March 14, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – A total of three standout University of Notre Dame men’s swimmers were tabbed as individual entrants into the 2014 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship, as was announced earlier this week. Senior two-time All-American Frank Dyer and junior All-Americans Zach Stephens and John Williamson will each compete in the national championship meet on March 27-29 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
Along with the three individual participants, an additional four Irish team members will attend the championships as relay-only participants. Notre Dame posted NCAA qualifying times in the 200 and 400 medley relays, as well as the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relay events. The three individual participants will also be able to compete on relay entries.
Dyer becomes the first four-time NCAA Championship qualifier in Notre Dame men’s swimming history with his return to the national meet this season, and will look to earn All-American status for the third straight year. Dyer was a member of the last season’s Irish 800 free relay team that finished in 16th place at the NCAA meet in Indianapolis, earning honorable mention All-America honors.
The Loudonville, N.Y. native became the program’s first All-American after swimming to a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle at the 2012 NCAA Championship in Federal Way, Wash. Dyer posted automatic qualifying times for the 100 (42.84) and 200 freestyle (1:33.20, ACC champion) for this season’s NCAA meet, and added an invited time of 4:19.69 in the 500 freestyle.
Stephens returns to the NCAA Championship for the second straight season after enjoying a standout showing last month in Notre Dame’s first ever appearance at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, sweeping the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. Stephens broke the longest standing ACC meet record time in the 100 breaststroke (52.59) during his gold medal swim, and added another program record in the 200 breaststroke (1:53.34) later in the competition as the top finisher in the distance.
The Bloomsburg, Pa. native will look to build upon last year’s success at the NCAA Championship, where he joined Dyer as just the second Notre Dame individual swimmer to cop All-America accolades at the national championship meet. Stephens’ 16th place time of 1:56.43 in the 200 breaststroke met honorable mention All-America criteria. He is scheduled to swim the 100 (52.59) and 200 (1:53.34) breaststroke and the 200 Individual Medley (1:44.01) at the 2014 NCAA meet.
Williamson earned his second career NCAA invitation on the strength of a school record swim in the preliminary heat of the 200 butterfly in February at the ACC Championship. Williamson tapped the wall in 1:43.09 to set the 15th-best NCAA qualifying time in the event. Williamson added an additional B-cut of 1:43.21 during his finals heat at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
The Bloomington, Ill. native joined both Dyer and Stephens as individual Irish All-Americans at the 2013 NCAA meet, nearly setting the then university record with a finals swim of 1:44.18 to place 13th overall. Williamson is entered in the 200 butterfly with his 1:43.09 effort from the ACC Championship, and also posted invited times in the 100 butterfly (47.20) and 500 freestyle (4:23.22).
2014 Notre Dame Men’s Swimming Individual Qualifiers (can also compete in relays)
500 Freestyle
41. Frank Dyer: 4:19.69#
55. John Williamson: 4:23.22#
200 IM
17. Zach Stephens: 1:44.01*
100 Butterfly
42. John Williamson: 47.20#
200 Freestyle
4. Frank Dyer: 1:33.20*
100 Breaststroke
11. Zach Stephens: 52.59*
100 Freestyle
24. Frank Dyer: 42.84*
200 Breaststroke
7. Zach Stephens: 1:53.34*
200 Butterfly
15. John Williamson: 1:43.09*
*- Automatic Qualifying Time
#-Invited Time
Notre Dame Relay Qualifiers
200 Medley Relay
400 Medley Relay
200 Freestyle Relay (Provisional)
400 Freestyle Relay (Provisional)
800 Freestyle Relay
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