Notre Dame returned to the pool for the first time in over a month for their first meet of 2015, but suffered defeats to both Michigan and Northwestern in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday.
The Irish (4-7) won five events, including three wins by Senior Emma Reaney on her first meet since competing for the United States at the FINA Short Course World Championships in Doha, Qatar. However, the team was unable to beat either opponent, losing 182-118 to the Wolverines and 154-146 to the Wildcats.
Reaney achieved NCAA ‘B’ cut times in her wins in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, while she also won the 200-yard individual medley. Notre Dame’s other wins were recorded by junior Catherine Galletti in the 100-yard butterfly and senior Allison Casareto in the 3-meter dive.
Irish coach Tim Welsh said that the effort that the team put in deserved praise and singled out Galletti and Reaney’s performances as being particularly impressive.
“I thought we competed well. I thought we had some really gritty performances in the pool. I thought in the Notre Dame-Northwestern meet, Catherine Galetti’s wins were really gutsy wins, Emma Reaney was challenged by the best that they had — she’s a very tough competitor, and our divers were excellent.”
Galetti and Casareto also recorded second-place finishes in the 100-meter backstroke and 1-meter board respectively, with runner-up honors also going to senior Bridget Casey in the 200-yard butterfly and the 200-yard medley relay team of sophomore Catherine Mulquin, Reaney, senior Courtney Whyte and Galletti. The Irish also recorded third and fourth-place finishes to go along with their wins in the 200-yard breaststroke and 3-meter dive.
Welsh said that the timing of the meet after winter break was difficult for the team and was pleased with how they performed given the circumstances.
“Just on the calendar alone, the location of that competition with Michigan and Northwestern, it’s in probably the most fatigued point in our season,” said Welsh. “We left on Dec. 29th, the meet was Jan. 10th, we had been training every day in the middle.
“I thought it was a strong meet back from training and here we go into the second semester.”
Welsh said that he believes that as the new year begins, the next part of the schedule will be hugely important for the Irish.
“It’s a real critical point in the season for us," Welsh said. “We’re five, five-and-a-half weeks away from the conference championships, we’ve been doing the hard work, and now it’s time for us to collect it all and have the great performance at the end.”
The Irish will next be in the pool in Madison, Wisconsin, at 6 p.m. Friday and continuing at 11 a.m. Saturday, as they face Wisconsin and Indiana.
