The Observer

Observer Exclusive: Swarbrick discusses four-team playoff in college football, television

Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick talks BCS, last year, Compton Family Ice Arena and television deals in a sit-down interview with The Observer. Full story

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Outstanding Senior Athletes

Outstanding Male Senior Athlete: Lorenz assumes captaincy as Irish open Compton

The temptation is strong for the defenseman to move forward and get some glory. Screaming slap shots from the opposing blue line. The thrilling point position on the power play. Rising points and assists totals. Irish senior defenseman and captain Sean Lorenz will have none of it.
Outstanding Female Senior Athlete: Henderson earns All-American honors, breaks records

Driven by her deep faith and competitive spirit, Irish senior forward Melissa Henderson discovered her role as silent assassin at Notre Dame, where she emerged as an immediate threat and carried the program to its third national title.

Featured Stories

Football: Turnovers, quarterback controversy mar lackluster season

The Irish had plenty of momentum heading into the 2011 season, but Notre Dame’s BCS aspirations were quickly thrown to the wayside after consecutive losses led off a disappointing 8-5 season.
ND Women's Basketball: Irish reach championship game for second straight year

The No. 4 Irish (35-4, 15-1 Big East) ended their season on the wrong end of the sport’s biggest night for the second straight year, falling to Baylor 80-61 in the title game.
Men's Basketball: Notre Dame makes surprising run to NCAA tournament

he young and untested Irish went on to post a 22-12 record including a 13-5 mark in Big East play and exceeded all preseason expectations with a group of new contributors.
Hockey: Preseason No. 1 Irish miss out on NCAA tournament

The Irish had everything during the 2011-12 season — a new arena, a conference change, a new television deal, a preseason No. 1 ranking — except an NCAA tournament bid.

Men's Lacrosse: Notre Dame tops Yale, prepares for Virginia

After defeating Yale 13-7 in the first round of the NCAA tournament last Sunday, the No. 4 seed Irish (12-2) will face No. 5 seed Virginia (12-3) this Sunday for the chance to play in their second Final Four in three seasons. Full story

ND Women's Soccer: National title defense falls short

Just one year after winning the program’s third national championship, Notre Dame struggled through a season marred by frustration as the ball never seemed to bounce in its favor. Full story

Men's Soccer: Irish stumble late, miss NCAA tourney

The 2011 installment of the Irish, despite all its talent and sometimes spectacular play, failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament after losing in the first round of the Big East tournament. Full story

Baseball: Notre Dame clinches spot in Big East tourney

This season’s Irish team has been a model of inconsistency. They beat then-No. 11 LSU on the road — but lost to Western Michigan. They opened the season by winning five of six and added a five-game winning streak in late March — then went on four and five-game losing slides. Full story

Women's Lacrosse: Halfpenny leads team to NCAAs

Whether in offense, defense or attitude, change was made in every facet of the program during Irish coach Christine Halfpenny’s first season at Notre Dame. Notre Dame (13-5, 6-2 Big East) quickly bought into its new coach’s system, and the team returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in two years as a result. Full story

ND Softball: Irish reach NCAA tournament

On March 16 the Irish lost 7-2 to Washington in the final game of the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. The loss dropped Notre Dame’s record to 11-10 — a far cry from the squad’s 46-11 mark in 2011. Full story

ND Volleyball: Irish miss tournament, finish fourth in Big East

Debbie Brown considers earning a berth in the NCAA tournament the benchmark of her team’s success, so despite a second-place finish in the Big East tournament, the Irish coach has to consider the 2011 season a disappointment. Full story

Men's Tennis: Trio continues to compete for Irish in postseason

While the Irish found a great deal of success this season, the team also experienced some heartbreaking losses against top-ranked teams and in the Big East and NCAA championships. Full story

ND Women's Tennis: ND claims Big East title, falls in second round of NCAAs

After a 21-8 season in which the Irish claimed their fifth-straight Big East title, No. 20 Notre Dame ultimately met disappointment at the hands of No. 12 Northwestern, falling in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Full story

Men's Golf: Irish advance to NCAA championships

In a season that saw members of the Irish golf program garner impressive individual accolades, the team has a chance to advance to the NCAA championships, a feat no Irish squad has ever achieved.

ND Women's Golf: Notre Dame finishes second in Big East

This year, under the leadership of Irish coach Susan Holt, Notre Dame ended the regular season ranked 49th in the nation and took second place in the Big East tournament. Full story

ND Cross Country: Teams both finish in top-25 of country

Both the men’s and women’s squads concluded the season in Terre Haute, Ind., at the NCAA championships in November, where the men pulled off a 24th-place finish and the women claimed the 22nd spot in the nation. Full story

Track and Field: Men’s team wins two Big East titles

In a season marked by exciting contributions from newcomers, improved performances from veterans and remarkable consistency, Notre Dame asserted itself as an elite contender on the national level. Full story

Men's Swimming: Irish claim conference title

This season contained a string of awards for the Irish, but for seven swimmers, it meant more than just plaques and trophies. The squad collected its fifth Big East Conference team title, Big East Coach of the Year for both swimming and diving and sent two swimmers to the NCAA championships for the first time in program history. Full story

ND Women's Swimming: ND earns best finish at NCAAs in 11 years

For Notre Dame, this past season was full of personal growth and success in the pool. The six-month period of competition was capped up with top-five finishes in all its invitational meets. Irish coach Brian Barnes knows this season was one to remember for all its successes and hard work behind it. Full story

Fencing: Irish finish third at NCAA championships

Despite losing its top four fencers to Olympic training and trials, Notre Dame still captured a third-place finish at the NCAA championships and second place at the Big East tournament. Full story

Rowing: Notre Dame advances to NCAA championships

The Irish capped off a successful season with their ninth consecutive Big East championship. The team has since been selected for the NCAA championships. Full story

SMC Soccer: Belles reach 10 wins

Under the direction of Belles coach Michael Joyce, Saint Mary’s finished 10-10, marking the first time they eclipsed the five-win plateau for the first time since 2005. The season was highlighted by a win over Hope on Nov. 1. Full story

SMC Cross Country: Saint Mary's takes positives away from 2011

Despite not attaining all of the success the team had hoped for this year, Belles coach Jackie Bauters said Saint Mary’s took many positives from the season that runners can build on for the future.

SMC Volleyball: Saint Mary's improves on 2010 season

Balanced contributions from veterans and a strong freshman class helped the Belles (8-17, 6-10 MIAA) stay competitive in the MIAA. Full story

SMC Golf: Belles take home conference title

It was a tale of two seasons for Saint Mary’s, as the Belles enhanced their roster between the fall and spring semesters and won the MIAA championship, and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Full story

SMC Basketball: Saint Mary's earns berth in MIAA tournament

In a season filled with ups and downs, Saint Mary’s ultimately accomplished the goal it set for itself at the beginning of the season. The Belles overcame much adversity, leading to a fourth-place MIAA finish, which was good enough to earn a berth in the conference tournament. Full story

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Outstanding Senior Athletes

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Men's Golf: Irish advance to NCAA championships

SMC Cross Country: Saint Mary's takes positives away from 2011

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