Oct. 28, 2016
by Alan Wasielewski
The University of Notre Dame swimming and diving team posted a pair of impressive victories on Friday evening at Rolfs Aquatic Center. The Irish men defeated Purdue dual meet action 165-135, the squad’s first victory over the Boilermakers since the 2012-13 season and just the second against one of the top teams in the Midwest since 2006-07.
The Irish women took down Miami (224-74), Rutgers (221-78) and Purdue (190-110), posting their first win over the Boilermakers since the 2008-09 season.
“It was a great meet for us and to be home in front of alumni, family and friends always gets the kids pumped up to swim,” Irish head coach Mike Litzinger said after the meet.
“The training was very difficult this week. Our theme was, `let’s see what you can do with what you got.’ We knew Purdue would be faster than they have been previously. Our team responded really well.”
SWIM OF THE MEET:
Freshman Abbie Dolan was expected to put up a great time in the 200 freestyle Friday evening and the Sunfish Lake, Minn., native delivered taking first in 1:47.14. The time establishes a new Rolfs Aquatic Center pool record, taking Olympian Kelsi Worrell from Louisville off the board, and also is an NCAA `B’ qualifying time.
Freshman Lauren Heller, sophomore Kyra Sarazen and freshman Reilly Lanigan took third, fourth and fifth for Notre Dame with times of 1:49.41, 1:50.13 and 1:51.73, respectively. Heller’s 1:49.41 performance earned her a spot on the all-time Notre Dame top 10 performers list in the event.
“Abbie is new to our team, doing a great job and is really embracing the training,” Litzinger said.
“She was close to that record in our first meet so it had been on her mind. To break that record, which was held by Kelsi Worrell who was on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, is a special thing and a feather in Abbie’s cap. She also is a total team player who really likes to be on the relays. She is really shining right now.”
“It is exciting to see the improvement so far this year,” Dolan said after the meet.
“We have all been working very hard this year and it is great to see how our work is paying off in the pool. I think we will keep working very hard and I hope for even more success in the future.”
OTHER NOTABLE SWIMS:
Men:
Sophomore Matthew Grauslys posted a key victory toward the men’s team effort in 200 butterfly, taking first in 1:50.59. Teammate and senior Kevin Bradley finished right behind him in second place to post pivotal points for the Irish in the team competition.
Women:
Freshman Katie Smith continued post impressive times in the 50 freestyle, taking first in 22.69, an NCAA B time and third on the all-time top 10 performances at Notre Dame.
Men:
Notre Dame swept the 200 IM to seal their team victory with performances of 1:50.81 by senior Kevin Bradley, 1:51.33 by freshman Aaron Schultz and 1:51.74 by junior Rob Whitacre.
NCAA `B’ CUT TIMES:
Women:
Abbie Dolan, 100 Freestyle, 49.89
Abbie Dolan, 200 Freestyle, 1:47.14
Catherine Mulquin, 100 Backstroke, 54.20
Meghan O’Donnell, 100 Breatstroke, 1:01.95
Katie Smith, 50 Freestyle, 22.69
Alice Trueth, 200 Backstroke, 1:57.20
Men:
Justin Plaschka, 50 Freestyle, 20.13
Tabahn Afrik, 100 Freestyle, 44.24
OTHER EVENTS:
Women’s 200 Medley Relay
The quartet of Catherine Mulquin, Meaghan O’Donnell, Sofia Revilak, and Katie Smith stopped the clock at 1:40.84 to open the meet with an Irish victory. The Irish took the lead off of Mulquin’s 25.42 split and never looked back.The Irish B relay of Alice Treuth, Danielle Margheret, Erin Sheehan and Kelly Jacob took third for Notre Dame in 1:43.21.
Men’s 200 Medley Relay
After Robby Whitacre and Trent Jackson got the lead for the Irish, Justin Plaschka put the race away with his 21.26 split in the butterfly. Daniel Speers capped off the victory for the Irish, touching the pad at 1:29.77. The B relay of Jack Montesi, Rex Riley, Soren Holm and Tabahn Afrik finished in fourth with a time of 1:31.76.
Women’s 1,000 Freestyle
Molly Treble led the Irish with her third-place finish in the event (10:15.46). Ellie Berdusco finished in a season-best 10:18.40, which was good for fifth place and entered her into the top 10 performers list in the 1,000 freestyle at Notre Dame. Purdue’s Kaersten Meitz won the event in 9:55.65.
Men’s 1,000 Freestyle
The Irish took second, third and fourth in the event with performances of 9:27.18, 9:30.98 and 9:31.81 by Connor Brown, Steven Shek and Richard Mannix, respectively. Purdue’s Nicholas McDowell won the event with a time of 9:18.71.
Men’s 200 Freestyle
Senior captain Reed Fujan performed some fantastic turns en route to an Irish victory in 1:38.77. The Irish used their depth to take third, fourth and fifth place (Afrik – 1:40.88; Benjamin Jany – 1:42.00; Jackson – 1:42.18) to give Notre Dame a 20-16 team points lead in the meet.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Mulquin made it two consecutive Irish women wins with a time of 54.20, an NCAA B-cut performance. Treuth took third overall for Notre Dame with a 55.36 showing.
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Whitacre keep the Irish winning streak going with his 49.26 performance. Montesi finished in third place for Notre Dame in 50.72.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
O’Donnell continued her strong season clocking in at 1:01.95, an NCAA B-cut performance. Margheret finished in third place overall for Notre Dame in 1:03.08.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Steven Shek led the Irish with his third place overall finish in 56.54. Purdue’s Marat Amaltdinov took first in 55.39.
Women’s 200 Butterfly
Nikki Smith increased the Irish win streak on the women’s side to four straight events with her time of 1:59.61. Katie Rentz took sixth overall for Notre Dame in 2:03.47.
Men’s 50 Freestyle
The duo of Plaschka and Speers went 1-2 in the 50 freestyle with times of 20.13 and 20.35, respectively. Plaschka’s 20.13 performance was an NCAA B-cut time.
Women’s One-meter Diving
Erin Isola was the top Irish finisher off the boards with a total of 261.90 points. Rutger’s Addy Walkowiak won the event with 293.45 points.
Men’s One-meter Diving
Notre Dame was led by Joe Coumos who took fourth overall with his total of 312.10 points. Olympic silver medalist Steele Johnson won the event for the Boilermakers with a total of 408.55 points en route to a pool record. The previous pool record was set by Johnson’s synchro partner David Boudia, also from Purdue (394.95 points).
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Dolan, Mulquin and Heller swept the event with times of 49.89, 50.63 and 50.95, respectively. Dolan’s time was an NCAA B-cut standard. Dolan’s performance also moved to her number six on the all-time performers list in Irish history.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Afrik and Fujan went 1-2 in the event with times of 44.24 and 45.23, respectively. Afrik’s time was the men’s second NCAA B-cut of the day.
Women’s 200 Backstroke
Treuth continued her success in the 200 backstroke this season, touching first in 1:57.20, another NCAA B-cut. Sarazen gave the Irish another 1-2 finish with a second-place performance of 2:00.27.
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Whitacre notched his second individual win of the meet with his 1:47.29 performance.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
O’Donnell recorded her second win of the evening with a time of 2:14.09, a best during her time at Notre Dame so far. The performance moved her into a tie for seventh on the Notre Dame All-Time Top 10 Performers list in the event. Sherri McIntee took second in 2:17.52 for Notre Dame.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Shek led Notre Dame with his fourth place finish in a time of 2:06.45. Amaltdinov of Purdue won his second event of the day in a pool-record time of 1:58.28. The previous pool record of 1:58.86 belonged to R. Trussov.
Women’s 500 Freestyle
Lanigan and Treble went 2-3 in the event with performances of 4:57.85 and 5:00.51, respectively. Meitz won her second event of the meet with a 4:47.82 showing.
Men’s 500 Freestyle
Notre Dame took 2-3-4 in the event with times of 4:36.13, 4:36.72 and 4:40.27 by Richard Mannix, Jany and Brown, respectively. McDowell from Purdue won the event in 4:30.75.
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Sheehan and Revilak finished in second and third place overall for the Irish in 55.03 and 55.21, respectively. Miami’s Angela Algee won the event in 54.53.
Men’s 100 Butterfly
Plaschka and Grauslys went 1-2 in the event with times of 48.86 and 49.43, respectively. Montesi took fourth overall in 49.86.
Women’s Three-meter Diving
Isola led Notre Dame with her fifth-place finish overall with 278.80 total points. Wally Layland of Miami won the event with a total of 325.30 points.
Men’s Three-meter Diving
Coumos led the Irish with his fourth-place finish in the event totaling 327.75 points. Johnson won the event with a total of 412.15 points.
Women’s 200 IM
Katie Miller won the event for the Irish in 2:04.07. Sarazen took fifth in 2:06.29.
Women’s 400 Free Relay
The quartet of Mulquin, Smith, Sheehan and Dolan won the final event of the night for the Irish in a time of 3:22.36. The B relay of Heller, Revilak, Jacob and Lanigan took third overall in 3:27.61.
Men’s 200 Free Relay
The foursome of Speers, Plaschka, R. Fujan and Afrik capped off the Irish win with a 1:20.71 showing, which was good for another Irish victory. The B relay of Jackson, Holm, Dan Fujan and Billy Barth finished in third with a time of 1:24.16.
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Alan Wasielewski is an Associate Athletics Communication Director at the University of Notre Dame. He works primarily with the men’s basketball and rowing team. A 2000 graduate of the University, Wasielewski is entering his 16th year at Notre Dame, working in both the multimedia productions and athletics communications offices in his time on campus.