Notre Dame Women Set Five Pool Records, Win Shamrock Invitational

Photo Courtesy: University of Notre Dame Athletics

NOTRE DAME – The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team lowered five pool records and won 17 events en route to the women’s team title at their own Shamrock Invitational on Saturday. On the men’s side, Iowa’s Roman Trussov lowered the pool record in the 200 breast to lead the Hawkeye men to victories over Notre Dame, Incarnate Word and Missouri State.

Notre Dame Women’s Press Release

It would have been tough for the University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team to script a better weekend. In their biggest home meet of the year, the Irish won 17 events, earned 15 runner-up finishes, broke five Rolfs Aquatic Center pool records and recorded 11 NCAA B Cuts to blow past opponents Iowa and Incarnate Word at the 2015 Shamrock Invitational. In addition, eight senior student-athletes were honored in a ceremony prior to Saturday evening’s final session that brought back many fond memories of the last four years together.

“I knew this would be one of my last times competing here (Rolfs) at this pool, so I tried to have the most fun I possibly could,” said senior diver Allison Casareto, who swept both diving events this weekend. “I tried to liken everything to a practice and take in all that I could that is enjoyable about the pool, about the boards and the people around me and soak in all that energy and see where it took me.”

Casareto wasn’t the only senior that had a big weekend. All-American Emma Reaney surprised no one with an impressive meet that featured three individual wins, four relay victories and four pool records (two individual, two relay) as she slowly begins to put a cap on her world-class time here at Notre Dame.

“At this point in the season, this is exactly where I want to be with my 200 IM and 200 breast,” said Reaney. “I trained a lot of sprint stuff before world championships because I thought I was only going to do the 50 and 100 (breast) and then when I got back I trained mostly 200 stuff. So I need to kind of get my sprint back, I wish my 100 (breast) had been a little faster today.

As far as the sort of finality that surrounded the weekend with Saturday’s senior ceremony, Reaney hasn’t had time to reflect on it quite yet.

“I don’t know when it’s going to hit (the emotion of being a senior) because I still don’t feel like November was our last football game. I still feel like we will be going back next season. It’s going to take awhile for it to all sink in. We have a team dinner tonight where the juniors read speeches about the seniors and my best friend in the whole world is reading mine, I’m getting choked up just thinking about it, so that’s when it’s going to get emotional.”

Notre Dame (6-9) wraps up its regular season next weekend with a 12 p.m. ET Saturday dual meet with Cleveland State. Admission is free for all fans.

EVENING SESSION

Notre Dame swept the 200 breast, led by Reaney’s pool record in the event. She went 2:09.11 to lower her mark of 2:10.75 set January 12, 2013. Freshman Sherri McIntee (2:15.48) and sophomore Danielle Margheret (2:16.31) followed right behind Reaney to help extend Notre Dame’s impressive lead over both opponents.

The Irish claimed the top two spots in the 200 back, as sophomore Katie Miller touched the wall first in 2:00.05 and junior Catherine Galletti placed second in 2:01.48.

In the 100 free, sophomore Catherine Mulquin notched an NCAA B Cut (49.81) to win the event by 1.84 seconds. Senior Hannah Bowen claimed second in 51.55.

Another event, another sweep for the Irish, as the trio of senior Courtney Whyte (1:58.70), senior Bridget Casey (1:58.81) and senior Melissa Scott (2:01.24) took all three spots on the figurative podium. Whyte and Casey both registered NCAA B Cuts, with Whyte just missing out on the pool record by .08 seconds.

The Irish closed out the meet with a fun 400 free relay that allowed all seven swimming seniors an opportunity to compete. The foursome of Reaney, Genevieve Bradford, Galletti and Mulquin claimed first in 3:22.03, while Suzanne Bessire, Bowen, Whyte and Elizabeth House placed second in 3:27.44.

MORNING SESSION

Notre Dame started off day two with its third pool record of the weekend, as Galletti, Reaney, Whyte and Mulquin lowered the school mark in the 200 medley relay. The foursome went 1:40.33 to break Auburn’s record of 1:40.84 that was set by Bos, Duncan, Riordan and Vanderpool-Wallace Oct. 21, 2011.

The Irish swept the top five spots in the 100 fly, led by Galletti’s pool record time of 53.35, which was also an NCAA B Cut. Reaney claimed second and also notched an NCAA B Cut (53.99), while Whyte finished third (54.81).

Galletti won her second individual event of the day in the 100 back, notching an NCAA B Cut time of 53.95. Mulquin (54.48 – NCAA B Cut) and Whyte (55.69) helped the Irish sweep the top three spots.

On the 1-meter, Casareto completed her weekend sweep by totaling 321.50 points on her way to victory. Teammates Lindsey Streepey (298.70) and Emma Gaboury (281.20) claimed second and a tie for third, respectively.

It was a Notre Dame sweep in the 200 free, as House took first in 1:50.72, followed by senior Suzanne Bessire (1:52.03) and freshman Molly Treble (1:52.94).

Reaney turned in an effortless performance in the 100 breast, as she notched an NCAA B Cut time of 1:00.05 to pick up her second individual victory of the meet. Margheret claimed second in 1:02.63.

The Irish placed two competitors in the top three in the 400 IM, as Casey took second (4:21.56) and Miller placed third (4:21.71).

Notre Dame closed out the morning session with a win in the 800 free relay, as Bessire, Bradford, House and Reaney touched the pad in 7:26.95.

Iowa Men’s Press Release

The 19th-ranked University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team wrapped up day-two competition at the Shamrock Invitational Saturday at the Rolfs Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana. The Hawkeyes posted wins over Notre Dame (195-175), Incarnate Word (299-69), and Missouri State (215-153).

“We’re thankful to Notre Dame for once again putting on an outstanding meet as a first-class host,” said UI head coach Marc Long. I’m proud of this group of athletes and very pleased with our performance this weekend. We packed in a championship-style meet in a 24 hour span which made for some gutsy racing.”

The Hawkeyes posted three straight wins down the final stretch to take control of the lead as the meet winded down. Roman Trussov was the first to get things going in the 200 breast — leaving his mark with a new pool record. Trussov led the field touching in with a first-place time of 1:58.86.

“Roman was outstanding tonight,” said Long. “To break a pool record at Notre Dame in this 30-year old aquatic center is really something special.”

Newcomer Jerzy Twarowski followed up with a win in the 200 fly to extend the Black and Gold lead. The Krakow, Poland, native touched in at the 1:58.86 mark.

“Jerzy is impressing everyone with what he’s been able to do so far this season as just a freshman,” said Long. He’s putting together quite a year and I’m excited to see how far he can go.”

In the 400 free, the quartet of Joseph Halsmer, Brian Donatelli, Grant Betulius, and Thomas Rathbun swam to Iowa’s final win. The foursome swam to a top time of 3:01.08. Halsmer and Betulius also had third-place showings in their respective individual events. Halsmer finished third in the 100 free (45.58) and Betulius in the 200 back (1:50.50).

Two Hawkeyes also captured runner-up finishes in the final session. Chris Dawson in the opening event — the 1,650 free — coming in with a time of 15:41.64 and Andrew Parker in the 200 back 1:48.67.

A talented group of Notre Dame divers stole the show in the diving well taking four of the top five spots. UI divers Brandis Heffner (332.50), Matthew Mauser (329.95), and Addison Boschult (326.20) finished 6-7-8 for the Black and Gold.

“It’s disappointing that we left some dives out there but we continued to battle and kept fighting,” said UI diving coach Todd Waikel. “Brandis, Matthew and Addison each missed at least one dive a piece which can be a setback, but they stuck in there and kept fighting. I was happy to see Matt get his Zone Diving Standard and that’s a really great accomplishment for him. We’re going to take what we learned from this meet and keep working towards Big Tens.”

The Hawkeyes return to action Feb. 6, hosting Western Illinois and South Dakota at 6 p.m. (CT) in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium in Iowa City.

Shamrock Invitational – Results

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