Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Women's Swimming And Diving Defeats Michigan In Thriller

Feb. 1, 2003

Complete Results

The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team won the 200 freestyle relay by .33 seconds to defeat Michigan 153-147 in dual-meet action today at the Rolfs Aquatic Center. Notre Dame improves to 9-1-1 on the season, while Michigan falls to 3-3 overall.

In a thrilling final, Notre Dame’s 200 freestyle relay team of junior Danielle Hulick, senior Heidi Hendrick, sophomore Katie Eckholt and sophomore Kristen Peterson narrowly outtouched Michigan’s team of Laura Kaznecki, Erin Abbey, Anne Weilbacher and Abby Seskevics. Notre Dame finished in 1:35.03, while the Wolverines were timed in 1:35.36.

Overall, Notre Dame won nine races today while defeating Michigan. After placing second in the 200 yard medley relay, the 1,650 freestyle and the 200 freestyle, Hulick got Notre Dame on the winning track by taking first in the 100 backstroke. Hulick won in the a time of 56.33, while Peterson was fourth and freshman Kara Santelli was fifth.

After Michigan’s Kelli Stein won the 100 breaststroke, junior Lisa Garcia was first in the 200 butterfly in a time of 2:01.03. Irish freshman Christel Bouvron was third in 2:03.69 and sophomore Brooke Taylor was fourth in the 2:05.00.

Hulick made it two wins when she touched in first in the 50 freestyle. Hulick’s time of 23.90 was good enough to beat Seskevics (24.21) and Kaznecki (24.31). Hendrick, swimming in her final home meet as a member of the Irish, was first in the 100 freestyle in a time of 51.86. Michigan took the next three places, followed by Eckholt in fifth (54.10).

Peterson, who has struggled all season after suffering mono in fall, won her first big race of the spring taking top honors in 200 backstroke. Peterson’s time was 2:03.42, while Michigan’s Sara Johnson was second (2:04.10) and Abbey was third (2:04.85) Junior Marie Labosky was fourth and sophomore Sarah Alwen was fifth.

Stein won her second race of the meet in the 200 breaststroke and Michigan’s Emily-Clare Fenn also won her second race when she was first in the 500 freestyle (Fenn also won the 1,650 freestyle). Weilbacher then took first in the 100 butterfly (55.38), drawing Michigan even closer to the Irish.

Labosky put the Irish back ahead when she took first in the women’s 200 individual medley in a time of 2:05.82. Garcia was third in 2:07.85, while senior Amy Deger was fourth in 2:10.37.

Notre Dame’s Meghan Perry-Eaton also helped the team cause winning both the one and three-meter diving competitions. Perry-Eaton won the one-meter event with 322.64 points. Michigan’s Tealin Kelemen was second in 267.52. Perry-Eaton also dominated the three-meter event with 307.95 points, 46 points higher than her closer competitor. Michigan took the next four places, followed by Notre Dame’s Samantha Raneri was sixth in 198.22.

Notre Dame is next in action Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 20-22, at the BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Championships in Uniondale, N.Y.