Nov. 22, 2015
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team concluded their three-day meet at Purdue Sunday, celebrating two individual victories and one relay win. Freshmen Tabahn Afrik and Matthew Grauslys both earned their first career wins at Notre Dame.
“We had a really good day; this meet was exactly what we were looking for at this point in the season, and we got an opportunity to see most of our swimmers compete again at night,” head coach Matt Tallman says. “Justin had a great weekend and showed his team that it is possible to achieve some fast times under less than ideal conditions.”
Afrik won the 100 free with his 44.10 time, his second B-cut of the day after posting a 45.04 mark in the morning prelims. Gauslys, who was seeded sixth on the strength of his 1:50.01 200 fly prelim time, earned a B-cut time with his 1:46.97 showing, which earned him first place.
Other top performers for the Irish included Connor Brown, who finished third in the 1650 free (15:36.90), and Rob Whitacre, who placed second in the 200 back (1:46.30, B-cut). James Lichtenstein also came in second in the platform diving competition. The 400 free relay A-team lineup of Afrik, Justin Plaschka, Kevin Bradley and Daniel Speers also claimed first, touching the wall in 2:56.60 in the evening session.
“We have quite a while before competitively racing again,” Tallman continues. “The second semester is going to be exciting, and we can’t wait for it to get here. The freshmen showed that they are adjusting well to a new environment. Matthew Grauslys had a great 200 fly, and Tabahn [Afrik]’s 100 free result was just as impressive.”
After three days of racing, the Irish finished third in the meet, with 557.5 points. They are next in action on the road against Virginia January 8 and 9.
— ND —
Lizzie Mikes serves as Media Services Coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. A 2013 graduate of Johnson & Wales University, she oversees credential management and is the athletic communications director for Fighting Irish men’s and women’s swimming and diving. She has assisted with numerous NCAA postseason events hosted by Notre Dame, and is heavily involved in the day-to-day tasks of the athletic communications office.