Shamrock Invite is last chance for swimmers to make NCAAs
By ANDREW SOUKUP
Sports Writer
It's crunch time for the Notre Dame swim teams.
This weekend's Shamrock Invitational is the last opportunity for swimmers on the Notre Dame swimming and diving team to earn qualifying times for the NCAA Championship in mid-March, and the Irish swimmers are feeling the pressure.
Although several women's swimmers have earned NCAA provisional qualifying times, not a single swimmer has an automatic bid. Meanwhile, the men's team is hoping to send the first Irish male swimmer to the national competition.
The No. 15 Notre Dame women, who won their fifth consecutive Big East championship title last weekend, have several swimmers who rank among the top in the nation.
Junior Kelly Hecking's backstroke times rank her among the best in Division I competition. She is ranked 11th in both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events and is almost certain to compete at the NCAA championships.
Meanwhile, freshman Marie Labosky is ranked among the top 20 in three events. She is ranked No. 16 in the 400-yard individual medley and is 17th in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 1,650-yard freestyle.
Lisa D'Olier, who won both butterfly events last weekend, holds the No. 27 time in the 100-yard butterfly and is No. 34 in the 200-yard butterfly.
Junior Allison Lloyd is ranked No. 22 in the 100-yard breaststroke, the same event she won last weekend.
Other women's swimmers who have times in the top 50 are Nicole Kohrt, Danielle Hulick and Lisa Garcia.
On the men's side, the best hopes for a NCAA bid rest on the shoulders of Jonathan Pierce. Last weekend, Pierce became the first male swimmer this year to earn an NCAA provisional qualifying bid. His 4:27.39 swim in the 500-yard freestyle also broke his own school record. Pierce also finished fourth in the 400-yard individual medley.
The Irish divers, who went through the entire dual meet season undefeated, also had a solid weekend at the Big East Championships. Andy Maggio led the Irish divers by placing second in the one-meter competition and third in the three-meter competition. Herb Huesman was close behind, finishing fourth on the one-meter board and fifth on the three-meter board.
The Shamrock Invitational begins Saturday and continues through Sunday. Preliminaries begin at 11 a.m. At press time, it was unknown which athletes would be swimming.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 23, 2001
