NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Ahead of their team’s end-of-year banquet, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish swimmers met to select captains for the 2016-17 season. With the recent announcement of the formerly-separate men’s and women’s teams combining, it would be the first time in three years for the men’s team to select captains.
Molly Barry (San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic), Annie Crea (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands College Park) and Catherine Mulquin (Laytonsville, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel) were all selected as the captains from the women’s squad for next year. Mulquin also served as a team captain in 2015-16.
“Our three women embody the best of our team in terms of athletics, work ethic and leadership,” head coach Mike Litzinger stated. “Our team is ready to take that next step towards excellence, and our leadership is poised to take us there.”
Of the three, Crea had arguably the most successful postseason when she made diving program history as one of three simultaneous NCAA Qualifiers. Competing in the 3-meter, the sophomore scored 273.80 in her first NCAA outing, building upon a successful ACC meet where she finished 17th (265.70) in the 1-meter, 18th (287.05) in the 3-meter and 28th (184.80) in Platform. For her successes, Crea was named Monogram Club MVP.
Also swimming at the 2016 ACC Championship, Mulquin represented the Irish well in a number of sprint freestyle and backstroke events. She earned a lifetime best time in the 50 free (22.70), and swam to seventh place with the 200 medley relay (24.95 leadoff split) and eighth place with the 200 free relay (22.86 leadoff). She tied for 11th in the 100 back (53.49) and clocked in at 50.29 in the 100 free, She capped the meet with her 50.07 leadoff split in the 400 free relay (11th place overall).
Barry finished her 2015-16 season at the Michigan First Chance Meet, where she swam to first place in both the 500 free (4:57.63) and 200 free (1:53.00). She also swam the 1650 free as the lone entrant, finishing in 17:14.92.
From the men’s squad, classmates Tom Anderson (San Diego, Calif. / The Bishop’s School) and Reed Fujan (Byron, Minn. / Byron) were both selected, the first captains since Bertie Nel,Colin Babcock and Patrick Murphy were named as such during the 2013-14 season.
“I am very proud of these two men, as I am the rest of the squad,” Litzinger commented. “They are in tune with the future direction of the program, and will help Notre Dame rise to the challenge of becoming an elite team in the ACC and the NCAA.”
Fujan and Anderson both swam in the 2016 ACC Championship, with Fujan breaking a school record and earning runner-up accolades with the 400 free relay. Additionally, he finished 12th in the 200 free (1:36.65) and tied for 14th in the 100 free (43.60) after swimming to fifth place with the 800 free relay (1:35.67 split). Anderson also swam on the 800 team (1:36.18 split) and finished 24th in the 500 free (4:27.01), 22nd in the 400 IM (3:56.11) and 12th in the 200 fly (1:45.22).
Spring practices remain in session for the Irish, who have several swimmers training for the U.S. Olympic Trials meet in early June, and a select few attempting to qualify for other international teams for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. For up-to-the-minute news, follow the teams on Snapchat (Fighting Irish Swim/Dive), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/
Press release courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics.