Senior Katie Carroll was named the Monogram Club Team MVP at the annual awards banquet

Women's Swimming And Diving Ready To Pursue BIG EAST Title

Feb. 13, 2006

The University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team, ranked 20th in the final release of the College Swimming Coaches Association top 25 rankings, begins its pursuit of the BIG EAST Championship this week in East Meadow, N.Y. The Irish are poised to battle with No. 13 Rutgers (who has finished second in the meet to the Irish four times) and 2005 runner-up Pittsburgh for the team championship.

The meet begins Wednesday, Feb. 15 with the women’s one-meter diving competition and two relays – the 200 medley and 800 freestyle. The competition continues through Saturday, Feb. 18, wrapping up with the 400 freestyle relay. Thursday, Friday and Saturday start with preliminaries at 10:30 a.m., followed by finals at 6:00 p.m. On Thursday, diving will being at 2:00 p.m. with the relays set to begin at 5:45 p.m.

Notre Dame will feature a veteran roster of proven BIG EAST Championship performers this week. Leading the way will be junior All-American Katie Carroll, already the owner of 10 BIG EAST titles (five individual, five relay). Carroll will be a favorite to win each and every race she enters. The Irish also will featured talented relay swimmers with junior Rebecca Grove and sophomore Caroline Johnson each owning four BIG EAST relay championship titles.

Junior Jessica Stephens has won an individual and relay title during her career, while junior Ellen Johnson (two) and sophomore Katie Guida (one) have also been successful as part of Notre Dame’s relays.

First-year Notre Dame head coach Carrie Nixon has the team rested and ready for the BIG EAST Championship challenge. This week’s competition will feature the Irish fully tapered for the first time in 2005-06 and several Irish athletes will be in the running not only for BIG EAST titles, but NCAA Championship qualification times as well.

Here is a breakdown of Notre Dame’s entire meet lineup (subject to change) in chronological order –

Wednesday, Feb. 15

  • Women’s One-Meter Diving

Sophomore Tara Hyer and freshman Lucy Hirt carry Notre Dame’s hopes into all of the diving events at the BIG EAST meet this week. Hyer is rated ninth in the league for one-meter diving with a top effort of 261.35 from the Notre Dame Invitational. Hirt is 15th with a season-best effort of 245.84 posted against Michigan State.

Hirt will be experiencing championship competition for the first time in her collegiate career this week. She has been steadily improving late in her rookie season, however, and is in position to score points in the event. Hyer placed sixth in one-meter diving at the 2005 BIG EAST meet and will be looking to improve that finish this week.

  • 800 Freestyle Relay

Notre Dame broke a four-year drought in the 800 freestyle relay last season and returns all four victorious swimmers for this season’s competition. After claiming the 800 freestyle relay title in the in 1997, 1998 and 2000, Caroline Johnson, Ellen Johnson, Katie Carroll and Rebecca Grove brought home the championship last season in 7:16.95.

Entering this season’s meet the Irish are rated behind Rutgers on the league top times list. The Scarlet Knight posted a 7:22.41 effort on Dec. 2, 2006. Notre Dame’s top effort of the season (7:24.50) was turned in by Carroll, freshman Casey Wagner, freshman Christa Riggins and Grove at the Minnesota Invitational on Nov. 18, 2005.

  • 200 Medley Relay

Notre Dame ruled the 200 medley relay from 1997-2002, winning the event each of those seasons. The Irish finished third in 2005 and 2003 and will be focused on nabbing the team title this week. The Irish are rated second on the BIG EAST top times list with a 1:43.46 effort at the Minnesota Invitational, posted by Caroline Johnson, Julia Quinn, Jessica Stephens and Rebecca Grove.

Thursday, Feb. 16

  • 500 Freestyle

Notre Dame always has boasted strong distance swimmers, but an Irish athlete has not earned the BIG EAST 500 freestyle championship since Kristen Van Saun in 2000. This season the Irish enter a deep pool of talented swimmers capable of bringing home the league title.

Katie Carroll is on the 500 freestyle starting list, but will make a decision on Thursday whether to swim the 500 free or the 200 IM – which follows on the meet program. Carroll will be a contender in both races, as she is rated third in the league in the 500 freestyle with an NCAA “B” cut of 4:52.46.

Freshman Casey Wagner cannot be overlooked in the 500 freestyle. She has the league’s second-best time of 4:25.36, posted at the 2006 Shamrock Invitational. That time also is an NCAA “B” cut and a great swim by Wagner could not only lead to a BIG EAST title, but a spot in the NCAA Championship as well.

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Freshman Casey Wagner enters the 500 freestyle this weekend with the league’s second-best time of 4:25.36.

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Classmate Claire Hutchinson could move up to earn all-conference honors in the 500 free as well. She is rated sixth in the league with a time of 4:55.18 from the Michigan Invitational. Also in the race for the Irish will be junior Ellen Johnson (4:56.14), sophomore Kayla Graham (5:06.80), junior Annie Sweeney (5:06.91), junior Abby Strang (5:07.23) and sophomore Morgan Bullock (5:10.91).

  • 200 Individual Medley

Katie Carroll’s flexibility with the 500 freestyle and 200 IM reflects Notre Dame’s depth and talent in both events. Carroll boasts the second-best time in the conference this season in the 200 IM (an NCAA “B” cut of 2:02.69), but the Irish also have posted five of the top 15 times in the league in 2005-06.

Should Carroll choose the 500 freestyle, Notre Dame’s championship hopes would fall to the capable hands of junior Jessica Stephens. The defending BIG EAST 200 breaststroke champion, Stephens is rated fourth in the league this year with a time of 2:03.63. She will look to extend Notre Dame’s winning streak to three consecutive seasons in the 200 IM (Carroll in ’05 and ’04, Lisa Garcia in ’03).

Several other Irish swimmers will vie for all-conference honors as well as top-15 finishes in the 200 IM. Junior Ann Barton is ninth on the conference top time list with a 2:05.83 effort at the Notre Dame Invitational. Sophomore Kelly Battle is not far behind in 12th with a 2:06.61 time. Senior Courtney Choura is 15th on the league list with a time of 2:06.99, while Julia Quinn is 17th (2:07.08). Sophomore Natalie Burke (2:12.18) also is slated to compete for the Irish in the 200 IM.

  • 50 Freestyle

There is no doubt that Irish head coach Carrie Nixon will keep a close eye on this race. Three of Nixon’s 18 BIG EAST titles earned during her Notre Dame career came in the 50 freestyle. Junior Rebecca Grove leads the Irish fortunes in this event, rated third in the league with an NCAA “B” cut time of 23.48 from the Minnesota Invitational. The fourth-fastest 50-freestyle swimmer in Notre Dame history (behind Carrie Nixon, Danielle Hulick and Caroline Johnson), Grove also plays a key role on most of Notre Dame’s relay teams.

Caroline Johnson exploded for a 23.45 runner-up finish in the 50 freestyle at the BIG EAST meet as a freshman last year. Her times have dipped a bit in 2005-06, but she is still rated 16th in the league with a 24.06 effort at the Minnesota Invitational. She will be joined the 50 freestyle competition by Grove, sophomore Katie Guida (24.42), junior Krissy Archer (25.22), Meghan Linelli (24.86) and Christa Riggins (24.06).

  • 200 Freestyle Relay

Notre Dame has failed to claim the 200 freestyle BIG EAST title just once since 1999 (the 2001 season). All of Notre Dame’s competitors from last season’s winning team return, as Katie Guida, Caroline Johnson, Katie Carroll and Rebecca Grove finished in 1:32.94. Notre Dame also holds the meet record in this event from 2002, when Katie Eckholt, Carrie Nixon, Danielle Hulick and Kelly Hecking touched in 1:32.01.

Notre Dame’s top relay is rated third entering this week’s action, as Guida, Caroline Johnson, Carroll and Grove posted a time of 1:35.00 at the Minnesota Invitational.

  • 400 Individual Medley

Katie Carroll is the prohibitive favorite in this event and should easily earn her second consecutive BIG EAST title in the event. Rated fourth in the country in the 400 IM (4:15.34), Carroll’s season-best time is a full six seconds faster than her closest conference competitor.

Freshman Claire Hutchinson will be a candidate to score points in the event, entering the meet rated ninth in the league with a time of 4:26.62. She will be joined in the 400 IM field by teammates Carroll, Kelly Battle (4:31.65), Katie Hopkins (4:31.73), Abby Strang (4:40.27) and Annie Sweeney (4:41.43).

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One of the most flexible swimmers on the Irish roster, Ann Barton will compete in the 200 IM, 100 Fly, 100 Back and 200 Back at the BIG EAST Championship this week.

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  • 100 Butterfly

Jessica Stephens will enter the 100 butterfly with an NCAA “B” cut in hand (55.35) and rated fourth on the BIG EAST top times list. She finished third in the 100 fly last season and will be looking to improve that effort this week. Ann Barton (57.12) and Krissy Archer (59.33) are also scheduled to take part in the 100 butterfly.

  • 200 Freestyle

Possibly the most contested stroke in swimming, Notre Dame will enter a full roster of competitors in the 200 freestyle. Katie Carroll is second on the league’s top times list with a 1:48.73 effort, swum against Minnesota. The 200 freestyle is competed on the same day as the 400 IM, so Carroll will be challenged to become Notre Dame’s first 200 freestyle champion since Linda Gallo in 1998.

Carroll will not be alone in pursuit of the league title in the 200 freestyle. Freshmen Christa Riggins (1:50.75) and Casey Wagner (1:51.05) are fifth and sixth, respectively, on the league’s top times list and are capable of moving up to the podium. Junior Rebecca Grove is seventh on the top times list (1:51.10) and is equally capable of earned all-BIG EAST honors. Ellen Johnson (1:52.27), Kayla Graham (1:53.59), Meghan Linnelli (1:55.53) and Morgan Bullock (1:57.03) also will be in the 200 freestyle field.

  • 100 Breaststroke

The 200 breaststroke will be one of Notre Dame’s top opportunities to dominate the conference field. The Irish enter the meet with the league’s top two times, Jessica Stephens’ 1:03.57 NCAA “B” cut time from the Minnesota Invitational and Julia Quinn’s impressive 1:03.88 – also from the Minnesota Invite. Both swimmers have a chance to reach NCAA automatic qualifying times in the event. Stephens will be swimming her second event of the day, which might give Quinn a slight advantage in the teammate versus teammate battle.

Senior Courtney Choura is a wild card in the breaststroke. Eighth on the league top times list (1:05.29), Choura has a history of stepping up at the BIG EAST meet. She finished second in the 100 breaststroke last season (1:03.62) and second in the 200 breaststroke as a freshman in 2003.

Natalie Burke (1:06.90) and Annie Sweeney (1:09.83) are also set to compete for the Irish in the 100 breaststroke. Stephens, Quinn, Choura and Burke could combine to give the Irish four swimmers in the final top 10 of the 100 breaststroke.

  • 100 Backstroke

Caroline Johnson finished second in the 100 backstroke to cap her solid rookie season last year and returns to the 2006 BIG EAST Championship with the third-best time in the conference (an NCAA “B” cut of 55.77). Rebecca Grove will be in the running for top-10 honors, entering the meet with a time of 57.61 from the Minnesota Invitational.

Also entering the 100 backstroke for the Irish will be Ann Barton (57.93), Morgan Bullock (1:00.85) and Katie Guida (1:00.88).

  • Three-Meter Diving

While Tara Hyer or Lucy Hirt do not figure to compete for the conference championship in three-meter diving, the duo’s effort toward finishing in the top 15 could play a key role in Notre Dame’s team title aspirations this week. Hyer enters three-meter diving rated ninth in the conference with a season-best points total of 313.45. Hyer is 13th with a high score of 270.59.

  • 400 Medley Relay

Notre Dame has won the 400 medley relay seven times at the BIG EAST Championship meet, including a run of five straight from 1998-2002. Last season, Caroline Johnson, Jessica Stephens, Christel Bouvron and Katie Carroll won the event in 3:42.80. Three of those competitors return this season, with Caroline Johnson, Stephens, Carroll and Rebecca Grove posting a 3:45.21 time at the Minnesota Invitational.

Saturday, Feb. 18

  • 1,650 Freestyle

The 1,650 freestyle is a difficult competition to gauge, as the event is typically not competed in dual meets and therefore only a handful of times during the season. Freshman Claire Hutchinson will enter the event as the top Irish competitor, owning a time of 16:46.41 from the Michigan Invitational (rated fourth on the conference top times list). Classmate Casey Wagner is not far behind on the conference list, ranked sixth with a time of 16:55.65 from the Minnesota Invitational.

Notre Dame will enter a number of other swimmers in the 1,650 freestyle and each is capable of contributing points toward the team’s final tally. Abby Strang (17:31.04), Georgia Steenberge (17:46.76), Annie Sweeney (17:43.22) and Krissy Archer (18:34.96) will all be in the 1,650 freestyle field on Saturday.

  • 200 Backstroke

Notre Dame has a chance to score significant team points in the 200 backstroke, as junior Ann Barton and sophomore Caroline Johnson are rated in the top five on the conference list. Both Irish swimmers will be looking to return Notre Dame to the 200 backstroke championship list for the first time since Kelly Hecking in 2002. Barton is third in the conference with a season-best time of 2:01.83 (just off an NCAA consideration time) and Caroline Johnson is right behind with a time of 2:01.99.

Morgan Bullock (2:08.18) and Ellen Johnson (2:06.24) also will be in the 200 backstroke field for the Irish and will be in contention to score points toward the team’s final tally.

  • 100 Freestyle

Notre Dame’s sprint specialist, Rebecca Grove, will be the team’s top threat in the 100 freestyle. Grove will enter the meet with the conference’s sixth-best time, going 51.54 at the Minnesota Invitational back in November. She will be joined in the highly-competitive field by Christa Riggins (51.84), Katie Guida (53.34), Caroline Johnson (53.43), Meghan Linnelli (53.43) and Kayla Graham (53.68).

  • 200 Breaststroke

In similar fashion to the 100 breaststroke, the 200 breaststroke will be an event potentially dominated by the Irish. Julia Quinn (2:16.12) and Jessica Stephens (2:16.28) lead the way on the conference top times list and are joined by Courtney Choura (2:21.48) in the top 10. Both Quinn and Stephens own NCAA “B” cut times and will be looking to improve those efforts as they vie for the BIG EAST title. Stephens hopes to become Notre Dame’s first two-time 200 breaststroke BIG EAST champion since Shannon Suddarth accomplished that feat in 1998 and ’99.

Katie Hopkins (2:22.48), rated 14th on the league top times list, has the ability to move up and score significant points for the Irish as well. Natalie Burke (2:28.61) and Annie Sweeney (2:30.23) are also entered in the 200 breaststroke.

  • 200 Butterfly

The final individual event of the championship, the Irish hope that they will know the outcome of the meet before the final race begins. If Notre Dame needs a clutch performance, however, it is set up with its top swimmer, Katie Carroll, competing in the 200 butterfly. Carroll is rated second in the conference with an NCAA “B” cut of 2:00.61 from the Minnesota Invitational.

She is not alone in the 200 fly. Freshman Casey Wagner posted a solid 2:02.53 at the Michigan Invitational, a time rated seventh in the conference. Kelly Battle (2:05.85), Katie Hopkins (2:06.48) and Georgia Steenberge (2:13.19) also will be in the 200 butterfly field.

  • Platform Diving

Platform diving returns to the meet schedule this season. Notre Dame’s Tara Hyer won the exhibition event last season and the format continues in 2006. Hyer will be the favorite for the non-scored event (outcome does not count toward the team point title) and freshman Lucy Hirt also is scheduled to compete.

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Freshman Lucy Hirt will see her first collegiate championship diving action this week as she competes in one-meter, three-meter and platform diving.

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  • 400 Freestyle Relay

The final event of the 2006 BIG EAST Championship will feature the defending championship relay for the Irish. Last season, Caroline Johnson, Ellen Johnson, Katie Carroll and Rebecca Grove touched the wall in 3:22.03 to claim the event title. The 400 freestyle relay has featured several different swimmers this season. The team’s best time was turned in by Katie Carroll, Christa Riggins, Casey Wagner and Rebecca Grove at the Notre Dame Invitational. That squad ended up with a time of 3:25.47, which is currently ranked third in the conference behind Pittsburgh and Rutgers.