The Irish started their season off with a bang, claiming nine of the 10 events in swimming as well as two diving events in the 48th Dennis Stark Relays on Oct. 12.
With 16 underclassmen, the early win could be a sign of good things to come for Notre Dame this season. Sophomore Erin Foley said as a whole, the team performed extremely well, no matter the experience.
"We've been working really hard," Foley said. "It was nice to see where we were at so early on in the season and overall it went really well. We had a lot of promising wins that foreshadow a good season."
Foley said the win will be good for Irish confidence leading into the season.
"I think winning the first meet was a good start for us and [will] boost the confidence as we enter a challenging meet against Auburn," Foley said. "This helps us set a good tone for the season and says the hard work has paid off and will continue to pay off."
Foley said the freshmen performed much better than expected for their first collegiate meet.
"All of them really stepped up and have been working hard every single day," Foley said. "They adjusted really quickly to their first college meet and I'm excited to see what they do this season."
The only relay lost by the Irish during the competition was the 400-yard freestyle whee they were disqualified for a false start. They would have finished in third without the disqualification.
Foley said it was nice to start the season with an unusual meet.
"Swimming is usually a really individual sport," Foley said. "You're on your own. It's a cool way to start off the season, where every race is a relay. It's nice to start off the season doing something different. You can see where you are individually and see what you can do as a team throughout the season."
The Irish success will be put to the test Friday when they take on Auburn. Foley said if the Irish continue to focus and work hard on the little things during practice they will be able to succeed.
"I think we still have a long way to go," Foley said. "There are little improvements we can keep making. We can focus on technique and emphasize the little things like starts, turn, and finishes because if we keep working on them it really will help in the long run."
Notre Dame will test its success Friday against Auburn at 5 p.m. at the Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, Ala.
Contact Katie Heit at kheit@nd.edu
