Notre Dame swimmers qualify for Big East championships
By NOREEN GILLESPIE
Sports Writer
When he finished the 200-yard butterfly Saturday, sophomore Brian Coughlan looked up at the scoreboard in disappointment.
The time he saw wasn't fast enough to qualify for Big East Championships, where most of his team will compete in two weeks.
But that's because he was looking at the wrong time.
Coughlan misread the scoreboard and accidentally read the lane next to him. In his lane, the scoreboard read 1:55.08 — good enough for a Big East berth.
"I heard my roommate yelling down at me," Coughlan said. "I was like, `Why are you yelling at me? I didn't make the cut!'"
Coughlan's finish undercut the qualifying time of 1 minute, 55.09 seconds by one hundredth of a second — a fingernail's difference in the finish.
The finish was so close to the standard he sent coaches and scorekeepers scurrying to look up the time standard to ensure he had made the cut.
"He really put the work in," said senior co-captain Mike Koss. "He missed it by a couple of seconds last year, and to make it at the last possible meet is just amazing."
Coughlan was one of three members of the men's and women's teams who qualified for the Big East Championships Saturday in the men's team victory against Cleveland State University. Members of the women's team also competed in exhibition races to log qualifying times for the championships.
On the women's side, junior Katie Cavadini moved most of her team to tears when she qualified for the 1,650 yard freestyle.
Cavadini inspired the women's team, men's team and Cleveland State team to cheer throughout the 66-lap race, creating a deafening roar in Rolfs Aquatic Center.
Cavadini swam the race in 17:39. 36, just about two seconds under the time standard. Teammate and distance standout Marie Labosky swam next to Cavadini throughout the race to keep her on track for the cut.
"It was nice to have someone right there with me," Cavadini said. "She and her counter had the pace and signals worked out. I knew I only had about four seconds there with her. ... I couldn't have done it without her."
Sophomore Liane Watkins also earned herself a ticket to New York, qualifying in the 100-yard freestyle. Watkins missed making the cut earlier in the day in the 50-yard freestyle by only 6 one hundredths of a second.
Both teams will compete at the Big East Championships in Uniondale, NY at the Goodwill Games Aquatic Center Feb. 21-23. The women will defend their Big East Title for the sixth consecutive year. The men placed fourth last year.
All Sports Stories for Monday, February 11, 2002
