Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Swimming & Diving Earns Highest-Ever Rankings

Oct. 25, 2017

By Leigh Torbin

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – A blazing start to the 2017-18 season by the Notre Dame men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams has not gone unnoticed nationally, in the process adding to the program’s school record count for the young season. On Wednesday, the Irish women moved up to No. 10 in the CSCAA poll while the men improved to No. 14, both of which are the highest rankings in Irish lore.

Both teams have ran out to a 3-1 record on the young season with ranked wins over No. 7/9 Louisville and a second ACC victory over Georgia Tech. Notre Dame’s teams also swept Michigan State and have lost only to No. 15/5 Texas A&M.

The highest previous ranking for Notre Dame’s men’s team was a No. 16 mark in November of 2006. The best ranking for the Irish women prior to today was a No. 18 standing in November of 2012.

The strength of the Atlantic Coast Conference is on full display in this week’s rankings. On the women’s side, Notre Dame is one of seven ACC teams in the top 25 while seven men’s teams are also ranked this week by the CSCAA. The Irish women are the highest ranked of those eight at No. 10, just ahead of No. 11 Louisville, No. 13 NC State and No. 14 Virginia. The No. 14 Notre Dame men are looking up at just No. 6 NC State and No. 13 Louisville within the league.

“The CSCAA rankings at this point reflect the high level of competition we have challenged ourselves with, and how our swimmers/divers have responded,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Litzinger said. “We have a long season ahead of us, but we are representing Notre Dame and our program very well. We are looking forward to working hard and seeing what the rest of the year holds.”

Up Next

Notre Dame will swim away from home for the first time in 2017-18 as the Irish head to #23/NR Purdue on Friday. The meet will begin at 5 p.m. and mark the third top-25 opponent in five dual meets for the Notre Dame men.

Purdue kicks off a tough stretch of in-state competition for the Irish. On Nov. 9, Notre Dame travels to Bloomington to face No. 1/8 Indiana and Cincinnati in a tri-meet.

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Leigh Torbin, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2013. A native of Framingham, Massachusetts, Torbin graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He has previously worked full-time on the athletic communications staffs at Vanderbilt, Florida, Connecticut and UCF.