Zach Yeadon

Yeadon Competes at World University Games

NAPOLI, Italy — As the Irish celebrated Independence Day at home, rising junior Zach Yeadon represented the Notre Dame men’s swim team as a member of Team USA at the World University Games in Italy.

The San Antonio, Texas native kicked off the morning with a 3:51.18 finish in the 400m free, finishing third in his heat and qualifying for a spot in the evening finals. His second bout in the pool saw him touch the wall in 3:52.18 for seventh overall on the first day of the swimming competition.

Yeadon followed up his individual swim with a strong 800m free relay performance, posting a 200m split time of 1:50.16 in the preliminaries to qualify Team USA for the top spot in the finals. Although he did not participate in the finals swim, Yeadon will bring home gold after the relay finished first with a time of 7:09.77.

“I am very proud of Zach’s efforts while representing the USA,” head coach Mike Litzinger said. “Having the opportunity to swim on a relay, for your country, whether it is in the prelims or finals is a great honor. Helping Team USA to a Gold Medal effort is what every elite level swimmer points toward. It is fantastic that Zach was able to contribute to that effort, and is a very valuable experience that he can draw on in the future.”

The All-American honorable mention as a sophomore will return to the States and prepare for his junior season with the Irish in 2019-20.

— ND —