Feb. 20, 1997

Irish Women Second, Men Seventh After Second Day at Big East Meet

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Notre Dame's women's swimming and diving team stands in second place and the men in seventh after the second day of action at the Big East swimming and diving championships. Competition resumes Friday at the Werblin Recreation Center at Rutgers University and continues through Sat., Feb. 22. Miami leads the women's competition 284 points, with Notre Dame second with 242 and Villanova third with 213. Pittsburgh leads the men's division with 244 points, while Syracuse has 226. The seventh-place Irish have 111 points.

Notre Dame's women's swimming and diving team had two swimmers post NCAA consideration times in the 500 freestyle as junior Linda Gallo set a new school record as she took second in 4:51.51. Freshman Alison Newell was fourth with her NCAA consideration time of 4:54.59 while freshman Allison Hollis placed 14th in 5:03.33. In the 200 individual medley, Notre Dame's Molly Beeler, Liz Barger and Anne Iacobucci placed sixth, seventh and eight while Shannon Suddarth was 13th.

Another school record fell in the 50 freestyle as Courtney South swam 23.93 to break the 24-hour old record of 23.97 set by Laura Shepard on Wednesday in the 200 freestyle relay. Shepard took seventh in the 50 freestyle in 24.18. The Irish continued their relay success they had on Wednesday with first and second-place finishes as they were second once again this time on Thursday in the 400 medley relay. The team of Erin Brooks, Brittany Kline, Liz Barger and Courtney South posted an NCAA consideration time of 3:47.25, another school record. Freshman Gina Ketelhohn continued her diving success as she placed sixth in the one-meter diving while Rhiana Saunders was 13th.

"We had another good day," said women's head coach Bailey Weathers. "We started the day with one person who was seeded to make the finals and we had seven in the finals so it was a great day for us. We swam way above our expectations."

On the men's side, senior captain Matthew Rose placed 10th in the 200 individual medley in 1:53.10 while freshman Robert Fetter was 12th in 1:53.85. Senior Ron Royer was 13th in the 50 freestyle with his time of 21.30. The relay team of Chris Fugate, Steele Whowell, Ry Beville and Royer, who were fifth on Wednesday in the 200 medley relay, placed sixth in the 400 medley relay in 3:24.83, the second fastest time in Notre Dame history.

The 400-yard individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, men's three-meter diving and 800-yard freestyle relay highlight the action Friday at the third day of the Big East championships.