Feb. 18, 2000
Long Island, N.Y. – The University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team increased its lead to over 250 points after day two of the 2000 BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Championships in Long Island, N.Y. The Irish, who won five events on the day, stand at 590.50 points. Miami is second with 327 points, followed by Rutgers (302 points), Pittsburgh (281) and Villanova (263).
The Irish showed their incredible depth as they won both relays, placed first through fourth in the 100 butterfly and claimed three of the top four places in the 100 breaststroke. Notre Dame also received a third-place finish in the 400 individual medley and a fourth place in the 200 freestyle.
Junior Carrie Nixon continued her spectacular meet with three more victories including the 100 butterfly. Nixon finished the race in a school and BIG EAST record time of 54:07 and automatically qualified for the 2000 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis. Nixon also swam the freestyle leg on the winning 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay.
Yesterday, Nixon won the 50 freestyle in an NCAA automatic qualifying time and swam the freestyle leg on the winning 200 free relay and the 400 medley relay. Nixon has now won six titles at the championships, two individual and four relay titles. Nixon has 11 BIG EAST titles in her career and holds seven Notre Dame and six BIG EAST swimming records.
Sophomore Kelly Hecking and senior Shannon Suddarth were the other individual event winners for the Irish. Hecking won her second consecutive 100 backstroke title finishing in an NCAA consideration time of 56.01. Hecking has now won four titles at the 2000 meet and has won eight BIG EAST titles in her career. Suddarth claimed her sixth BIG EAST title as she won the 100 breaststroke in a “B” qualifying time of 1:02.64.
Sophomore Heather Mattingly, who is fighting through injuries, was fifth in one-meter diving, while senior Gina Ketelhohn was sixth and Karli Richards was ninth.
The 2000 BIG EAST Championships conclude Saturday with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals beginning at 6:30 p.m.
TEAM STANDINGS 1. Notre Dame 590.50, 2. Miami 327, 3. Rutgers 302, 4. Pittsburgh 281, 5. West Virginia 272, 6. Villanova 263, 7. Connecticut 197.5, 8. Boston College 169, 9. Syracuse 135, 10. St. John’s 61, 11. Seton Hall 59, 12. Georgetown 51, 13. Providence 34
RESULTS 200 YARD MEDLEY RELAY 1. NOTRE DAME (Hecking, Lloyd, Barger, Nixon), 1:42.81, 2. West Virginia 1:45.69 (Nelson, Felker, Caprigno, Arnold), 3. Villanova 1:45.90 (Lapinsy, Corby, Mesplier, Olson)
ONE-METER DIVING 1. Jenny Keim (Miami), 446.90, 2. Katie Beth Bryant (Miami) 441.20, 3. Jamie Tomazich (Pittsburgh), 433.00 Other Notre Dame scores: 5. Heather Mattingly 388.70, 6. Gina Ketelhohn 370.60, 9. Karli Richards 345.50.
400-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY 1. Elaine Schwartz (Miami) 4:19.46, 2. Brittany White (Miami) 4:21.28 3. Tiffany O’Brien (Notre Dame) 4:22.23
100-YARD BUTTERFLY 1. Carrie Nixon (Notre Dame) 54:07, 2. Elizabeth Barger (Notre Dame) 55.64, 3. Alison Newell (Notre Dame) 56.24 Other Notre Dame Times: 4. Meghan Lynch 56.25, 10. Amy Deger 56.25, 12. Laura Shepard 57.85
200-YARD FREESTYLE 1. Jennifer Weir (Miami) 1:50.64, 2. Casmera Wick (Rutgers) 1:50.66, 3. Kristen Olson (Villanova) 1:51.29 Other Notre Dame Times: 4. Brenda Reilly 1:51.53, 9.Kristen Van Saun 1:52.44, 13. Amy Deger 1:53.21, 15. Lindsay Moorhead 1:54.86
100-YARD BREASTSTROKE 1. Shannon Suddarth (Notre Dame) 1:02.64, 2. Alison Lloyd (Notre Dame) 1:03.82, 3. Katie Larson (Connecticut) 1:03.82 Other Notre Dame Times: 4. Kathleen Rimkus 1:04.24
100-YARD BACKSTROKE 1. Kelly Hecking (Notre Dame) 56.01, 2. Julie Lapinsky (Villanova) 56.96, 3. Laurie Felker (West Virginia) 57.21
800-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY 1. Notre Dame (Newell, Reilly, Van Saun, Nixon) 7:23.25, 2. Villanova (Brock, Mesplier, Welch, Olson) 7:30.02, 3. Rutgers (McIntyre, Wick, Morse, Kafentzis) 7:30.37