Notre Dame hosted the Shamrock Invitational at Rolfs Aquatic Center this past weekend, and the Irish women topped all three opponents while the men grabbed a win over one of their three foes in the two-day meet.
Irish head coach Mike Litzinger said after the meet that he was pleased with his team’s overall performance.
“I was very happy on our progression as a team,” Litzinger said. “The whole idea is to have people mature their competitive approach, hone their racing skills and execute in a competitive environment. They did just that. Most of all I am pleased with the responsibility they have for one another. They are becoming a team.”
Monica Villagomez Mendez | The Observer
Freshman David Stewart swims the butterfly in Notre Dame’s 166-132 victory over Northwestern on Jan. 16 at Rolfs Aquatic Center. The Irish men went 1-2 this weekend in the Shamrock Invitational.
Litzinger also said his team needs to improve on the little things before the ACC championships, the next swim for both the men and women.
“[We’re] always working on detail,” he said. “The bulk of our heavy training is done. Now we need to reinforce great habits, rest and sharpen our focus on championship swimming.”
The women competed against Illinois State, Iowa and Grand Canyon, winning against all of them. Among the highlights from the women’s competition, the Irish set a new pool record while winning the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:20.29. Junior Catherine Mulquin, freshman Ella Moynihan, freshman Sofia Revilak and senior Catherine Galletti swan in the race for the Irish. The men won against Missouri State, but lost to both Grand Canyon and Iowa. Junior Trent Jackson won the 200-yard freestyle in one of the better moments of the weekend for the Notre Dame men.
Litzinger said his message to the team after the meet was a positive one.
“We are always evaluating, and self-evaluation is powerful,” Litzinger said. “We only have a few weeks until championship time and I asked everyone to live a championship lifestyle, be proud of what they have accomplished during the year and pour their efforts into the next few weeks.”
For Notre Dame’s seniors, it marked their last meet at Rolfs Aquatic Center. On a weekend during which the Irish celebrated the careers of more than 10 seniors, Litzinger talked about the significance of getting a win in the seniors’ last home meet.
“The seniors’ final home meet is always a special one,” he said. “To compete for a final time at Rolfs, where we spend so much time, has a special significance, but to be in front of family and friends adds to the emotion of the day. The win is certainly the goal, but ultimately it was icing on the cake for our men and women.”
The Irish women will return to action Feb. 17 for the ACC championships at Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the ACC championships, while the men will head to the same location a week later for their shot at conference crowns. Litzinger spoke about how his team will prepare for the championships during the long layoff.
“The ACC has become one of the premier swimming and diving conferences in the country,” Litzinger said. “Our preparation will be geared to planning. We need to manage our performances, expectations and prepare to compete among the best in the NCAA. I believe we will be ready and accept that challenge.”
