Feb. 19, 1998

Notre Dame Women's Swimming in First, Men Fourth at BIG EAST Championships

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Linda Gallo won the 500 freestyle to lead Notre Dame's defending BIG EAST champion women's swimming and diving team into first place with 281 points after the second of four days of competition at the BIG EAST championship at the University of Pittsburgh. The women entered the second day in third place, 18 points behind Miami. The Irish men, seventh in each of the last two years, remain in fourth place with 160 points while Miami leads the men's competition with 290.

Gallo won the 500 freestyle with a school record, meet record and NCAA qualifying time of 4:48.02 as the Irish took five of the top nine spots in the 500 free. Alison Newell also provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships with a third-place time of 4:52.78. The trio of Shannon Suddarth, Tiffany O'Brien and Liz Barger finished third, fourth and fifth in the 200 individual medley while Kathleen Rimkus was 12th. Carrie Nixon finished second in the 50 freestyle in 23.34 while Laura Shepard was fifth in 23.88.

"We are pleased with how the meet is going," said women's head coach Bailey Weathers. "All of our relays have done well, and our times should get even better as the meet progresses."

The men's 400 medley relay team of Chris Fugate, Steele Whowell, Scott Zumbach and Robert Fetter placed fifth in 3:22.87 to break the five-year school record 3:23.93. Fugate led off the relay with a school-record 100 backstroke time of 51.81. Zumbach gave the Irish their highest finish of the meet thus far by placing third in the 200 individual medley in 1:51.18, while Rob Fetter was eighth in 1:54.00. Herb Huesman finished fourth in the diving for the second consecutive day, scoring 471.10 in the one-meter diving after placing fourth in the three-meter on Wednesday. John Lubker was ninth in the 500 freestyle with a school-record time of 4:31.41. Ron Royer finished 10th in the 50 freestyle in 21.09.

"This was a great night for us," said men's head coach Tim Welsh. "Three school record fell and we are swimming extremely well."

BIG EAST Swimming and Diving Championships

Day Two of Four

Women's Standings
 1. Notre Dame      281
 2. Pittsburgh      211
 3. Villanova       199
 4. Miami           180
 5. Syracuse        163
 6. Connecticut      98
 7. West Virginia    96
 8. St. John's       73
 9. Rutgers          60
10. Boston College   59
11. Providence       40
12. Seton Hall       28
12. Georgetown       26
Men's Standings
 1. Miami           290
 2. Pittsburgh      196.5
 3. Syracuse        193.50
 4. Notre Dame      160
 5. Connecticut     148
 6. Villanova       126
 7. St. John's      125
 8. Rutgers          93
 9. West Virginia    85
10. Seton Hall       80
11. Providence       69
12. Boston College   50
13. Georgetown       37
Women's 500 Freestyle 
 1.  Linda Gallo, Notre Dame        4:48.02
 3.  Alison Newell, Notre Dame      4:52.78
 5.  Kristen Van Saun, Notre Dame   4:57.61
 8.  Allison Vendt, Notre Dame      5:01.65
 9.  Brenda Reilly, Notre Dame      4:59.16
Men's 500 Freestyle 
 1.  M. Vucetic, Syracuse           4:25.85
 9.  John Lubker, Notre Dame        4:31.41
12.  Ray Fitzpatrick, Notre Dame    4:38.08
Women's 200 Individual Medley
 1.  Rhiannon Leier, Miami          2:03.87
 3.  Shannon Suddarth, Notre Dame   2:06.13
 4.  Tiffany O'Brien, Notre Dame    2:06.78
 5.  Liz Barger, Notre Dame         2:06.79
12.  Kathleen Rimkus, Notre Dame    2:09.81
Men's 200 Individual Medley
 1.  Daniel Karlsson, Syracuse      1:48.51
 3.  Scott Zumbach, Notre Dame      1:51.18
 8.  Robert Fetter, Notre Dame      1:54.00
Women's 50 Freestyle
 1.  Kristen Olson, Villanova       23.22
 2.  Carrie Nixon, Notre Dame       23.34
 5.  Laura Shepard, Notre Dame      23.88
15.  Courtney South, Notre Dame     24.43
Men's 50 Freestyle
 1.  Nick Folker, Miami             20.26
10.  Ron Royer, Notre Dame          21.09
Men's One-Meter Diving
 1.  Rio Ramirez, Miami             620.05
 4.  Herb Huesman, Notre Dame       471.10
Women's 400 Medley Relay
 1.  Notre Dame                     3:45.86
     Tiffany O'Brien                  58.45
     Shannon Suddarth               1:02.26
     Liz Barger                       54.70
     Carrie Nixon                     50.45
Men's 400 Medley Relay
 1.  Syracuse                       3:17.08
 5.  Notre Dame                     3:22.87
     Chris Fugate                     51.81
     Steele Whowell                   56.09
     Scott Zumbach                    50.05
     Robert Fetter                    44.92