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Florida native becomes first Notre Dame diver to advance to NCAAs twice during career.

March 26, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - University of Notre Dame diver Michael Bulfin will represent the Irish at the 2008 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. The three-day event will be held from March 27-29 in Federal Way, Wash., at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, and will be hosted by the University of Washington and the Seattle Sports Commission.

Live stats and streaming video will be available through links located on the Men's Swimming and Diving page at UND.com. The event will air on ESPN2 next Thursday (April 3) at 2 p.m. (ET).

Bulfin will compete in the 3- and 1-meter diving events after earning an automatic bid with a strong showing two weeks ago at the NCAA Zone C Diving meet in Columbus, Ohio.

The junior from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., becomes the first member of the Irish program to earn multiple trips to the NCAA Championships. Bulfin qualified for the NCAAs in 2006 when he placed 18th in the 3-meter competition and was 27th off the 1-meter board.

Diver Bob Ebel along with swimmer Tim Kegelman are the only other two Notre Dame student-athletes to take part in the NCAAs.

Ebel, a native of St. Louis, Mo., did so in 3-meter diving event as a sophomore in 1975. He qualified with a record-breaking performance in a dual meet against Illinois State on Feb. 22 in the Rockne Memorial Pool. Ebel's score of 302.65 stood as the school record for nearly 15 years.

Kegelman competed at the 2005 NCAA Championships after earning his berth with a season-best time of 47.66 in the 100 Fly. He also swam in the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Fly at the national meet.

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