March 7, 2006
The University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team will send three swimmers and one diver into NCAA Championship competition over the next two weeks. The events will begin with the NCAA Zone C Diving Meet in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend. Sophomore Tara Hyer will represent the Irish in the diving meet.
For the NCAA Championship meet next week in Athens, Ga., (Thursday, March 16 – Saturday, March 18) the Irish will send three swimmers to compete in seven different events. Junior Katie Carroll will compete in the 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly. Junior Julia Quinn will take part in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. Freshman Claire Hutchinson is slated to compete in the 500 freestyle, 400 individual medley and 1,650 freestyle.
The three individual swimmers qualified for the NCAA meet mark the most for the Irish since the team sent three to the 2003 NCAA Championship. That group of Danielle Hulick, Marie Labosky and Lisa Garcia (combined with diver Meghan Perry-Eaton) finished tied for 33rd with 12 points.
Carroll will be making her third consecutive NCAA appearance for the Irish next week. She finished sixth in the 400 IM at last season’s meet to earn All-America honors and is among the best in the nation for that stroke again this season. She is the seventh-ranked 400 IM specialist (4:14.37) entering next week’s competition.
The 2006 BIG EAST 400 IM champion, Carroll will be in contention for the national title in the event. She also is ranked 50th entering the meet in the 200 IM (2:02.69) and 30th in the 200 fly (2:00.04).
Freshman Claire Hutchinson joins elite company from Notre Dame as a rookie qualifying for three events at the BIG EAST Championship meet. Only Carroll (2004), Marie Labosky (2001), Carrie Nixon (1998) and Tanya Williams (1990) qualified for three individual events during their freshman seasons.
Hutchinson’s top qualification is in the 1,650 freestyle, where she is rated 32nd in the field (16:34.37). She also is 50th in the 500 freestyle (4:51.75) and 38th in the 400 IM (4:22.28).
Junior Julia Quinn will be making her second appearance at the NCAA Championship meet and first with the Fighting Irish. Quinn qualified in the 100 breaststroke while competing at Minnesota last season. In 2005-06, Quinn also has qualified for the NCAA meet in the 200 breaststroke. She will be in contention for All-America honors in the 200 breast, as she enters the meet rated 17th in the field (2:14.27). In the 100 breast, Quinn is rated 33rd (1:03.02).
For the NCAA Zone “C” diving meet this weekend at Ohio State, sophomore Tara Hyer will be making her first NCAA appearance. Hyer earned all-BIG EAST honors in three-meter diving at the 2006 conference meet. She boasts top point totals of 313.45 in three-meter diving and 261.35 in one-meter diving this season.
Notre Dame’s NCAA Swimming Championship Qualifiers
Katie Carroll –
200 Individual Medley – 2:02.69
400 Individual Medley – 4:14.37
200 Butterfly – 2:00.04
Julia Quinn –
100 Breaststroke – 1:03.02
200 Breaststroke – 2:14.27
Claire Hutchinson –
500 Freestyle – 4:51.75
1,650 Freestyle – 16:34.37
400 Individual Medley – 4:22.28