January 16, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 23rd-ranked Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team held onto its day one lead to defeat Illinois (195.5-153.5) and Ohio State (214-130) in a two-day, double-dual meet held at Illinois, Jan. 15-16. The Irish won 11 of the 19 events, including five of the nine held on the second day of competition, to improve their record to 5-2 overall.
Two Notre Dame swimmers, Elizabeth Barger (Littleton, Colo.) and Kelly Hecking (Rutherford, N.J.), won four events apiece. Barger, who set a pool record Friday night in the 200 butterfly, won the 100 butterfly in 56.68 and was a member of the winning 400 medley relay team. Hecking swam the opening backstroke leg on the 400 medley relay team before winning the 200 backstroke in 2:04.76, a little under four seconds faster than her nearest competitor. Hecking won the 100 backstroke on Friday, while she and Barger were both a part of the winning 200 medley relay team.
Other Irish swimmers winning events on the second day of competition included Kristen Van Saun (Lawrence, Kan.) with a team season-high of 4:58.33 in the 500 freestyle and Heather Mattingly (Houston, Texas) with a score of 283.80 in the three-meter diving competition.
The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team will travel to Michigan for their last and most important dual meet of the season against the 10th-ranked Wolverines on January 30.