March 7, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 19th-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team has qualified eight swimmers to compete in 10 individual events at the 2007 NCAA Championships, this week, March 8-10, at the Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn. This is the second largest number of swimmers and divers the Irish have qualified for an NCAA Championship meet. Only 15 schools nationally are sending a larger contingent to the meet than Notre Dame.
Qualifying for the event are seniors Katie Carroll (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy), Rebecca Grove (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown), Ellen Johnson (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy) and Julia Quinn (Evanston, Ill./Evanston). Caroline Johnson (Springfield, Mo./Glendale) represents the junior class. Sophomores Claire Hutchinson (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) and Christa Riggins (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunnyslope) along with freshman Megan Farrell (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) round out the field for Notre Dame.
Of the eight, five swimmers are making their debut at the 2007 NCAA Championships (Farrell, Grove, Caroline Johnson, Ellen Johnson and Riggins). Carroll is making her fourth consecutive appearance; Quinn is going for the third time (twice as a member of the Irish and once with Minnesota) while Hutchinson is making her second NCAA appearance.
All individuals who qualify for relays may participate in their respective individual events if they have automatic or provisional qualifying times. The Irish qualified in the 200-freestyle relay (Caroline Johnson, Riggins, Carroll, and Grove) and the 800-freestyle relay (Riggins, Carroll, Farrell and Ellen Johnson). The 800 relay team is ranked 14th (7:14.23), while the 200 relay team is 20th (1:31.85) nationally.
Carroll, a 2005 All-American with a sixth-place finish in the 400 IM, will have three individual chances at this year’s meet to take All-American honors. The senior has the highest ranking of any Irish swimmer, as she is ranked 12th in the 400 IM (4:14.99) and 16th in the 200 butterfly (1:58.75). Carroll is also 38th in the 200 IM (2:01.40). Last season, Carroll was an honorable mention All-American, finishing 13th in the 200 IM.
Hutchinson’s top qualification is in the 1,650 freestyle, where she is ranked 25th in the field (16:26.94). She is also 65th in the 500 freestyle (4:52.91).
Riggins swims in three events for Notre Dame. Riggins is 32nd in the 200 freestyle (1:47.82), 66th in the 100 freestyle (50.63) and 67th in the 50 freestyle (23.33).
Quinn enters the meet 33rd in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.55) and 73rd in the 200 IM (2:03.65).
Caroline Johnson is 33rd in the 100 backstroke (54.90). Grove is ranked 48th in the 50 freestyle (23.03). Ellen Johnson is ranked 51st in the 500 freestyle (4:49.69) and 58th in the 200 freestyle (1:49.14). Farrell is 57th in the 200 freestyle (1:49.12) and 70th in the 200 IM (2:03.44).
Notre Dame’s all-time high mark for swimmers sent to the NCAA Championships was set in 2002 when eight swimmers (Carrie Nixon, Kelli Barton, Kelly Hecking, Kristen Peterson, Allison Lloyd, Lisa Garcia, Lisa D’Olier, and Marie Labosky) and one diver (Heather Mattingly) attended. The 52 points that group scored are still the most points by an Irish squad at the NCAA Championships, while the 19th place finish is second only to the class of 2000’s 18th place finish.
Recently, the 2007 women’s swimming and diving team captured their record 11th consecutive BIG EAST team title, with Carroll being named the Women’s Most Outstanding Swimmer and head coach Carrie Nixon capturing the Women’s BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors.
The NCAA Championships begins this weekend, March 8-10 at the Minnesota Aquatic Center. Preliminaries are at 11 a.m. (CT), followed by diving 1 p.m. (CT) and the finals are at 7 p.m. (CT). Live results for the meet can be found at gophersports.com. A full recap of the day’s events can be found at und.com following the action in the pool each day.
Schedule of Events:
Preliminaries (11 a.m.)
200 freestyle relay
500 freestyle
200 individual medley
50 freestyle
400 medley relay
1 p.m.
one-meter diving
Finals (7 p.m.)
200 freestyle relay
500 freestyle
200 individual medley
50 freestyle
400 medley relay
Friday, March 9
Preliminaries (11 a.m.)
200 medley relay
400 individual medley
100 butterfly
200 freestyle
100 breaststroke
100 backstroke 800 freestyle relay
1 p.m.
three-meter diving
Finals (7 p.m.)
200 medley relay
400 individual medley
100 butterfly
200 freestyle
100 breaststroke
100 backstroke 800 freestyle relay
Saturday, March 10
Preliminaries (11 a.m.)
200 backstroke
100 freestyle
200 breaststroke
200 butterfly
400 freestyle relay
1 p.m.
platform diving
Finals (7 p.m.)
1,650 freestyle (last heat of timed finals)
200 backstroke
100 freestyle
200 breaststroke
200 butterfly
platform diving finals
400 freestyle relay
Notre Dame’s NCAA Swimming Championship Event Qualifiers
50-yard freestyle
48. Rebecca Grove 23.03
67. Christa Riggins 23.33
200-yard IM
38. Katie Carroll 2:01.40
70. Megan Farrell 2:03.44
73. Julia Quinn 2:03.65
400-yard IM
12. Katie Carroll, 4:14.99
100-yard freestyle
66. Christa Riggins, 50.63
200-yard freestyle
32. Christa Riggins, 1:47.82
57. Megan Farrell, 1:49.12
58. Ellen Johnson, 1:49.14
500-yard freestyle
51. Ellen Johnson, 4:49.69
65. Claire Hutchinson, 4:52.91
1,650-yard freestyle
25. Claire Hutchinson, 16:26.94
200-yard butterfly
16. Katie Carroll, 1:58.75
100-yard breaststroke
33. Julia Quinn, 1:02.55
100-yard backstroke
33. Caroline Johnson, 54.90
200-yard freestyle relay
20. Notre Dame, 1:31.85
Caroline Johnson, Christa Riggins, Katie Carroll, Rebecca Grove
800-yard freestyle relay
14. Notre Dame, 7:14.23
Christa Riggins, Katie Carroll, Megan Farrell, Ellen Johnson
Breakdown of Notre Dame Qualifiers
Katie Carroll
200-butterfly
200-yard IM
400-yard IM
200-yard freestyle relay
800-yard freestyle relay
Megan Farrell
200-yard IM
200-yard freestyle
800-freestyle relay
Rebecca Grove
50-yard freestyle
200-yard freestyle relay
Claire Hutchinson
500-yard freestyle
1,650-yard freestyle
Caroline Johnson
100-yard backstroke
200-yard freestyle relay
Ellen Johnson
200-yard freestyle
500-yard freestyle
800-yard freestyle relay
Julia Quinn
200-yard IM
100-yard breaststroke
Christa Riggins
50-yard freestyle
100-yard freestyle
200-yard freestyle
200-yard freestyle relay
800-yard freestyle relay