GREENSBORO, N.C. — After more than four months of regular season training and meets, the Notre Dame men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams headed to the Greensboro Aquatic Center for the 2023 ACC Championships last week. After a five-day meet, the No. 20 Notre Dame men took fifth place, while the women finished eighth.
FINAL MEN’S SCORES
1. | NC State | 1615 |
2. | Virginia Tech | 1008 |
3. | Louisville | 981.5 |
4. | Virginia | 946 |
5. | Notre Dame | 799.5 |
6. | Florida State | 661 |
7. | Pittsburgh | 660.5 |
8. | North Carolina | 514 |
9. | Georgia Tech | 484.5 |
10. | Duke | 321 |
11. | Miami | 210 |
12. | Boston College | 158 |
FINAL WOMEN’S SCORES
1. | Virginia | 1536 |
2. | NC State | 1272 |
3. | Louisville | 1077.5 |
4. | North Carolina | 813 |
5. | Duke | 718.5 |
6. | Virginia Tech | 654 |
7. | Florida State | 586 |
8. | Notre Dame | 539 |
9. | Georgia Tech | 388 |
10. | Miami | 382 |
11. | Pittsburgh | 315 |
12. | Boston College | 179 |
Day 1 Highlights:
The divers got the party started for Notre Dame. Freshman Daniel Knapp, who had posted a standout rookie season to date, continued his excellent work in the 1-meter event. He earned the No. 2 spot with a 364.65 in the morning session and finished fourth overall. Calie Brady finished eighth in the 3-meter (275.20).
The Irish men started off with a bang, breaking the Notre Dame 800 freestyle relay record with a time of 6:16.29. Chris Guiliano, Colton Paulson, Jack Hoagland and Alec DeLong topped the previous top mark set in 2020. Wilburn was also on that relay three years ago.
Day 2 Highlights:
Guiliano earned his second individual medal of the meet, taking bronze in the 50 freestyle with an 18.93 and breaking his own school record.
After breaking into the top 10 all-time in the 500 freestyle earlier this season, sophomore Mary Cate Pruitt bested her mark and moved into fifth all-time with a 4:44.79 performance in the B final on Wednesday night.
Freshman Grace Courtney wrapped up the night by earning an eighth place finish in the women’s 3-meter (274.15).
Day 3 Highlights:
Thursday was a huge one for the Irish. Hoagland won the 400 IM (3:41.15), and Guiliano took gold in the 200 freestyle (1:32.43). Hoagland narrowly missed his own school record in the former event (3:40.73), while Guiliano broke a 2014 record with his swim.
On the women’s side, Coleen Gillilan went 52.34 in the 100 butterfly to take 11th overall. Her time was an NCAA B cut and would have made the field last season. Younger sister and freshman Renee went 52.55 and finished 18th.
Day 4 Highlights:
The Gillilan sisters were back at it on Friday, swimming side-by-side in the B final of the 200 butterfly. Renee got the edge this time, touching at 1:57.33 in 10th place. Coleen’s 1:58.39 was 14th. Both girls earned NCAA B cuts. The elder Gillilan still holds the school record in the event (1:53.94).
Senior captain Ellie Jew posted her best 100 breaststroke swim ever on Friday night, breaking the minute mark and going 59.73. She won the B final and now ranks third in program history in the event.
Friday brought the start of platform diving for the women, and Courtney took sixth overall (258.75).
Turning to the men, freshman Tommy Janton earned his first individual short course program record with a 45.61 time in the 100 backstroke. He went 45.97 in the final and finished seventh.
A time trial 200 freestyle relay broke another program record on the men’s side (1:16.89). The team was composed of Guiliano, Stephan Lukashev, Wilburn and Paulson. Guiliano led off and went 18.88, besting his school record set on Wednesday of 18.93.
Day 5 Highlights:
Saturday night finals started with a sixth place finish for sophomore Maggie Graves in the 1650 freestyle. Her time of 16:14.95 was fast enough to make NCAAs last year and now ranks second in school history. Hoagland followed her swim with a 14:48.82 mile swim of his own, narrowly missing the podium and finishing fourth.
Guiliano broke a third individual record on both Saturday morning and Saturday evening, this time shattering his own previous best in the 100 freestyle. Guiliano entered the meet with a 42.34 set earlier this year, went 41.94 in prelims, and wrapped up his individual slate with a 41.85.
To end the individual swims on the women’s side, Jew won the C final in the 200 breaststroke (2:10.52).
In the last swimming event of the meet, a team composed of Guiliano, Wilburn, DeLong and Thacher Scannell earned the NCAA A cut in the 400 freestyle relay and downed the previous school record with a time of 2:50.14. Guiliano led off with a 41.99 split, his third time under 42 seconds at the meet.
In the diving well, freshman Ben Nguyen made his first final for the blue and gold, finishing eighth on the platform (306.05).