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Tuesday, May 14, 2024
The Observer

Chris G.jpeg

Irish make history at ACC Championships with second place overall finish

Junior Chris Guiliano led the pack with three first place performances

Men’s Swim and Dive 

The 2023-2024 No. 11 Notre Dame and swim and dive men’s team made history this weekend with a second place finish in the 2024 ACC Championships. The Irish won four individual events and the 400 freestyle relay, broke 12 school records (seven in individual events, four in relays, one in the diving well) and posted 28 best times. 

Junior Chris Guiliano dominated the meet, capturing the gold in the 50 (18.70), 100 (40.62) and 200 freestyle (1:31.16). Guiliano set a conference record in the 100 and tied the conference in the 200. Based on his performance, Guliano was named Most Valuable Swimmer of the meet.

Sophomore Tommy Janton also won gold for the Irish, breaking his own school record to capture the 200 backstroke in a 1:39.21. Fellow sophomore Marcus Gentry saw two fifth place finishes in both the 100 backstroke (45.57) and the 200 backstroke (1:41.15).

Graduate student Tanner Filion posted some major points as well, winning the B final of the 100 back and setting a school record of 44.99. Filion also placed seventh in the 200 back (1:41.82) and saw a best time and 10th place finish in the 100 fly (45.68).

The Irish went out with a bang, earning the gold medal in the 400 free relay. Guiliano, Filion, Janton and graduate student Abdelrahman El-Araby shattered the previous program record with a 2:45.58. The other new relay records included the: 

200 free relay (1:15.59/fourth place) — Guiliano, Elaraby, Filion, Janton

200 medley relay (1:23.34/third place) — Gentry, Christianson, Cason Wilburn, Elaraby

400 medley relay (3:03.26/third place) — Gentry, Tyler Christianson, Elaraby, Guiliano

In the diving well, sophomore Ben Nguyen earned a bronze medal, breaking the school platform record in the process with a score of 406.70. Nguyen’s score also qualified him for this upcoming summer’s Olympic Trials. Nguyen saw two other top eight finishes with fifth in the 3-meter (379.25) and fourth in the 1-meter (357.40).

Women’s Swim and Dive 

The women finished eighth overall with six top eight finishes, four being in the diving well. Divers carried the women’s team, with sophomore Grace Courtney and junior Calie Brady posting impressive results on Tuesday’s 3-meter. Courtney placed fourth (325.55), with Brady at eighth (319.20). On Wednesday, the two repeated their spots in the top eight, with Courtney at fourth in the 1-meter (292.85) and Brady at eighth (182.25). 

For the swimmers, junior Madelyn Christman finished fifth in the 200 back with a finals time of 1:53.67. She notched a best time and the second-fastest time in program history in prelims (1:53.06). Christman also had a best time in the 100 back (52.66), finishing 12th. Fellow junior Maggie Graves also made Saturday finals, finishing fifth in the 1650 with a time of 16:16.78. Graves also saw a personal best and 10th-place finish in the 500 free. Junior Jess Geriane and sophomore Grace Brenneman were C finalists in the 50 free after two best times in the prelims session — 22.56 and 22.59, respectively. 

Next up for the Irish divers is the 2024 Zone Diving Championships in Louisville from March 14-16. Then comes the final stage for the college swimming season — the NCAA Championships. The women will compete in Athens, GA from March 20-23, with the men’s competition to follow in Indianapolis, IN from March 27-30.  

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