, 2017), and Richmond Country Club Dunk for Hunger Food Drive (2017, 2018, 2019 summers)

  • Mother, Amy (1992), father Jeff (1992), aunt Jill (1989) and grandfather James (1965) all graduated from Notre Dame.