While only a pair of Irish athletes competed on the first day of the three-day NCAA Division I women's swimming and diving championships Thursday, they certainly didn't disappoint.
Senior diver Meghan Perry Eaton and freshman Katie Carroll both turned in All-American caliber performances as the Big East Championship's Most Outstanding Diver finished third on the 1-meter board and the Big East Championships Most Outstanding Swimmer recorded a ninth place finish in the 200-meter individual medley.
After placing fourth in the preliminaries with a score of 290.40, 18 points behind Alabama's Lane Bassham (308.40), Perry Eaton boosted her score by over 13 points in the finals, posting a 303.90.
South Carolina's Allison Brennan won the event with a 307.20 on the lower board.
The third-place finish garnered Perry Eaton All-American honors a year after she received an All-American honorable mention for finishing ninth on the one-meter board.
Carroll posted a time of 2:13.43 in the preliminaries to place 11th and become the first Irish swimmer to qualify for the finals of the 200-meter individual medley.
Like Perry Eaton, Carroll was even better in the finals, recording a time of 2:12.28 to win the consolation finals and finish ninth overall.
The performance earned Carroll All-American honors.
Carroll races in the 400-meter individual medley today and the 100-meter freestyle Saturday, while Perry Eaton competes on the 3-meter board today.
Preliminaries are at 11 a.m. with events finals scheduled for 7 p.m.
