Notre Dame is set to compete in the women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship this weekend at the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center in Atlanta. The championship meet will take place over a three day period beginning on Thursday.
A total of four Notre Dame athletes qualified for the championship meet: freshman Ella Moynihan, sophomore Annie Crea, and seniors Emma Gaboury and Lindsey Streepey. Irish head coach Mike Litzinger said he was excited to see so many Notre Dame athletes qualify for the meet. “Our group is thrilled to represent Notre Dame at the 2016 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship,” Litzinger said. “The selection process for swimmers is exceptionally hard, as it requires you to be in the top 30 of all athletes that compete in that particular event. Having Ella Moynihan qualify in both the 500 [freestyle] and 200 [freestyle] as a freshman bodes very well for our team and its future. On the diving side, Coach Caiming Xie did a fantastic job having a record three divers make the meet.” Litzinger said he hoped having so many divers qualify would have a positive impact on the future of the team. “It certainly is a historic moment for our program,” Litzinger said. “Our seniors Emma [Gaboury] and Lindsey [Streepey] have carried the program all year, and Annie [Crea] will only gain more experience for the future.” The three divers earned their berths last week after competing in the NCAA qualifier meet in West Lafayette, Indiana. Streepey finished in sixth and Gaboury finished in seventh in the women’s one-meter dive event, while Gaboury and Crea finished in fourth and sixth, respectively, in the women’s three-meter dive event. Moynihan did not compete in the NCAA qualifier meet, as she had qualified last month at the ACC Swimming Championship, but Litzinger said he is not worried about the long period between competitions negatively affecting Moynihan. “Not competing for two weeks will not affect Ella,” Litzinger said. “She has been training at a high level, and will be ready. The divers are coming off their regional qualifying meet and are fresh.” Litzinger said he knows the competition at the NCAAs will be tough, considering the best swimmers and divers will be there. “Competing at this meet is very different, as it becomes a meet of individual achievement,” Litzinger said. “Not very many teams can field a full squad, as the qualifying is so difficult. The reality is, if you have an opportunity, you need to take full advantage of it. If you do, you will be in great shape.”
