Coleen Gillilan Clocks 1:56.8 200 IM at First Session of ND Shamrock Invite

2020 Shamrock Invitational

• January 24-25th, 2020
• Rolfs Aquatic Center, South Bend, IN
• Short Course Yards
• Results on MeetMobile (“Shamrock Invitational”)

The first session of the 2020 Shamrock Invitational was swum this morning, consisting of the 200 free relay, 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and 400 medley relay.3 Pool records were broken this morning, all 3 of which came down at the hands of hosts Notre Dame.

The first pool record of the day came when ND freshman Jack Hoagland clocked a new personal best of 4:17.12 to win the men’s 500 free by 4 seconds. Hoagland had previously been as fast as 4:17.54 at their mid season meet this Fall. He swam an excellent race from a splits-perspective, splitting 2:07.20/2:09. 92 for his first and 2nd 250s. Teammate Zach Yeadon was next in, swimming a 4:21.13, and fellow ND freestyler Sadler McKeen was 3rd with a 4:21.38.

Coleen Gillilan, another ND freshman, was the next to take down a pool record, roaring to a 1:56.84 season best in the women’s 200 IM. GIllilan has a personal best of 1:56.70, from December of 2017. Her swim was only her 2nd time under 1:57 in her career, and marks her fastest 200 IM since 2017. She was out fast this morning, tearing out to a 54.51 100 split thanks to a 25.19 and 29.32 fly and back split. She followed it up with a quick 33.73 on breaststroke, and brought it home with a 28.60 free leg.

Gillilan was also a member of the Notre Dame women’s 400 medley relay, which took down the 3rd pool record of the day en route to winning the event. Carly Quast led things off for the Fighting Irish, touching in a 52.91 backstroke split. Gillilan was next in, splitting 59.92 on breastsroke, with Cailey Grunhard following with a 52.96 fly split. Abbie Dolan anchored the squad with a 49.15, touching the wall for a final time of 3:34.94. Gillilan, Dolan, and Quast were also members of the winning 200 free relay, teaming up with Rachel Wittmer. Gillilan led the team off in 22.72, followed by 22.49 from Dolan, 22.74 from Quast, and 22.61 from Wittmer.

In addition to the relays, Abbie Dolan also won the woen’s 500 free. Dolan swam a 4:46.60, just off her season best of 4:46.05. Teammate Madeline LaPorte was 2nd, also off her season best of 4:48.51 with a 4:50.21. Notably, Grace Kowal of Ohio State took 14.2 seconds off her season best, swimming a 4:51.86 for 3rd this morning. Kowal has a best time of 4:45.17, from last year’s Big Tens. Similarly, Iowa freshman Macy Rink swam a lifetime best of 4:52.53 to take 3rd this morning, taking 1.86 seconds off her previous best from mid season. Rink entered college this Fall with a personal best of 5:03.03.

Amanda Palutsis of Ohio State took the women’s 50 free this morning with a season best of 23.01. Palutsis was the only swimmer in the top 8 to swim her season best this morning. Her personal best sits at 22.83 from 2018.

Notre Dame’s Marci Barta swam a season best of 1:47.97 to win the men’s 200 IM, narrowly beating out Ohio State’s Paul DeLakis (1:48.15). Barta led from the beginning, taking the race out with a 23.80 fly split, compared to 24.11 from DeLakis. Barta then clocked a 27.59 on the back leg, with DeLakis swimming a 28.49. That gave Barta a 51.39-52.60 edge over Delakis at the 100 mark. DeLakis closed the gap on Barta in the 2nd half of the race, spltting 30.80/24.75 to Barta’s 31.40/25.18.

Ohio State picked up the win in the men’s 50 free in addition to the women’s. Semuede Andreis won a tight race over Iowa’s Aleksey Tarasenko, touching in 20.13 (Tarasenko 20.16). Iowa had the next 3 in, with Tarasenko, Steve Fiolic (20.39), and Will Scott (20.48). Those 3 Hawkeyes teamed up with Joe Myhre to win the men’s 200 free relay. Fiolic led off in 20.40, followed by Tarasenk0 in 20.20, Will Scott in 19.80, and Myhre in 19.70, for a final time of 1:20.10. Myhre came in 8th in the individual 50 free, swimming a 20.66.

Notre Dame came away with the win in the final event of the session, the men’s 400 medley relay. Jack Montesi led off in 47.74, followed by Josh Bottelberghe (53.74), Zachary Smith (47.61), and Aaron Schultz (43.48) for a final time of 3:12.57.