Matt Bertke Class: Senior Hometown: Edgewood, KY High School: Covington Catholic Height / Weight: 6-1 / 170 Position: Free Birthdate: 05/25/1983

Accomplished freestyler is just the second Notre Dame student-athlete in the last 25 years to serve as the team's lone captain ... ranks in the top seven in school history in the three longest freestyle events: fifth in the 1,000 (career-best 9:30.09), sixth in the 500 (4:31.44), and seventh in the 1,650 (15:51.62) ... also stands 12th in the 200 free (1:41.78) ... part of school-record 800 free relay (6:42.55), for which he earned all-BIG EAST honors ... precise and disciplined ... possesses good work ethic ... brings engineering mindset to the pool.

AS A JUNIOR: Ranked among top five on team in the four longest freestyle events ... swam third leg on 800 freestyle relay that broke the oldest school record on the books (12 years) at the Notre Dame Invitational by finishing first with a time of 6:45.44 ... improved on that time by nearly three seconds in resetting record (6:42.55) in third-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships ... that performance was the 45th-quickest time in Division I and gained all-conference honors ... season bests included 1:41.78 in the 200 (5th on team), 4:32.58 in the 500 (4th), 9:42.78 in the 1,000 (5th), and 16:07.72 in the 1,650 (5th) ... at the BIG EAST meet, finished 16th in both the 500 and 1650 free, scoring points in both of those events for the third consecutive year ... just missed consolation final by taking 18th in the 200 free ... swam on 400 free relay that finished first against Oakland.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Swam every freestyle event from 100 to 1,650, ranking as team's second-best performer in each of the three longest ... qualified for BIG EAST Championships in 200, 500, and 1650, posting season bests in the first two ... finished 15th in conference meet in longer two events ... top mile time came in the Notre Dame Invitational ... picked up dual-meet victory in 1,000 vs. Kalamazoo.

AS A FRESHMAN: Showed the ability to swim effectively in many of the freestyle distances ... ranked among the top five Irish swimmers in the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1,000 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle ... best efforts included 48.27 in the 100 free, 1:43.47 in the 200 free (fourth on the team), 4:31.59 in the 500 free (third on the team), 9:30.09 in the 1,000 free (third on the team) and 15:51.62 in the 1,650 free (also third on the team) ... competed in the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyle at the 2002 BIG EAST Championships ... placed seventh in the 500 free, ninth in the 1,650 free and 25th in the 200 free at the BIG EAST meet ... won his preliminary heat in the 500 freestyle at the 2001 Notre Dame Invitational ... earned first collegiate dual-meet race victory in the 200 free against Villanova (1:44.28) ... second dual-meet event victory was the 1,000 free against St. Bonaventure (9:43.39).

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Four-year letterwinner in swimming at Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky. ... compiled a spectacular senior season in 2000-01, earning All-America honors and an individual state championship in the 200 freestyle ... member of three-time regional championship team ... served as team captain during his senior season, leading the team to an undefeated season, a national ranking and a team state championship ... boasts one individual All-America honor and three relay team honors ... born May 25, 1983, in Cincinnati, Ohio ... a member of Notre Dame's Academic Honors Program for Student-Athletes ... tabbed a BIG EAST Academic All-Star in 2002 and `04 ... enrolled in the College of Engineering as a mechanical engineering major.