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Swimmers Lisa Garcia and Danielle Hulick Top Qualifiers Going Into Evening Finals

Feb. 20, 2003

Results

Uniondale, N.Y. – Notre Dame had five women qualify for the championship finals during prelims at the 2003 BIG EAST Conference meet Thursday morning in Uniondale, N.Y. The finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tonight.

Leading the way for the Irish were juniors Lisa Garcia and Danielle Hulick, who both recorded the top qualifying times in their respective events. Garcia posted the fastest time in the 200 individual medley with a Notre Dame and BIG EAST Championship record time of 2:01.00. Garcia bested the old Notre Dame record of 2:01.74 set by Marie Labosky last season and the BIG EAST mark of 2:01.43 set by Miami’s Jennifer Weir in 2000. Garcia’s time was an NCAA “B” qualifying time and should be good enough to get her into the meet March 20-22 in Auburn, Ala.

Hulick posted the fastest time in the 50 freestyle in a time of 22.94. Hulick’s time, a career-best, is also an NCAA “B” qualifier, but was almost .3 faster than the time necessary to gain entry to the NCAA meet in 2002. Hulick should join Garcia in Auburn in March.

Labosky and freshman Courtney Choura also qualified for the championship final in the 200 individual medley. Labosky posted a time of 2:03.69, the fifth-fastest time, while Choura has the sixth-best time of 2:04.20. Both Labosky and Choura posted NCAA “B” qualifying times.

Sophomore Katie Eckholt will swim in the championship final of the 50 freestyle as she posted the fifth fastest time in 23.48, which was an NCAA “B” qualifier.

Other Irish swimmers who qualified for the consolation finals include sophomore Kelli Barton (11th in 4:57.96), freshman Christel Bouvron (15th – 4:59.22) and senior Nicole Kohrt (16th – 4:59.37) in the 500 freestyle; senior Heidi Hendrick (12th – 23.80) and Kristen Peterson, who won a swim off for 16th place, in the 50 freestyle.

Tonight’s finals will be available on www.und.com or www.bigeast.org later this evening.