Dec. 4, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s swim team has been taking it easy since their last meet on Nov. 14 against Michigan State, tapering in preparation for another Big Ten meet on the docket. Starting Friday, Dec. 4 and swimming through Sunday, Dec. 7, the men’s swimmers and divers – joined by the Irish women’s diving squad – will compete at the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa. The Irish won last year’s meet, blitzing the field with 1,228.5 points – the second highest total in meet history.
“We are looking to end the semester with some great performances this weekend,” head coach Matt Tallman says. “The team has put in a lot of quality, tough training the past few months, and if we put our races together correctly the guys stand a good chance of surprising themselves for the middle of the season.”
Top performers for the Irish in the fall schedule include Andrew Jensen and Patrick Olson in breaststroke, joined by school record holders Zachary Stephens (100 and 200 breast) and Jonathan Williamson (200 fly). Freshmen Benjamin Jany (distance freestyle) and Justin Plaschka (sprint freestyle) have also made waves in meets against Big Ten foes Purdue and Michigan State as well as conference rivals Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.
“We’re looking forward to a good trip, and the quality competition this weekend will bring – as long as we meet our expectations, the score will take care of itself,” Tallman adds.
Meet action will start at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium at 11 a.m. ET Friday through Sunday, with finals sessions set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Other entrants at the annual meet include Denver and Milwaukee, while Ohio State has sent a contingent from their diving squad as well.
Fans can follow this week’s action via live results, and on the “Meet Mobile” swim meet application on cell phones and tablets. Download the application at this link: http://www.active.com/mobile/meet-mobile-app.
Tweets and Facebook posts will also be updated regularly throughout the weekend on the team accounts.