Feb. 26, 1997

Men Place Seventh at Big East Championships

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Notre Dame's men's and women's swimming and diving teams traveled to Rutgers University for the BIG EAST swimming and diving championships and the women's team came away with the title while the men's team placed seventh for the second consecutive year.

The Irish will play host to the Shamrock Classic at Rolfs Aquatic Center Sat.-Sun, March 1-2.

BIG EAST Championship Review:
Notre Dame's women's swimming team, trailing Miami after the first two days of the meet and by 103 points one event into the third day, rallied to win its first BIG EAST title in just its second year in the BIG EAST Conference.

The Irish, who were third in 1996 in their first BIG EAST championship appearance, outdistanced the Hurricanes by a 661-547.5 score to claim the championships.

Head coach Bailey Weathers was named BIG EAST women's swimming coach of the year for the win. Senior All-American Erin Brooks (Millington, N.J.) defended her 100 and 200 backstroke titles, winning both events once again and setting pool and meet records each time.

The men's team placed seventh with 299.5 points for the second consecutive year, after jumping between sixth and seventh for most of the championships. Pittsburgh won the men's championship with 717 points. On their way to breaking Villanova's four-year string of BIG EAST championships, Notre Dame's women's team posted consideration times for 16 entries into the NCAA swimming championships on March 20-22, in Indianapolis, Ind.

Brooks posted an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 1:57.56 in the 200 backstroke. One of Notre Dame's most accomplished swimmers, the senior has finally broken the school record of 1:57.68 in the 200 backstroke set in 1993 by Tanya Williams. Williams has yet to relinquish the 100 meter record of 55.68 which she also set in 1993.

Brooks fell just short of this mark with her 55.85 in the BIG EAST finals. Freshman Shannon Suddarth (Topeka, Kan.) also finished second at the BIG EAST championships in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.70) setting the school record in NCAA consideration time. She set another school record with a consideration time in the 200 breaststroke (2:16.76).

Colorado Connection:
Three freshman Coloradans, Liz Barger (Littleton, Colo.), Allison Hollis (Aurora, Colo.) and Alison Newell (Parker, Colo.) were key swimmers in Notre Dame's winning the BIG EAST title. The trio has also posted NCAA consideration times. Barger won the 100 butterfly (56.03) at the BIG EAST championships and was third in the 200 butterfly (2:03.31). Hollis posted NCAA consideration as she placed fifth in the 100 backstroke (56.89) and third in the 200 backstroke (2:01.26). Newell set the school record in the preliminaries of the 100 butterfly (55.86) at the BIG EAST championships before finishing second to Barger in the finals and won the 200 butterfly (2:00.61).

Shamrock Classic Preview:
Notre Dame's men's and women's swimming and diving teams will play host to the Shamrock Classic at Rolfs Aquatic Center, Sat.-Sun., March 1-2, the final meet of the year before the NCAA championships. The Irish will be one of seven teams competing in the two-day meet.

Notre Dame Men's Swimming Results (7-5)
Date                     Opponent                       Time/Result 
Fri., Oct. 11            Notre Dame Relays              1st 
Sat., Oct. 25            at Western Ontario              W, 101-62 
Sat., Nov.  2            at Ball State                   L, 116-127 
Fri., Nov.  8            at Boston College               W, 234-66 
Sun., Nov. 10            at Connecticut                  L, 130-168 
Fri., Nov. 15            Pittsburgh                      L, 115-180 
Thurs.-Sat., Dec. 5-7    Notre Dame Invitational         2nd 
Sun.-Tues., Jan 5-7      at Longhorn Diving (Austin, TX) NTS
Thurs., Jan. 9           at Brazil Competition           NTS 
Fri., Jan. 17            Bowling Green                   W, 149.5-86.5 
Sat., Jan. 18            at Cleveland State              W, 121-120 vs. Niagara  W, 146-89
Fri., Jan. 31            at Buffalo                      W, 126-115 
Sat., Feb. 1             at St. Bonaventure              L,112.5-118.5 
Fri., Feb. 7             Western Kentucky                L,118-125 
Sat., Feb. 8             at Wisconsin-Milwaukee          W,162-138 
Wed.-Sat., Feb. 19-22    at BIG EAST Championships       7th (Piscataway, NJ) 
Sat.-Sun., March 1-2     Shamrock Classic                TBA
Fri.-Sat., March 14-15   at NCAA Zone Diving             TBA (Minneapolis, MN) Thurs.-Sat.,
March 27-29              at NCAA Championships           TBA (Minneapolis, MN)
Notre Dame Women's Swimming Results (7-5)
Date                     Opponent    Time/Result
Fri., Oct. 11            Notre Dame Relays   1st 
Sat., Oct. 26            at Arizona L, 50-63 
Fri., Nov. 8             at Boston College   W, 203-96 
Sun., Nov. 10            at Connecticut W, 178-118 Fri., Nov. 15    Pittsburgh  W, 187-113 
Thurs.-Sat., Dec. 5-7    Notre Dame Invitational 1st Mon., Dec. 30   at Hawaii   W, 133-67
Thurs.-Fri., Jan. 2-3    Rainbow Invitational    3rd 
Sun.-Tues., Jan 5-7      at Longhorn Diving (Austin, TX) NTS 
Fri., Jan. 17            Bowling Green   W, 133-108 
Sat., Jan. 18            at Illinois L, 107-193 vs. Indiana  L, 154.5-145.5 
Sun., Jan. 19            Minnesota   L, 124-176 
Fri., Jan. 31            Southern Illinois   W, 161-132 
Sat., Feb. 1             at Michigan L, 58-82 vs. Eastern Michigan   W, 116-23 
Wed.-Sat., Feb. 19-22    at BIG EAST Championships   1st (Piscataway, NJ) 
Sat.-Sun., Mar. 1-2      Shamrock Classic    TBA 
Fri.-Sat., Mar. 14-15    at NCAA Zone Diving     TBA (Minneapolis, MN) 
Thurs.-Sat., Mar. 20-22  at NCAA Championships   TBA (Indianapolis, IN) 
1996-97 Notre Dame Women's Swimming and Diving Top Times
Event              Name                Time     H/F  Place  Opponent                Date 
100 Backstroke     Erin Brooks        55.85 *    F    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
                   Allison Hollis     56.89 *    H    5     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
100 Breaststroke   Shannon Suddarth 1:03.70 *    F    2     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
                   Brittany Kline   1:04.11 *    H    4     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
100 Butterfly      Alison Newell      55.86 *    H    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
                   Liz Barger         56.03 *    F    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
100 Freestyle      Courtney South     51.60 *    H   12     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97
1000 Freestyle     Linda Gallo     10:04.50      F    1     Connecticut            11/10/96 
1650 Freestyle     Linda Gallo     16:52.81      F    4     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 Backstroke     Erin Brooks      1:57.56 !!   H    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97
                   Allison Hollis   2:01.26 *    F    3     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 Breaststroke   Shannon Suddarth 2:16.76 *    H    2     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 Butterfly      Alison Newell    2:00.61 *    F    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
                   Liz Barger       2:03.31 *    H    3     BIG EAST Championships   
200 Free Relay     Notre Dame       1:35.59      F    2     BIG EAST Championships  2/19/97 
200 Freestyle      Linda Gallo      1:50.48 *    H    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
                   Alison Newell    1:50.73 *    R    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 IM             Liz Barger       2:07.16      P    6     BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
200 Medley Relay   Notre Dame       1:44.97      F    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/19/97 
400 Free Relay     Notre Dame       3:28.30      F    2     BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
400 IM             Linda Gallo      4:32.94      H    1     Notre Dame Invitational 12/6/96 
400 Medley Relay   Notre Dame       3:47.25 *    F    2     BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
50 Freestyle       Courtney South     23.93      F    4     BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
500 Freestyle      Linda Gallo      4:50.91 *    H    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
800 Free Relay     Notre Dame       7:25.69 *    F    1     BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97
One-Meter Diving   Gina Ketelhohn    258.00 *    F    3     Minnesota               1/17/97 
                   Rhiana Saunders   257.25 *    F    1     Boston College          11/8/97 
Three-Meter Diving Gina Ketelhohn    285.52 *    F    1     Bowling Green           1/17/97 
                   Rhiana Saunders  256.950 *    F    2     Bowling Green           1/17/97 
* indicates NCAA consideration time       !!indicates NCAA automatic qualifying time
1996-97 Notre Dame Men's Swimming and Diving Top Times
Event              Name                Time    H/F  Place   Opponent                Date 
100 Backstroke     Chris Fugate       52.01     H       1   Notre Dame Invitational 12/6/96 
100 Breaststroke   Steele Whowell     57.25     F       2   BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97
100 Butterfly      Ry Beville         51.10     F      14   BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
100 Freestyle      Ron Royer          46.19     H      11   BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
1000 Freestyle     Scott Zumbach    9:47.33     F       2   Connecticut            11/10/96 
1650 Freestyle     John Lubker     15:55.43     F       1   Notre Dame Invitational 12/7/96 
200 Backstroke     Jeff Page        1:53.39     F      14   BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 Breaststroke   Matt Rose        2:05.45     F       5   BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 Butterfly      Ry Beville       1:52.32     F       9   BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
200 Free Relay     Notre Dame       1:24.31     F       7   BIG EAST Championships  2/19/97 
200 Freestyle      Ray Fitzpatrick  1:40.95     H       7   BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97
200 IM             Matt Rose        1:53.10     F      10   BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
200 Medley Relay   Notre Dame       1:33.12     F       5   BIG EAST Championships  2/19/97 
400 Free Relay     Notre Dame       3:06.48     F       9   BIG EAST Championships  2/22/97 
400 Freestyle      Rich Murphy      3:52.32     F       1   Western Ontario        10/25/96 
400 IM             Scott Zumbach    4:00.95     F       1   Notre Dame Invitational 12/6/96 
400 Medley Relay   Notre Dame       3:24.83     F       6   BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
50 Freestyle       Ron Royer          21.04     H      10   BIG EAST Championships  2/20/97 
500 Freestyle      John Lubker      4:37.50     F       1   Notre Dame Invitational 12/5/96 
800 Free Relay     Notre Dame       6:48.51     F       6   BIG EAST Championships  2/21/97 
One-Meter Diving   Herb Huesman     303.150     F       1   Pittsburgh             11/15/96 
Three-Meter Diving Herb Huesmann     324.52     F       1   Western Kentucky         2/7/97