After a near two-week-long hiatus over fall break, Notre Dame returned to the pool Saturday night, losing 170-128 against No. 24 Purdue at Rolfs Aquatic Center.
Despite the loss, the Irish (2-4) captured victories in six events, including four individual races and two relays.
Senior Emma Reaney had an impressive day, claiming the top prize in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events. Reaney, alongside sophomore Catherine Mulquin, senior Courtney Whyte and junior Catherine Galletti, also claimed victory in the 200-yard medley relay, topping Purdue by over a full second in a time of 1:42.16.
Juniors Genevieve Heidkamp, Genevieve Bradford, Elizabeth House and sophomore Danielle Margheret also captured gold in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
The biggest win of the day, according to Irish interim coach Tim Welsh, came from junior Lindsey Streepey, who took first place in the 3-meter springboard, accumulating 313.28 points.
Welsh said he was exceptionally proud of Lindsey’s performance in this event.
“Purdue diving has always been excellent,” Welsh said. “So to have [Lindsey] face off against some of their best competitors and come out on top was not only re-energizing for her, but for the whole team.”
In addition to Streepey's victory, the Irish claimed the runner-up spot in the 1-meter as well, with senior Allison Casareto racking up 301.8 points.
The Irish added several other runner-ups in multiple events. Mulquin captured second in the 50-yard freestyle, while Galletti claimed second in the 100-yard freestyle. Whyte touched the pad second to claim the runner-up spot in the 200-yard backstroke. Margheret also grabbed second in the 100-yard breaststroke. Overall, the Irish went 1-2 in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events.
Welsh said he was pleased with the improvements the girls made against Purdue, especially coming off a 1-3 road swing in Atlanta and Auburn, Georgia, on Oct. 17 and 18.
“Although we lost, this meet was a real positive for us,” Welsh said. “It all started with the 200-[yard] medley relay and continued on into the individual competitions. It was exciting to see improvement across the board, and I think it’s a very encouraging sign for us as we continue on with our season.”
Notre Dame returns to ACC action next weekend as it welcomes Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh to Rolfs Aquatic Center for a series of dual meets. The two-day meet starts at 5 p.m. Friday and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday.
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