 "Photo: TOM LA/The Observer")
Christine Lux has always put a lot of pressure on herself to do well. She knew her hard work had paid off when she earned third-team All-American honors after her junior campaign, becoming the first Irish All-American since 2006.
“That was never an honor that I thought I would get,” the senior first baseman said. “I came from a little town, a little softball team.”
Lux, who hails from Glendale Heights, Ill., will leave Notre Dame after one of the program’s most accomplished four-year careers — but she almost did not get a chance to do so. In fact, Notre Dame was one of few schools that considered her to play softball.
“I was from the Midwest and normally the softball coaches from all around the United States will go to the warmer climate places like California and Florida to recruit because they play softball year-round,” Lux said. “When I got here I was glad to make an impact and show that yes, Midwest girls are talented and they can be good at softball.”
And she did.
Lux began breaking records in 2008, her sophomore season, when she hit her 14th and 15th homers in the last game of the regular season, achieving a new high for home runs in a season. She tied that record in 2009 and broke it again this season, finishing with 16 home runs. She also owns Notre Dame career records for home runs (49) and putouts (1,523), and is second in career RBIs (169). Her 2010 slugging percentage of .816 is the best in a single-season, well above the .695 mark she set in 2009.
Lux’s Big East accomplishments are numerous as well. She is the only player inconference history to record 60 runs, 80 hits and 60 RBIs in a career, and she holds the top spot in career RBIs (66) and home runs (24) in conference play.
Despite the long list, Lux said breaking records never gets old.
“It’s exciting every time,” she said. “I honestly still don’t know half the records I break until I break them and [the coaches] are like ‘Oh congratulations, you broke two records today!’ and I’m like ‘What records are they?’
“I don’t really like to focus on stats so much, because you just start getting in your head, and softball’s so much of a mental game as it is and I don’t want to add more pressure to myself about beating records. If we win, I’m happy. That’s pretty much my reason for being out there.”
She has been out there since her freshman year, when she played in 45 games, starting 41.
“Some people got injured and I got the chance to play, which was a great opportunity and I kind of took advantage of it and I’ve been able to play since, which has been great,” Lux said.
In the early part of her career, Lux said she did not feel pressured, despite having established herself as an important part of the Irish offense.
“Yes, the coaches did want me to perform well, but I was still a sophomore and the team at the time was dominated by upperclassmen,” she said. “The underclassmen weren’t that great of an impact at the moment.”
Lux began to take on more of a leadership role on the 2009 team, which upset DePaul for its first Big East tournament title since 2006 and an automatic NCAA berth.
“It ended on a double play, it was a close game, close game and finally double-play, bang-bang, it’s over,” Lux said. “It was one of the biggest highs I’ve had in my life. It was so exciting, because at Notre Dame I’d never won a big championship. We’d never won regionals, we’d never won the Big East, until last year, and it was amazing.”
Lux was named to the all-tournament team that year, and she earned first-team all-Big East honors to go along with her All-American distinction.
Now, Lux is one of just three seniors and the only one who will graduate — seniors Lex Clay and Heather Johnson are both eligible for one more year. Lux said all three have been important leaders for the 2010 team.
“The three of us right now are a solid group of players who have had a ton of experience under our belt,” she said. “And we have a calm mentality that kind of just transcends through the team. And they feed off of it, so they’re relaxed and calm. They don’t get all crazy if we’re not doing well. I think the level-headedness and the experience we bring has really helped the team this year.”
The three have led the team to its most successful season in years, helping the team to a 44-9 record and a share in the Big East title.
“Finally, all the work that our team has done has paid off and has shown,” Lux said. “In the previous three years, we’ve put in the hard work but the results haven’t really come through, but this year we are dominating in all respects of the game and we’re finally making a name for Notre Dame softball.
“And it’s just exciting to be a part of that and have this be my last year. I wouldn’t have chosen another team to be a part of.
Irish Fall To Northwestern, 19-7, In First Round Of NCAAs
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 Senior Gina Scioscia had four points - a goal and three assists - in her final game for the Irish as Notre Dame lost at Northwestern, 19-7, in a first-round NCAA game. |
May 15, 2010
Evanston, Ill. - The Notre Dame women's lacrosse team saw its 2010 season come to an end on Saturday afternoon at Northwestern's Lakeside Field as the Wildcats handed the Irish a 19-7 loss in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern, the five-time defending NCAA champions, snapped a 3-3 first-half tie with 17:07 left in the opening stanza and outscored Notre Dame by a 16-4 margin over the final 43 minutes of the game.
Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Katrina Dowd paced the Wildcat offense with five goals and three assist for eight points in the game. Teammate Shannon Smith added eight points of her own with four goals and four assists. Erin Fitzgerald scored three times with Danielle Spencer and Ali Cassera scoring two each and Brooke Matthews, Alex Frank and Kim Pantages notching a goal apiece.
The Irish were led by leading scorer Gina Scioscia who had a goal and set up three others for four points in the final game of her career. Freshman Jenny Granger scored twice with Megan Sullivan, Ansley Stewart, Maggie Tamasitis and Kailene Abt getting one goal each.
The loss ends Notre Dame's 2010 campaign with an 11-7 record. Northwestern improves to 18-1 on the year and will host either Duke or Vanderbilt in the second round of the tournament next Saturday in Evanston. The loss was the 10th straight for the Irish against the Wildcats dating back to the 2004 season and the third time that the Northwestern has eliminated the Irish in NCAA play (2004, 2008 and 2010).
"I thought that we got off to a strong start," said Irish head coach Tracy Coyne. "Then, halfway through the first half we made some forced errors and some unforced errors and we seemed unable to recover from that."
Matthews opened the scoring at 27:35 of the first half and Northwestern made it 2-0 at 24:00 when Smith got her first of four in the game, but Notre Dame answered right back.
Scioscia bounced a shot past Wildcat goalkeeper Brianne LoManto at 23:31 and then set up Stewart at 21:08 to tie the game at 2-2.
Dowd assisted on Smith's second goal of the game at 19:33 but it to took the Irish just 13 seconds to make it 3-3.
Sullivan was awarded a free-position shot with 19:20 left in the half to the right of LoManto. Instead of shooting she passed the ball to Granger on the doorstep and the freshman midfielder whipped a shot into the right corner of the goal to even the score at three.
Dowd broke the tie with her first goal of the contest at 17:07 to start a six-goal run for Northwestern, including four goals in 1:12 to make it 9-3. Tamasitis broke the run off a Scioscia set up at 4:55 before the Wildcats closed the half with a pair of goals for and 11-4 halftime lead.
In the opening half, the team that controlled the draw was in control of the play.
"The draws were a big key to the game, because they are so successful off the draw," said Scioscia, the team captain.
"We were winning the draw and the score was 3-3 and we were feeling pretty good. Then we started losing them and that took the momentum away."
Northwestern won the battle of the draws by an 18-9 margin in the game.
The Wildcats put the game away in the second half, getting the first three goals of the half to open a 10-goal lead at 14-4. From there the teams traded goals on the way to the 19-7 final score.
Northwestern outshot the Irish, 39-21, in the game. Notre Dame goalkeeper Ellie Hilling made nine saves in the game while LoManto finished with seven saves in 53 minutes. Darby St. Clair-Barrie played the final seven minutes, making one save for the Wildcats.
"We're very disappointed in the way today's game went," said Coyne.
"We're trying to win a national championship just like Northwestern. We worked really hard this week in practice and I thought we had a great game plan. Obviously, we didn't execute very well. We didn't get it done."
IRISH NOTES:
* Gina Scioscia finished her Notre Dame career with 116 goals and 106 assists for 222 career points. She is seventh in school history in goals, first in assists and fourth in points. The game also closed the careers of senior defender Rachel Guerrera and midfielder Maggie Zentgraf.
GAME SUMMARY 1 2 - F #14 Notre Dame (11-7) 4 3 - 7 #2 Northwestern (18-1) 11 8 - 19Scoring First Half: Time Team Score Goal Assist 27:35 NU 0-1 Brooke Matthews 24:00 NU 0-2 Shannon Smith 23:31 ND 1-2 Gina Scioscia 21:08 ND 2-2 Ansley Stewart Gina Scioscia 19:33 NU 2-3 Shannon Smith (2) Katrina Dowd 19:20 ND 3-3 Jenny Granger Megan Sullivan 17:07 NU 3-4 Katrina Dowd Shannon Smith 13:18 NU 3-5 Katrina Dowd (2) Shannon Smith (2) 13:02 NU 3-6 Danielle Spencer 12:21 NU 3-7 Erin Fitzgerald 12:06 NU 3-8 Erin Fitzgerald (2) 5:43 NU 3-9 Danielle Spencer (2) Free-position shot 4:55 ND 4-9 Maggie Tamasitis Gina Scioscia (2) 3:43 NU 4-10 Katrina Dowd (3) 3:04 NU 4-11 Katrina Dowd (4) Shannon Smith (3)
Second Half Time Team Score Goal Assist 27:33 NU 4-12 Shannon Smith (3) 23:16 NU 4-13 Alex Frank Katrina Dowd (2) 21:42 NU 4-14 Erin Fitzgerald (3) Shannon Smith (4) 20:43 ND 5-14 Jenny Granger (2) Gina Scioscia (3) 20:17 NU 5-15 Ali Cassera Katrina Dowd (3) 18:41 ND 6-15 Megan Sullivan Kaitlin Keena 10:56 NU 6-16 Katrina Dowd (5) 7:47 NU 6-17 Shannon Smith (4) Erin Fitzgerald 4:58 ND 7-17 Kailene Abt 1:53 NU 7-18 Ali Cassera (2) Amanda Macaluso 0:25 NU 7-19 Kim Pantages
Goalkeepers: Notre Dame: Ellie Hilling (60:00 min; 19 goals against; 9 saves) Northwestern: Brianne LoManto (52:48 min; 6 goals against; 7 saves) Darby St. Clair-Barrie (7:12 min; 1 goal against; 1 save)
Total Shots: Notre Dame: 21, Northwestern: 39 Ground Balls: Notre Dame: 15, Northwestern: 22 Draw Controls: Notre Dame: 9, Northwestern: 18 Caused Turnovers: Notre Dame: 6, Northwestern: 11
Irish Rowing Places Sixth In Central Region At Central/South Sprints
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 Coxswain Alicia Elliott and the open four "A" boat earned the C final victory on Sunday for the Irish. |
May 16, 2010
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The Notre Dame rowing team finished ninth overall and sixth in the central region at the Central/South Region Championships from Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Irish novice eight boat finished sixth place in the lone grand final run for the squad.
"Overall I thought that we raced very well again today," Irish head coach Martin Stone stated. "We improved on most of our races from yesterday and raced really hard but we just ran into some really tough competition. It may not have been the exact result that we were looking for but we continued to get faster and that's what we ask for every time we go out and race."
The novice eight race pitted the Irish against the likes of Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. Notre Dame finished the course in a time of 7:00.76 to grab sixth place. Wisconsin (6:44.38), Virginia (6:44.44) and Ohio State (6:55.50) finishes first through third, respectively, in the final. The result earned the Irish 16 points for their team score
The Irish started the day of competition with the open four C final. The crew went on to secure the final victory by setting the mark at 7:42.50. Tulsa "B" (7:45.92) and Tulsa "A" (7:46.45) rounded out the top three.
Notre Dame "B" was next to the water in the open four petite final. The boat finished the course in a time of 7:46.32 and secured fifth place in the heat. Michigan won the race and earned 12 points by stopping the clock at 7:36.59.
The varsity four race was next and provided arguably one of the best competitions of the day. The Irish crew earned a third-place result, but was only separated from the race-winning boat of Minnesota by just over two seconds (7:33.10). Ohio State held off Notre Dame by two tenths of a second (7:35.13) for the runner-up finish.
"The varsity four race was one of the best course races that I think I've ever seen," Stone said. "It was neck-and-neck for most of the race. Minnesota only pulled way in the final 600 meters while Ohio State and ourselves went back and forth for the entire course. They would take one stroke and pull ahead and then we would answer and take the lead by a nose. It was just an all around great race."
Notre Dame next competed in the second varsity eight petite final. The Irish boat crossed the gate in a time of 7:08.19, good for fifth place and 72 points to the team score. Michigan State took home petite final gold with a time of 6:49.30.
Racing action concluded for the Irish with the varsity eight petite final. The boat rowed a fast race, completing the course in a time of 6:44.52 to earn fourth place and 135 points. Ohio State (6:40.20), Louisville (6:41.72) and Iowa (6:42.32) placed first through third.
Notre Dame ended the competition with 269 team points, good for ninth in the overall standings and sixth in the central region. Virginia took the overall title with 451 points, while Wisconsin finished second overall and first in the central with 405 points.
Next up for the Irish is a hopeful bid to the 2010 NCAA Championships, which will take place from Friday-Sunday, May 28-31 from the Sacramento State Aquatic Center in Gold River, Calif.
Overall Standings: 1. Virginia 451 points 2. Wisconsin 405 points 3. Michigan State 387 points 4. Michigan 386 points 5. Clemson 369 points 6. Ohio State 360 points 7. Tennessee 312 points 8. Iowa 293 points 9. NOTRE DAME 269 points10. Minnesota 249 pointsCentral Region: 1. Wisconsin 2. Michigan State 3. Michigan 4. Ohio State 5. Iowa 6. NOTRE DAME
Sunday Race Results:
Open Four C Final (6 boats): 1. NOTRE DAME (Alicia Elliott (C), Meghan Salomon, Sarah Thompson, Brianna Krafcik, Ching-Ting Hwang) - 7:42.50; 2. Tulsa "B" - 7:45.92; 3. Tulsa "A" - 7:46.45; 4. Iowa - 7:52.55; 5. UCF - 7:55.80; 6. Oklahoma - 8:07.91
Open Four Petite Final (6 boats): 1. Michigan - 7:36.59; 2. Kansas - 7:38.72; 3. Texas - 7:40.48; 4. Michigan State - 7:43.27; 5. NOTRE DAME (Kerry Casey (C), Sarah McShane, Jennifer Lee, Meghan Vertovec, Camille Sharrow) - 7:46.32; 6. Dayton - 7:57.69
Novice Eight Grand Final (6 boats): 1. Wisconsin - 6:44.38; 2. Virginia - 6:44.44; 3. Ohio State - 6:55.50; 4. Michigan - 6:58.28; 5. Michigan State - 7:00.52; 6. NOTRE DAME (Abby Meyers (C), Teresa Blumenstein, Analisa LaMair-Orosco, Paige Aiello, Kelsey Haddad, Maura Newell, Caitlin Connelly, Alyce Kanabrocki, Kelsey Murphy) - 7:00.76
Varsity Four Petite Final (6 boats): 1. Minnesota - 7:33.10; 2. Ohio State - 7:35.13; 3. NOTRE DAME (Jacqueline Gilhooly (C), Andrea Archer, Valerie Brencher, Paige White, Joanna Poinsatte) - 7:35.33; 4. UCF - 7:41.93; 5. Texas - 7:45.39; 6. Tennessee - 7:52.04
Second Varsity Eight Petite Final (6 boats): 1. Michigan State - 6:49.30; 2. Iowa - 6:56.56; 3. Texas - 7:00.09; 4. Minnesota - 7:01.10; 5. NOTRE DAME (Rachael Louie (C), Katie Suyo, Megan Keegan, Braegan Padley, Kathryn Monahan, Christina Buckley, Emily Backer, Carol Ann Michel, Genevieve Malone) - 7:08.19; 6. UCF - 7:09.85
Varsity Eight Petite Final (6 boats): 1. Ohio State - 6:40.20; 2. Louisville - 6:41.72; 3. Iowa - 6:42.32; 4. NOTRE DAME (Sarah Keithley (C), Casey Robinson, Stephanie O'Neill, Emily Crosby, Katherine Linnemanstons, Brittney Kelly, Erin McConnell, Stephanie Gretsch, Morgan Kelley) - 6:44.52; 5. Minnesota - 6:47.36; 6. Oklahoma - 6:54.94
Irish Finish 17th At NCAA Central Regional
Becca Huffer narrowly misses out on a place in the NCAA finals but turns in Notre Dame's best individual NCAA finish.
 Becca Huffer turned in Notre Dame's best ever NCAA finish. |
COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Notre Dame women's golf team shot a 35-over par 323 in 2010 NCAA Central Regional third round action at the Otter Creek Golf Course (par 72/6,416 yards) on Saturday afternoon to finish 17th. Sophomore Becca Huffer (Denver, Colo./Littleton) provided the final round drama for the Irish, as she turned in back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes to move to two-over par on the day and threaten to take one of the Central Regional's two individual qualifying positions for the NCAA championship.
After the consecutive birdies, Huffer notched a par at the 15th and bogeyed the 16th to stand at three-over par on the day and tied with Denver's Kimberly Kim for the last qualifying spot. A par on 17 maintained the status quo, but Huffer got in trouble on the 18th when her second shot found the rough on the left side of the fairway. Her approach hit the green, but bounced into the rough beyond the hole and the sophomore was unable to get up-and-down in order to force a playoff. Huffer finished with a five-over par 77 on the day and at 15-over par for the tournament to tie for 16th.
Huffer's 16th-place showing marks the best finish by an Irish golfer in NCAA play, besting Noriko Nakazaki's 2007 tie for 18th. In two seasons of regional play, Huffer has broken 80 five out of a possible six times.
Junior Katie Conway (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) carded an 80 for Notre Dame's second best score of the day. She finished tied for 65th at 25-over par (241). Her final day of play included a birdie on the 11th, eight pars and nine bogeys.
Sophomore Katie Allare (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) and senior Julie Kim (Bayside, N.Y./Bayside) turned in final round 83s to round out the Notre Dame scoring. Allare's final round included seven pars and 11 bogeys. She finished at 33-over par (249) to tie for 85th. Kim's final round with the Irish was highlighted by a birdie on the third hole and an impressive up-and-down at the 17th. She also had eight pars, six bogeys and three doubles. At 37-over par (253) for the tournament, Kim finished tied for 96th.
Senior Annie Brophy (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) was disqualified midway through her final round with the Irish. On Sunday afternoon, she will graduate as one of the program's all-time leaders in stroke average, rounds played, rounds counted and tournaments won.
USC captured the 2010 NCAA Central Regional title by firing a 43-over par 907 in the three days of action. Arizona State finished second at 51-over par. Kent State's Martina Gavier took the 2010 NCAA Central Regional individual title with a three-over par (219) total.By virtue of also finishing in the top-eight, Purdue, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Oregon and Kent State all join USC and Arizona State in advancing to the NCAA Championship, along with Georgia's Marta Silva Zamora and Denver's Kim. The NCAA Div. I Women's Golf Championship will be held May 18-21 at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C.
Notre Dame Scores
T-16. Becca Huffer (75-79-77-231)
T-65. Katie Conway (82-79-80-241)
T-85. Katie Allare (86-80-83-249)
T-96. Julie Kim (87-83-83-253)
123. Annie Brophy (85-81-XX-DQ)
Notre Dame Student-Athletes Honored At Annual O.S.C.A.R.S. Awards Banquet
Ninth annual year-end showcase highlights achievements of Notre Dame's 26 sports and more than 750 student-athletes.
April 28, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Notre Dame Department of Athletics held its ninth annual O.S.C.A.R.S (Outstanding Student-Athletes Celebrating Achievements & Recognition Showcase) Wednesday evening inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center, with the traditional year-end gala honoring more than 750 student-athletes for their achievements on the field and in the classroom during the 2009-10 school year.
The presentation of the three major athletics awards - the Byron V. Kanaley Award, the Francis Patrick O'Connor Award and the Christopher Zorich Award - highlighted the evening's festivities, while the Top Gun Award and Chuck Linster Award (for the highest grade-point averages by a graduating senior student-athlete and athletics student support staff, respectively) also were presented in conjunction with the Notre Dame Office of Academic Services for Student-Athletics. In addition, a member of each team was selected for the Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player Award and the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award.
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Three team awards also were handed out on Wednesday - The Trophy Award (recognizing excellence in community service) was presented to the Notre Dame women's basketball team, while awards for the highest team GPA went to the Fighting Irish women's tennis team (spring 2009 semester) and women's golf team (fall 2009 semester).
Senior hockey center Kevin Deeth (Gig Harbor, Wash.) and senior women's tennis player Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, Kan.) were double award recipients on Wednesday night, with both receiving the Kanaley and Zorich awards.
The Kanaley Award, the most prestigious honor presented to an Irish student-athlete, has been given annually since 1926 to senior monogram athletes who have been most exemplary as both students and leaders. Chosen by the University's Faculty Board on Athletics, the awards are named in honor of the 1904 Notre Dame graduate who was a member of the baseball team as an undergraduate. Kanaley went on to a successful banking career in Chicago and served the University as a lay trustee until his death in 1960. Along with Deeth and Krisik, football player Mike Anello (Orland Park, Ill.), women's basketball player Melissa Lechlitner (Mishawaka, Ind.), softball player Christine Lux (Glendale Heights, Ill.) and swimmer John Lytle (Clearfield, Pa.) were this year's Kanaley award recipients.
Deeth, Krisik, fencer Zach Schirtz (Rochester, N.Y.), women's basketball player Erica Williamson (Charlotte, N.C.) and women's lacrosse player Maggie Zentgraf (Charlottesville, Va.) received the Christopher Zorich Award, which was first presented in 1998. The Zorich Award was created to recognize contributions of Notre Dame student-athletes to the University and community at-large. The award holds the name of the two-time Fighting Irish All-American and 1991 graduate who went on to play in the National Football League for both the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins before receiving his law degree from Notre Dame in 2002.
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Volleyball player Megan Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and fencer Avery Zuck (Beaverton, Ore.) were the 2010 recipients of the O'Connor Award. Since 1993, the University has presented this award in the name of O'Connor, a former student-athlete who died in 1973 following his freshman year at Notre Dame. Pat was the son of William "Bucky" O'Connor, who played guard for the Notre Dame football team in the 1940s.
The O'Connor Award honors male and female student-athletes who best display the total embodiment of the true spirit of Notre Dame as exemplified by their contributions and inspirations to their respective teams. To be considered, student-athletes must possess those qualities attributed to Pat O'Connor: caring, courage, confidence, encouragement, humility, honesty, humor, kindness and patience. Joining Krisik, Lechlitner and Zuck as recipients of this year's Leaders of Distinction Award - presented to those individuals deemed exceptional leaders by their coaches and teammates - were men's tennis player Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn.), cheerleader Kelsey Ingram (Mercer Island, Wash.) and volleyball player Jamel Nicholas (Gibsonia, Pa.).
The Notre Dame women's basketball team was recognized with The Trophy Award for its year-long work with various groups in the South Bend area, including reading and mentoring to grade school students, collecting donations for Riley Children's Hospital, participating in Fight 4 Life (a pediatric cancer charity run by Memorial Hospital of South Bend) and run, jane, run (which benefits area chapters of the YWCA), conducting basketball clinics at area youth centers, and assisting with fundraising for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone initiative, for which Notre Dame raised more than $103,000 in 2009-10. The women's basketball team's community service efforts were spearheaded by Williamson, who also served as president of this year's Notre Dame Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), with the Fighting Irish women's basketball team compiling more than 325 team hours of community service (averaging better than 25 hours per student-athlete).
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Established by the Office of Student Welfare and Development, co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Monogram Club and Notre Dame Alumni Association, and first presented in 2006, The Trophy Award annually recognizes a Fighting Irish athletics team that has demonstrated its commitment and dedication to the community through unparalleled community service to Notre Dame and South Bend.
Men's cross country/track & field athlete Jim Notwell (Upper Arlington, Ohio) received the Top Gun Award, recognizing the graduating student-athlete with the highest grade-point average (Notwell currently maintains a 3.944 GPA). Meanwhile, student athletic trainer Ted Lee (Peoria, Ill.) was presented with the Chuck Linster Award, given annually to a senior member of the athletics student support group (athletic trainers, cheerleaders and student managers) with the highest grade-point average (Lee holds a 3.825 GPA). The eighth hockey player to earn the Kanaley Award (third in as many years) and the fourth to take home the Zorich Award, Deeth is a four-year monogram winner for the Fighting Irish, serving as an alternate team captain during the 2009-10 season. His influence was felt both on and off the ice and in the classroom. Deeth finished his Notre Dame career as the all-time leader in games played and finished tied for 35th on the all-time points list with 114 career points (35g, 79a).
Off the ice, Deeth oversaw the community service efforts of the Fighting Irish hockey team. Among the top programs in community service hours at Notre Dame, hockey was involved with the South Bend School District's "Dream Team" where players served as mentors at local elementary schools. They also worked with the Robinson Center and its after school efforts, as well as working with area hockey programs doing clinics and assisting at practices.
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What's more, Deeth oversaw the highly successful "Shirts Off Their Backs" jersey auction that benefitted the Wounded Warriors Project. The on-line jersey auction raised $16,604.60, and with several benefactors providing matching gifts, the event raised $41,604.60.
For his efforts in the community, Deeth was a nominee for college hockey's Humanitarian Award that goes to the game's "top citizen." He also was a finalist for the CCHA's Mike and Marian Ilitch Humanitarian Award. In the classroom, Deeth has a 3.568 grade-point average as a marketing major in the Mendoza College of Business. He was Notre Dame's representative on the CCHA's Scholar-Athlete team and is this year's team recipient of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award. He also was recently nominated for ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
A four-year monogram winner, Krisik is the 10th women's tennis player to win the Kanaley Award and the first to earn the Zorich Award. She will end her collegiate career ranking among the top five in five career categories at Notre Dame. With a career singles record of 96-25 and a doubles mark of 128-34, Krisik is second all-time in doubles dual-match victories, third in doubles wins, combined wins and combined dual wins and fifth in singles dual-match winning percentage. She also tied the school record for doubles wins in a season with 37 as a freshman in 2006-07.
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An all-BIG EAST Conference and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team selection this year, Krisik is currently ranked third in the nation with doubles partner Kristy Frilling, and the duo holds a 21-0 record at No. 1 doubles this season. After compiling a 3-0 record at both No. 5 singles and No. 1 doubles, and clinching the win for the Fighting Irish in the final match of the league championship, Krisik was named the 2010 BIG EAST Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, becoming the sixth Notre Dame player to earn the honor.
Krisik also is active in the South Bend community, volunteering with a number of organizations. She has worked with the mentoring program at Perley Elementary School, Fighting Irish Fight for Life, the CASIE Center, Notre Dame Dream Team at McKinley Elementary, Bike Michiana for Hospice, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk to Cure Diabetes, the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, St. Joseph County Special Olympics and the South Bend Police Department summer tennis camps. An Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete and two-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member, Krisik is a sociology major in Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters.
A fan favorite since 2007, Anello earned the nickname "Rudy with responsibility" due to the contributions he made to the Fighting Irish football team as a walk-on student-athlete. Anello was a special-teams stalwart that dazzled Notre Dame fans with his innate playmaking ability on kickoff and punt coverage units. He burst onto the scene in the third game of the 2007 season at Michigan.
As a member of the punt coverage unit that day in the "Big House," Anello recorded a solo tackle on his second play in a Fighting Irish uniform and his legend was born. As a starting gunner, he tallied 37 total tackles from 2007-09 and made 333 special-teams appearances. In 2008, he played in the first 12 games and paced Notre Dame with 23 special-teams tackles while posting eight multi-tackle games. He forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble on special teams plus added one pass breakup as a reserve defensive back as a senior. Anello was rewarded by the Fighting Irish coaching staff for his production on the field and received a full athletics scholarship for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Anello's best accomplishments at Notre Dame did not occur on the gridiron but in the classroom. He graduated in three and a half years with a finance degree from the Mendoza College of Business and earned a 3.937 cumulative grade-point average during his undergraduate career. He also was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team in 2008 and 2009, and he earned the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete of the Year Award as both a senior and fifth-year senior.
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In addition, Anello was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, recognizing him as being in the top five percent of the business school, and he received the Paul F. Conway Award in 2008, signifying him as the top overall finance student in the Mendoza College of Business. A three-year monogram winner, Anello was recipient of the 2008 Nick Pietrosante Award, presented annually to the Notre Dame football player who best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride of the late Fighting Irish All-America fullback. In 2009, Anello was named to the Lott Award watch list and was a finalist for the ARA Sportsmanship Award. He also is the 28th football player chosen to receive the Kanaley Award since it was first presented 84 years ago, but the first gridder to be honored since Marcus Thorne in 1996.
Lechlitner, the eighth women's basketball player to receive the Kanaley Award, recently was named the team's Monogram Club MVP for the second consecutive year after successfully piloting Notre Dame to one of the most productive seasons in school history in 2009-10. Lechlitner led the team in assists (tied - 3.2 apg.), three-point percentage (.420) and free throw percentage (.849), setting new career highs in all three categories. A two-year team tri-captain, she also ranked among the team leaders in scoring (5th - 8.4 ppg.) and assist/turnover ratio (3rd - 1.27) while starting all 35 games and playing a team-high 1,030 minutes. With Lechlitner at the helm, Notre Dame averaged 77.2 points per game (11th in the nation) and 18.1 assists per game (sixth in the nation), while finishing an entire season with a positive assist/turnover ratio (1.11 - 10th in the nation) for the second time in school history, both in the past three seasons and both with Lechlitner on the roster.
For her career, Lechlitner ranks among the top 10 in school history for career games played (tied/2nd - 131), free throw percentage (6th - .800) and assists (6th - 388), and she became the 26th Fighting Irish player to score 1,000 career points, reaching that milestone in her final collegiate game with 22 points against Oklahoma in the NCAA Kansas City Regional semifinals on March 28.
Thanks to that effort in the Sweet 16, Lechlitner was named to the NCAA Kansas City Regional All-Tournament Team, adding to her selection earlier this season on the Paradise Jam Island Division All-Tournament Team. She also was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team selection after compiling a 3.38 cumulative grade-point average as a psychology major in the College of Arts and Letters. In addition, Lechlitner earned the Leaders of Distinction Award for the second consecutive year (the honor first was introduced in 2009).
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As a junior in 2009, Lux amassed a .329 batting average while also tallying 15 home runs, a number that tied the program's single-season mark for home runs that she herself set in 2008. She was an NFCA All-Region, first team all-BIG EAST, ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District, and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team honoree.
Lux is an accounting major in the Mendoza College of Business and a member of Notre Dame's Rosenthal Leadership Academy. She is the seventh softball player to collect the Kanaley Award.
The 2009-10 BIG EAST Men's Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Lytle set a new Notre Dame benchmark with 22 total all-BIG EAST accolades throughout his career. He holds three individual school records (50 free, 100 free, 200 free) and four relay school records (400 medley, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free), while leading Notre Dame to two BIG EAST team titles (2008, 2009) and a pair of runner-up finishes (2007, 2010). This year's team recipient of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award, Lytle is a two-time College Swimming Coaches Association All-Academic Team Honorable Mention selection, as well as a member of Notre Dame's Rosenthal Leadership Academy and Academic Honors for Student-Athletes program.
Lytle is a finance major enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business, and he has been named to the dean's list four times. He is the eighth member of the Notre Dame men's swimming & diving program to earn the Kanaley Award.
Meanwhile, Schirtz is the first fencer to be named a Zorich Award recipient. As a junior in 2009-10, he served as Notre Dame's team captain and posted a 39-9 regular season record in foil, pushing his career win total past the century mark. Then, in the postseason, Schirtz finished seventh at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships to earn second-team all-conference honors. At the NCAA Midwest Regional, Schirtz turned in a seventh-place finish.
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In addition to serving as this year's SAAC president, Williamson is the second women's basketball player to earn the Zorich Award. A veteran leader on this year's team, she appeared in 34 games, becoming a full-time starter late in the regular season and throughout the postseason. She ranked second on the team with a .602 field goal percentage (including a .700 mark in the postseason and a .727 ratio in the NCAA Championship) and she wound up third on the squad with 19 blocked shots. The quintessential teammate, Williamson made the most of her 12.1 minutes per game, averaging 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, including a season-high 16 points (and her first career three-pointer) in a BIG EAST Championship second-round win over Louisville in Hartford, Conn.
Williamson departs Notre Dame ranked eighth on the school's career blocked shot list (125) and tied for fifth on the Fighting Irish career games played chart (130). She recently signed a free agent contract with the WNBA's New York Liberty and is one of three former Notre Dame women's basketball players currently in WNBA training camps (Ruth Riley ('01) and Charel Allen ('08) are suiting up with the San Antonio Silver Stars).
Zentgraf is a senior captain with the Fighting Irish women's lacrosse team who has been a tremendous role model for her teammates and fellow student-athletes during her four seasons at Notre Dame, becoming the second women's lacrosse player to earn the Zorich Award. A two-time monogram winner, she is one of the University's top student-athletes in the area of community service.
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Now in her third year as a member of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Council, she serves as that group's liaison to the Notre Dame Monogram Board. A member of two NCAA Tournament teams (2008, 2009) and the 2009 BIG EAST Championship team, Zentgraf played 46 career games as a midfielder and attack player before her season came to an end on April 17, 2010, due to a knee injury.
Known for her ability to motivate teammates and others to action, Zentgraf puts in countless hours of community service work in the South Bend community and her hometown of Charlottesville, Va. She has volunteered and interned at the Center for the Homeless in South Bend. Following Hurricane Katrina, she and her family spent 10 days in Biloxi, Miss., helping in the recovery efforts. A BIG EAST All-Academic Team choice in 2009, she works at a summer lacrosse camp for underprivileged kids in her hometown and through her church she has participated in trips to southwest Virginia to work on Habitat for Humanity projects.
Fesl was a pivotal cog in leading the nationally-ranked Fighting Irish volleyball squad to a regular season BIG EAST title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament this past season. She also was one of eight players who helped Notre Dame claim the Collegiate Beach Volleyball Challenge at Fiesta On Siesta Key as a junior in 2008. Fesl found herself on the all-tournament teams at Missouri's Tiger Invitational and Notre Dame's Shamrock Invitational in 2007. Fesl, a marketing major in the Mendoza College of Business, is a member of Notre Dame's Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the third volleyball player to receive the O'Connor Award in its 17-year history.
Zuck is just the second fencer to be named a Francis Patrick O'Connor Award recipient. He comes off a year that saw him post a 34-7 record in sabre regular season action, helping the Irish to an undefeated record of 33-0. He went on to finish sixth at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships before turning in a runner-up performance at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Then, at the NCAA Championship, he tied for third to take the bronze medal in sabre and earn first-team All-America status.
In just three seasons, Zuck has topped the 100-win plateau and now has 101 regular season wins against just 23 losses. In 2009, he earned his first All-American honor with a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Championship, where he notched 17 wins to help lead the Fighting Irish to a runner-up finish. Prior to his All-America performance, Zuck finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
As a junior in 2009-10, Davis serves as Notre Dame's men's tennis team captain. Through BIG EAST Championship play, he has posted a 4-1 dual season singles record and an overall 2009-10 singles record of 7-5. In doubles play, where Davis excels, he has been a part of 13 dual season wins playing primarily at the No. 2 position. Most recently, he teamed with Niall Fitzgerald to clinch the doubles point against South Florida in the BIG EAST semifinals, helping send the Fighting Irish to the 2010 BIG EAST Championship match.
For his career, Davis has posted a 12-9 dual season singles record and an overall singles mark of 33-18. In dual season doubles play, he carries a 43-34 record and an overall mark of 58-48. During his sophomore campaign, Davis teamed with Brett Helgeson ('09) to achieve a career-best No. 13 ITA national doubles ranking. He also has helped the Fighting Irish to NCAA Championship first-round appearances in each of his first two full seasons with Notre Dame.
A two-time team captain, Nicholas steered the nationally-ranked Notre Dame volleyball team to the BIG EAST regular season title in 2010 after sweeping the league slate with a 14-0 record. For her efforts the Gibsonia, Pa., native was named an AVCA All-Northeast Region and first-team all-BIG EAST selection. She also named was the BIG EAST Player of the Week (Oct. 12, 2009) and part of the Xavier Invitational and Notre Dame / adidas Invitational all-tournament teams.
Nicholas is set to participate in Notre Dame's A.C.E. program after graduation.
Notwell is the third Fighting Irish men's cross country/track & field athlete to earn the Top Gun Award, which has been presented since 1993.
A four-year member of the cross country and track teams, Notwell has been a solid contributor for Notre Dame since his arrival on campus. The Upper Arlington, Ohio product has been a part of four BIG EAST championship teams (two indoor, two outdoor), scoring points for the Fighting Irish the past two seasons.
Notwell also etched his name in the Notre Dame record books during his junior and senior campaigns. His 600-meter time of 1:20.76 is seventh-fastest in school history, while his 1,000-meter time of 2:25.16 at the 2009 BIG EAST Indoor Championships is the program's ninth-best time.
Notwell is a computer science major in the College of Engineering.
Men's Basketball Banquet Awards
NOTRE DAME, Ind. --- Three-time All-American Luke Harangody (Schererville, Ind.) was the recipient of the Notre Dame Monogram Club MVP Award for the second consecutive year and junior Tim Abromaitis (Unionville, Conn.) was the winner of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award. Both awards were presented at the annual Irish men's basketball banquet held on the arena floor of the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
In addition to receiving the Rockne Student-Athlete Award, Abromaitis and classmate Carleton Scott (San Antonio, Texas) were the co-winners of the Most Improved Player Award. Senior Tory Jackson (Saginaw, Mich.) also was a double winner as he copped both the Captains' Award and the Outstanding Playmaker Award. Junior Tyrone Nash (Queens, N.Y.) received the Best Defensive Player Award, while Ben Hansbrough (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) and Jonathan Peoples (Bellwood, Ill.) were named the winners of the Team Irish Award.
Notre Dame finished with 2009-10 campaign with its fourth straight 20-win season. That has not happened since the Digger Phelps' era when those squads produced six consecutive 20-win seasons from 1983-89. The Irish also finished tied for seventh in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings with a final 10-8 mark. It marked the third time in four years and sixth time in the last 10 seasons that Notre Dame has won 10 or more games in conference play.
The Irish made the school's 30th appearance in the NCAA tournament, third in the last four years and sixth in the last 10 seasons under head coach Mike Brey. Notre Dame's senior class of Tim Andree (Colts Neck, N.J.), Harangody, Jackson and Peoples closed out their careers as the all-time winningest class in school history as they compiled a 93-43 (.637) winning percentage and also recorded the most wins ever by an Irish class in BIG EAST Conference regular-season play with a 43-27 ledger for a 61.4 winning percentage.
The Irish closed out the regular-season campaign by winning its final three regular-season contest and advanced to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship for the second time in four years and third time overall in 15 years as a member of the BIG EAST Conference following wins over Seton Hall and Pittsburgh. Before its two-point loss (53-51) to eventual BIG EAST Tournament champion and Final Four participant West Virginia, the Irish rattled off six straight victories that included three over ranked opponents.
The season also saw head coach Mike Brey celebrate his 300th career win during the season, his 200th career win at Notre Dame and his 100th win in the BIG EAST (regular season and tournament games) as he became just sixth coach in league history to reach the 100-win plateau.
Tim Abromaitis (Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award and Co-Most Improved Player Award) Off the court, Abromaitis was named an ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-American. He owns a 3.72 grade point average and will graduate in May (one full year ahead of his class) with a degree in finance from the Mendoza College of Business. A three-time member of the Dean's List, he will be enrolled in the intensified one-year MBA program during the 2010-11 school year.
Ben Hansbrough (Co-Team Irish Award) Luke Harangody (Notre Dame Monogram Club MVP Award) The only player in Notre Dame history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds, Harangody finished as the school's second all-time leading scorer (2,476) and rebounder (1,222). He also finished the only player in BIG EAST history to average better than 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds during his career. Harangody concluded his career as the league's third-all-time leading scorer (1,329) and second-leading rebounder (662) and is one of just 11 players in BIG EAST history to earn first-team all-conference honors three times. Harangody averaged 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 65 league games to finish as the only player conference history to average better than 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds during his career.
Tory Jackson (Captains' Award and Outstanding Playmaker Award) Jackson also won the BIG EAST Conference Sportsmanship Award. He led the league in assists in three of his four seasons. He shares the distinction with Sherman Douglas of Syracuse as being the only two players in league history to average better than 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds during their careers. Jackson served as one of the team's tri-captains this season along with classmates Luke Harangody and Jonathan Peoples. He also earned a spot on the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team.
Tyrone Nash (Best Defensive Player Award) Jonathan Peoples (Co-Team Irish Award) Carleton Scott (Co-Most Improved Player Award)
Notre Dame celebrates its eighth NCAA Sweet 16 berth in the past 14 seasons, while honoring an outstanding five-player senior class.
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -
For the second consecutive season, senior guard and tri-captain Melissa Lechlitner (Mishawaka, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph's) was selected as the recipient of the Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player Award, it was announced during the 2009-10 Notre Dame Women's Basketball Banquet on Tuesday evening at Purcell Pavilion. In addition, fellow senior guard Alena Christiansen (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) was a double honoree on Tuesday, as she was chosen to receive the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award, as well as a share of the team's Spirit Award (an honor she also took home last season).
A sold-out crowd of 600 people was in attendance (the second-largest gathering in banquet history), as the Fighting Irish celebrated a magnificent `09-10 season that culminated with a 29-6 record (the third-highest win total in program history) and Notre Dame's eighth NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in the past 14 years, as well as a top-11 ranking in the final Associated Press (7th) and ESPN/USA Today (11th) polls.
In addition, the Fighting Irish recorded their seventh 25-win season in the past 14 years and 16th 20-win season in the past 17 years, not to mention its 18th consecutive winning season, 22nd in the 23-year Muffet McGraw era and 29th in the 33-year history of Notre Dame women's basketball. The Fighting Irish also ranked among the top 16 teams in the nation in eight NCAA statistical categories -- steals (4th - 12.9 spg.), assists (6th - 18.1 apg.), turnover margin (9th - 6.29), assist/turnover ratio (10th - 1.11), scoring offense (11th - 77.2 ppg.), scoring margin (13th - 14.9 ppg.), won-loss percentage (14th - .829) and field goal percentage (16th - .454).
As if that weren't enough, Notre Dame won the 2009 Paradise Jam Island Division title, opened with a 15-game winning streak (the second-best start in program history), appeared in the top five of the Associated Press poll for 15 consecutive weeks, and set school records for steals (450) and turnovers forced (791), while also collecting six wins over ranked opponents (four coming away from home). Furthermore, the Fighting Irish finished a program-best fourth in the country in attendance this season with an average of 8,377 fans per game (easily the best in school history, surpassing the old mark of 7,825 in 2001-02), its 10th consecutive top-20 attendance ranking, and Notre Dame had six sellout crowds (and three others within 350 fans of a sellout) this year after having attracted a total of six sellouts in its first 32 seasons of competition.
Other honorees at Tuesday night's banquet (as chosen by a vote of their teammates) included: senior guard/tri-captain Ashley Barlow (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) and freshman guard Skylar Diggins (South Bend, Ind./Washington), who shared the team's Defensive Player of the Year honor; sophomore guard Natalie Novosel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic), who was tapped for the team's Most Improved Player award; senior center Erica Williamson (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg), who shared the Spirit Award with Christiansen. In addition, fifth-year senior guard/tri-captain Lindsay Schrader (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) was voted by members of the South Bend media to receive the inaugural Woody Miller Player of the Year award, named in honor of the longtime South Bend Tribune reporter and women's basketball beat writer Forrest "Woody" Miller, who passed away in February 2009.
Each member of the senior class, including student managers Tom Bacsik and Bryant Welters, also delivered moving speeches about their careers at Notre Dame, while a senior video tribute and the always-popular season highlight video capped off the evening's festivities.
Notre Dame will have two starters and eight monogram winners returning next season, along with a three-player freshman class that was ranked eighth in the nation by ESPN Hoopgurlz, and 10th by both All-Star Girls Report and Dan Olson Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. It's the 14th consecutive year that the Fighting Irish have attracted a top-20 recruiting class, with Notre Dame being one of only three schools in the country that holds that distinction.
Here's a closer look at the 2009-10 Notre Dame women's basketball award winners:
Melissa Lechlitner (Sr., G, Mishawaka, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph's) -- Notre Dame Monogram Club MVP For her career, Lechlitner ranks among the top 10 in school history for career games played (tied/2nd - 131), free throw percentage (6th - .800) and assists (6th - 388), and she became the 26th Fighting Irish player to score 1,000 career points, reaching that milestone in her final collegiate game with 22 points against Oklahoma in the NCAA Kansas City Regional semifinals on March 28.
Thanks to that effort in the Sweet 16, Lechlitner was named to the NCAA Kansas City Regional All-Tournament Team, adding to her selection earlier this season on the Paradise Jam Island Division All-Tournament Team. She also was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team selection after compiling a 3.38 cumulative grade-point average as a psychology major in the College of Arts and Letters.
Lindsay Schrader (5th Year Sr., G, Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) -- Woody Miller Player of the Year (selected by media) A three-time all-BIG EAST Conference selection (including a two-time first-team honoree), Schrader also was named an Associated Press and State Farm Coaches' honorable mention All-America selection this season after ranking among the team leaders in double-doubles (1st - six), rebounding (1st - 6.9 rpg.), scoring (2nd - 11.3 rpg.) and field goal percentage (3rd - career-high .540). She also scored in double figures in 22 games, including a season-high 18 points on three occasions.
A team tri-captain the past two seasons, Schrader ranks among the top 10 in school history in nine categories, including rebounds (6th - 828), games started (tied/2nd - 124), consecutive games started (6th - 73), field goals attempted (7th - 1,250), double-figure scoring games (tied/8th - 78), minutes per game (8th - 28.3), total minutes (9th - 3,620) and field goals made (tied/9th - 594). She also ranks 13th in school history with 1,429 points, just one point behind current Fighting Irish assistant coach Niele Ivey (who also returned for a fifth season of eligibility in 2000-01 after suffering an ACL injury early in her freshman year of 1996-97).
Ashley Barlow (Sr., G, Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) -- Defensive Player of the Year Award (co-recipient) A two-year team captain, Barlow will graduate with a place among the top 10 on no fewer than 12 of Notre Dame's career statistical charts, including scoring (9th - 1,492 points), three-pointers made (6th - 139), three-point attempts (6th - 403), steals (tied/3rd - 281), steals per game (4th - 2.16 spg.), free throws made (6th - 359), free throws attempted (tied/6th - 444), free throw percentage (5th - .809), games played (tied/5th - 130), minutes played (7th - 3,664), double-figure scoring games (tied/8th - 78) and minutes per game (tied/9th - 28.2). In addition, her career-high 80 steals this year are tied for the ninth-most in a single season in program history, while she made at least one three-pointer in the final 16 games of her career, good for the fourth-longest single-season run in school annals.
A three-time all-BIG EAST Conference selection (and two-time second-team all-league choice), as well as a 2010 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/State Farm Coaches' All-Region I honoree, Barlow led Notre Dame with a career-high 53 three-pointers this season, and ranked second on the team (seventh in the BIG EAST) with a .363 field goal percentage, just slightly below her career-high .364 three-point percentage from a year ago. That long range accuracy proved beneficial on April 1, when she finished second at the 22nd annual State Farm College 3-Point Championships in her hometown of Indianapolis, posting the best effort by a Fighting Irish women's basketball player in the history of the event.
Skylar Diggins (Fr., G, South Bend, Ind./Washington) -- Defensive Player of the Year Award (co-recipient) Diggins led Notre Dame in scoring (13.9 ppg.), steals (2.6 spg.) and assists (tied - 3.2 apg.) this season, while ranking third on the squad in three-point percentage (.350) and free throw percentage (.782). She also chalked up a team-high 24 double-digit scoring games, including seven 20-point outings, capped by a season-high 31 points against Vermont in the second round of the NCAA Championship on March 23 at Purcell Pavilion. That scoring effort was the highest ever recorded by a Fighting Irish rookie in NCAA postseason play, while her 13 field goals made tied the program record for an NCAA tournament game.
In 2009-10, Diggins set Notre Dame freshman records for steals (90), free throws made (111), free throws attempted (142) and minutes played (1,028), while ranking among the top five on the Fighting Irish rookie charts for points (3rd - 484), scoring average (tied/4th - 13.8 ppg.), field goals made (3rd - 169), field goals attempted (3rd - 385), three-point field goals made (4th - 35), three-point attempts (5th - 100), three-point percentage (5th - .350), assists (3rd - 112), steals per game (2nd - 2.6 spg.), games started (tied/2nd - 30), games played (2nd - 35) and minutes per game (5th - 29.4).
Natalie Novosel (So., G, Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) -- Most Improved Player Award Erica Williamson (Sr., C, Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) -- Spirit Award (co-recipient) Williamson will depart Notre Dame ranked eighth on the school's career blocked shot list (125) and tied for fifth on the Fighting Irish career games played chart (130). She also is poised to sign a training camp contract with the WNBA's New York Liberty, which also featured former Notre Dame point guard Megan Duffy ('06) on its roster during the 2008 season -- WNBA training camps open later this month.
Alena Christiansen (Sr., G, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) -- Spirit Award (co-recipient) / Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award A walk-on guard and former practice player who actually began her stint with the program as a marketing aide and assistant summer camp director, Christiansen joined the active roster midway through the 2008-09 season when injuries trimmed the Notre Dame bench. During the ensuing 15 months, she played in 23 games, earning her first career start on Senior Night (Feb. 23, 2010, vs. Marquette).
This season, Christiansen saw action in 17 games, averaging a career-high 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in 3.1 minutes per contest. She scored a career-high five points in a Dec. 20 win over Charlotte, and grabbed a career-best two rebounds in the NCAA Championship second-round win over Vermont on March 23 at Purcell Pavilion.
In the classroom, Christiansen owns a 3.508 cumulative GPA as a marketing major in the Mendoza College of Business. She also was named to the dean's list in the spring of 2009 after compiling a 3.75 semester GPA.
Notre Dame finished third at the 2010 NCAA Championship.
Complete Release in PDF Format
BOSTON, Mass. - After four days of intense fencing at Harvard's Gordon Track Center, the Irish finished third at the 2010 National Championship. From Notre Dame's perspective, day four was highlighted by the gold medal winning performance of sophomore foilist Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif.). Meinhardt defeated David Willette of Penn State, 15-9, to win Notre Dame's first individual men's foil title since Charles Higgs-Coulthard did so in 1984. Meinhardt's foil teammate Enzo Castellani (Keller, Texas) and junior sabreist Avery Zuck (Beaverton, Ore.) also had strong days as each claimed a bronze medal.
"It was great to win this year after coming so close last year," said Meinhardt. "But at the same time, it obviously would have been better to win the team championship because of the hard work our team put in all year. The majority of the other fencers who didn't compete this weekend flew out here on their own or made the 14 hour drive so it would have been nice to win with that kind of support behind us. But we will be back at it, working hard towards next year very soon."
The Irish finished in third place with 180 points. Penn State claimed its second consecutive title with 191 wins, while St. John's finished second with 182 points. All told, the Irish had 11 All-Americans and four medalists in Meinhardt, Castellani, Zuck and sophomore Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), who took home a women's epee bronze on Friday, March 26. It was just the third time since women's sabre was added to the championship event that Notre Dame had 11 All-Americans, having also done so in 2003 and 2008. Meinhardt's gold was the first for the program since Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) and Sarah Borrmann (Beaverton, Ore.) each won gold in 2008. Overall, it was Notre Dame's 25th individual weapon championship.
Meinhardt finished round robin play in third with a total of 17 wins. In the semifinal bout, he downed Miles Chamley-Watson of Penn State, 15-11. The rivals traded touches in a back-and-forth bout until the score reached 9-9. Then Meinhardt took control by landing the next four touches, making it 13-9, and eventually earning a place in the men's foil championship bout for the second consecutive year. In the championship, Meinhardt faced Willette, who pulled out to a 5-3 lead. But Meinhardt countered and eventually claimed leads of 9-8 and 10-9. With the title in reach, Meinhardt went on an impressive tear as he landed the next five touches to win the national title.
"After last season, I really wanted to focus and not let down at any point," said Meinhardt. "I knew when it was getting close near the end that I had to pull away and not get in a situation like last season when it was 14-14."
The individual championship capped off an impressive run for Meinhardt that included gold medal finishes at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships and the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Meinhardt's foil counterpart Castellani turned in an inspiring day in which he finished round robin play with 16 wins, a total equaled by two other fencers but Castellani's impressive +40 indicator allowed him to advance to the medal round, where he faced Willette in the semifinals. Willette earned a 15-11 win to advance to the championship, leaving Castellani with the bronze and First Team All-American honors. In two seasons with the Irish, Castellani has now earned first and second team All-America status.
With 19 wins, Zuck finished men's sabre round robin play in third place and advanced to a semifinal bout versus Daryl Homer of St. John's. Homer earned a 15-10 win en route to the 2010 men's sabre national championship, as he also defeated teammate Daniel Bak in the finals. Zuck, who finished fifth in 2009, earned his first NCAA Championship medal and his second All-American honor.
Junior Barron Nydam (Rancho Sante Fe, Calif.) finished 10th in the men's sabre field with 13 wins to take third team All-American honors. It was the third time in three chances that Nydam finished his year as an All-American, having earned second team status in 2008 and 2009.
In his first trip to the NCAA Championship, freshman James Kaull (Washinton, D.C.) turned in an All-American performance as he finished in 10th to earn third team honors. All told, Kaull recorded 12 wins and a +10 indicator. Kaull's epee counterpart Greg Schoolcraft (San Jose, Calif.) also notched 12 wins and finished in 12th based on his indicator to earn the first All-America honor of his career.
Epee:
Foil:
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Amywren Miller and Samantha Maxwell finish final day with preliminary swims.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
Amywren Miller and Samantha Maxwell wrapped up the 2010 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Saturday at Purdue's Boilermaker Aquatic Center for the Notre Dame women's program. Both student-athletes took part in the morning preliminaries but did not advance to the finals.
Maxwell went 2:14.17 in the 200 breast, the 36th-best performance in the event. Miller touched the wall in 49.44 to finish 25th in the 100 free.
Maxwell and Miller, who each earned respective All-American honors earlier this week in the 100 breast and 50 free, teamed to total 14 points for Notre Dame. The Irish finished 38th as 47 teams scored points at the three-day event.
Florida (382) won the team title, edging Stanford (379.5) while defending champion California (363) placed third.
ESPN2 will air a 90-minute show with highlights of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at 1:30 p.m. (ET) on April 6 (Tuesday).
Nikki Weiss made six saves for the Irish.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - On cold night more reminiscent of South Bend, Indiana than College Station, Texas, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's soccer season came to an end with a 1-0 loss to North Carolina in the 2009 NCAA College Cup semifinal game in front of 8,026 fans at the Aggie Soccer Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University.
In the latest chapter of women's college soccer's biggest rivalry, a valiant defensive effort that included six saves by Irish goalkeeper Nikki Weiss (Redding, Conn./Immaculate) was not enough to negate a North Carolina offense that earned the game's only breakthrough with just under eight minutes remaining, as Casey Nogueira scored from two-yards out after she received a low through ball from Lucy Bronze. Six of the teams' last seven contests have now been decided by one goal.
"We just want to congratulate North Carolina on their win and wish them all the best in the championship game," said Irish head coach Randy Waldrum. "I told the girls after the game how proud I was of them for this year and for getting to this point. It's never easy when you lose but we've had a fantastic year and I'm really proud of this group."
North Carolina outshot the Irish by a 26-8 margin, including a nine to one edge in shots on target. UNC also earned 10 corner kicks to Notre Dame's two. Ashlyn Harris made one save in the Tar Heel net.
Just 30 seconds into the contest, Nogueira stood over a free kick from just outside the Irish box and sent her subsequent shot over the wall of Irish defenders and just over the cross bar as well.
The Irish then had their best scoring chance of the half in the sixth minute when Melissa Henderson (Garland, Texas/Berkner) beat two Tar Heel defenders and sent a through ball to the far side of the box that an on-rushing Rose Augustin (Silver Lake, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) hit a low drive just wide of the far post with UNC goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris sprinting off her line to apply pressure.
In the 20th minute, UNC's Tobin Heath hit a shot from 30-yards out that struck the cross bar. The ensuing rebound was then fired at the Irish goal by Jessica McDonald, but Weiss smothered the shot to keep the game tied at 0-0.
UNC applied more pressure in the 28th minute when Meghan Klingenberg and Courtney Jones got consecutive shots off in the Irish box that were cleared off the line by Molly Campbell (Mission Hills, Kan./St. Teresa's Acad.) and Jessica Schuveiller (Plano, Texas/Plano West), respectively.
North Carolina earned the majority of the possession in the beginning stages of the second half. Included in the UNC offensive chances was a header that flew just wide of Weiss' net by Amber Brooks and a dangerous ball into the box that was cleared out for a corner kick with a crafty header from Notre Dame's Haley Ford (Midland, Texas/Midland).
The Irish then had a good spell of possession midway into the second half that culminated in a shot off the cross bar by Augustin, who volleyed the shot off the outside right of her foot from the left side of the box, 12-yards out from the UNC net in the 67th minute.
With 30-minutes remaining, the game began to open up, creating more chances for both sides. Weiss was forced to make one of her best saves of the contest in the 68th minute, when she dove to her left to snag a low line-drive shot by Alyssa Rich. Michele Weissenhofer (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) reached a Henderson through ball at the top of the box, cut back against the defense and let fly a shot that flashed just wide of Harris' left post in the 71st minute. Weissenhofer is part of an Irish senior class that posted a 91-11-4 record while making four College Cup appearances and two trips to the NCAA Championship match.
Nogueira then scored what proved to be the game's decisive strike at 82:02.
With three minutes left, Knaack combined with Iantorno for a half chance that ended in a goal kick for the Tar Heels. Then, with ten seconds left, Henderson played a ball up for a streaking Weissenhofer, but a last-ditch sliding effort by Rachel Givan negated the tying chance for the Irish.
"It's been one of the most rewarding years I've had at Notre Dame, and that's including the national championship of 2004," concluded Waldrum. "This team really has come so far. If you'd have asked anyone who saw us play Carolina in the first two weeks of the year, no one would have guessed we'd be back here. It's taken a lot of hard work. This staff has done a great job of keeping the team focused and believing they could get back. A lot of the credit goes to the players for believing that we were good enough to get back. Even though it's a disappointing night, it's been a really rewarding year."
In Friday's other semifinal match, Stanford earned a 2-1 overtime win over the Bruins of UCLA, the Cardinal and Tar Heels will meet in the NCAA Championship match on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1:00 p.m. (EST).
Postgame Notes: Courtney Barg was named a 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, one of 15 players to earn the distinction ... Barg was also named a first team All-American by the NSCAA, while Lauren Fowlkes earned third team All-American honors for the Irish ... Friday night's game marked the third-largest crowd to witness a game inside the Aggie Soccer Stadium ... the six saves for Weiss were one shy of tying her career high mark of seven ... the Irish senior class finished their careers with a 91-11-4 record while making four College Cup appearances and two trips to the NCAA Championship match.
Kellie Sciacca records 16 kills in opening-round defeat.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -
Three Notre Dame players finished with double-figure kills against Ohio in opening-round action of the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, but the Bobcats won the final two sets to outlast the Irish in a 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-15, 15-7) affair Friday at Michigan's Cliff Keen Arena. Kellie Sciacca had 16 kills with Christina Kaelin adding 10 more. Kristen Dealy logged her ninth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 16 digs.
Ohio (27-6), the Mid-American Conference Tournament champion, benefitted from 19 Ellen Herman kills as Sue Jacobi tacked on 18. Herman also had 26 kills during the two program's last meeting in 2007, a 3-1 Ohio win. The Bobcats aced Notre Dame 10 times while hitting .236. Notre Dame swung at a .125 rate.
"Although the outcome was not what we had hoped for, I'm extremely proud of our team and their effort tonight, and Ohio deserves plenty of credit for earning the win," Irish head coach Debbie Brown said. "We've battled through injuries lately and persevered many times throughout the season. This team will miss our very special six-person senior class."
Jamel Nicholas had 40 assists and 10 digs with Frenchy Silva scooping 15 shots. Ohio had four players with at least 10 digs, led by Sarah Petrulis' 23. Meghan Simons and Katie Post each had six blocks.
Notre Dame finished the year with a 21-7 overall record after going 15-0 in BIG EAST regular-season play. The Irish secured the program's 19th winning season, each of which have been under the direction of Brown, and earned an 11th BIG EAST regular season championship. The team's 15-match winning streak earlier this season tied for the second-longest in program history.
Serinity Phillips and Megan Barnicle tag-teamed a Bobcat attack for the first Irish point after giving up a pair to Ohio to begin the match. Sciacca took a Nicholas backset to bring the Irish to within one, 4-3, and then pushed a tip to the back corner one play later to tie the set. Phillips gave Notre Dame its first lead at 5-4 with a roller to the middle of the Bobcat defense. Ohio used consecutive service aces to earn a 9-8 lead and stretched that to 12-10 after an Irish service error. But Ohio committed five straight errors to give Notre Dame a 15-12 lead. The set was tied again at 16-16 on a Bobcat block and the Irish regained the lead, 19-18, on a Bobcat hitting error. Kaelin returned an overpass (21-19) to force an Ohio timeout and hammered another at 23-21. Herman tied it with a shot from the left side (23-23), with Kaelin answering with an attack off the block. Megan Fesl and Barnicle recorded the clinching block on set point.
The Irish hit .235 in the first, bettering Ohio's output of .075. Sciacca led Notre Dame with five kills on eight swings. Nicole Staverman had two aces for the Bobcats.
Dealy started the next frame with a rifle from the second level and Fesl dropped a dandy from the right side early. Ohio went ahead by four (6-2) and won another point on an extended rally to bump ahead, 7-3. Herman, who had seven kills in the set, followed with an ace and the Bobcats proceeded to take an 11-4 lead on a block by Faith Robins and Post. Nicholas dumped one over at 11-5 and another at 15-9 as Notre Dame managed seven more scores after that point, three of those coming off Kaelin swings.
Ohio hit at a .323 pace while Notre Dame hit .027 in the second.
Sparking the Irish to begin the third was Dealy, crushing a Nicholas dish at 6-3. Nicholas found the back corner for her third kill of the match (7-3) and Dealy's delicate floater doubled Ohio's total at 10-5. Ohio scored four of the next five, giving way for the Irish to come right back and take a 15-9 lead on Dealy's rocket. Sciacca continued to produce on the slide, recording her 10th kill of the match at 19-13. Notre Dame's only ace of the match came from Dealy (21-13), and Ohio responded with back-to-back blocks during a rally that cut the Irish lead to 22-18. Following a Notre Dame timeout the teams traded scores as Kaelin's overpass on set point fell for the final tally.
Sciacca's five kills in the set led all players. Dealy and Silva each had five digs.
Herman opened the fourth with a pair of aces which helped give the Bobcats a 5-0 lead. A third Bobcat ace, this time from Petrulis, boosted Ohio's advantage to 7-1. Sciacca's bouncer brought the Irish to within 9-4, answered by a Herman kill from the left side. Going off the block at 12-7 was Kaelin and Phillips connected with a backrow attack at 17-10. The Irish came within six (17-11) on a Bobcat attack error and finished the frame with just six kills.
The first three Notre Dame points of the fifth came from Sciacca sliders. Ohio was the first team to take a two-point lead (5-3) and forced an Irish timeout by taking a 7-4 lead. Barnicle kept the Irish within striking distance (10-6) but Ohio finished the Irish by taking five of the next seven points.
Here are the special ticket designation home football games for next season, followed by just what those designations mean:
Notre Dame contributing alumni who graduated 35 or more years ago receive priority status on their alumni ticket application for the designated Senior Alumni game (Sept. 25 vs. Stanford). In the event that demand from senior alumni again exceeds supply, as in recent years, tickets will be allotted in descending order to the most senior alumni. For example, tickets will be assigned first to those in the 50-year club and then descending in years since graduation. It is a priority of the University to make as many tickets as possible available to the Senior Alumni population. For 2010, parents of returning Notre Dame undergraduate students may apply for up to four tickets to each of three home football games (Oct. 16 vs. Western Michigan, Oct. 30 vs. Tulsa and Nov. 13 vs. Utah). Parents will be guaranteed to receive tickets to at least one game. If you choose to apply for two or more of the parent game offerings, one (or two) of your games, based on demand, will be subject to the general lottery. The parent games for incoming (first-year and transfer) students will be determined at a later date, based on demand and availability. Those games will be announced in June 2010. For the designated Alumni Family games (Oct. 16 vs. Western Michigan, Oct. 30 vs. Tulsa and Nov. 13 vs. Utah), contributing alumni have the option to apply for up to four tickets on their lottery application for those games only.
Ask Before You Act Protecting and preserving the eligibility of our student-athletes at Notre Dame is a shared responsibility. Compliance with NCAA rules is essential as we strive to maintain and enhance our national athletic prominence, while protecting the University's tradition of integrity and values. Please be reminded of the following rules in regards to interaction with current student-athletes: You may: You may not: Do's - You may: Don'ts - You may not: Please note that the NCAA is comprised of amateur athletes in their respective sports. The following are ways in which an athlete could lose his or her amateur status: Did you know' Again, thank you for your interest and commitment to rules compliance. If you have any questions, please call the Athletics Compliance Office at 631-8090. For more information, visit http://und.collegesports.com/genrel/compliance.html.
Tory Jackson took home the Captains' Award and the Outstanding Playmaker Award
Tim Abromaitis was the team's second-leading scorer in 2009-10 as he averaged career-bests of 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. After playing in just 12 games as a freshman in 2007-08 and not seeing action at all during the 2008-09 campaign, he played in all 35 contests and made 26 starts. His 18.2 scoring average in 18 BIG EAST games ranked sixth as he shot 49.5 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point range and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line. Abromaitis was named to the BIG EAST Honorable Mention Team and was named the BIG EAST Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
After sitting out last season (2008-09) following his transfer from Mississippi State, Ben Hansbrough was one of three players in double figures as he averaged 12.0 points in 35.5 minutes per game. He finished second in minutes played (1.241) and was second on the team in assists with 153 and steals (37). Hansbrough started all 35 games for the Irish and netted double figures 23 of those contests. He scored a season-high 22 points against IUPUI and topped the 30-point mark on three occasions. Hansbrough also finished with two doubles-doubles, which included a 15-point, career-high 10-rebound outing against DePaul. He also had 10 assists in two contests.
Luke Harangody became the first three-time All-American at Notre Dame since Kevin O'Shea from 1948-50 and was named a Consensus Second Team All-American by the NCAA for the second time in his career. He earned second-team All-America honors from the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and third-team accolades from the Associated Press, The Sporting News and State Farm/National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Tory Jackson ranks as one of just players in Notre Dame history (the other was Chris Thomas) to score more than 1,000 points and dish off more than 600 assists. He finished as the school's second all-time assist leader with 694 and led the Irish in assists all four seasons during is career. Jackson also appeared in more games than any other Notre Dame player in program history (136) and made 122 starts during his career. One of just eight players ever to start more than 100 games throughout his career, he scored 1,231 points for a 9.1 career scoring average.
Along with teammates Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson, Tyrone Nash was the only other player to start all 35 games for the Irish. He averaged career-bests of 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and was the team's second-leading rebounder. He shot 54.2 percent from the field while averaging 26.4 minutes per game. Nash scored in double figures in 13 contests and recorded one double-double. He also finished with 16 blocked shots.
Jonathan Peoples served as one of the team's tri-captains this season. He played in all 35 contests and made 10 starts while averaging 3.4 points. He played in 130 games during his career (tied for third all-time) and made 12 starts. Peoples netted three double-figure scoring outings during the season and scored a career-high 23 points against Providence. In that contest, he connected on six-of-seven shots that included a five-for-five shooting performance from three-point range.
Carleton Scott appeared in 34 contests and started the final nine games of the season. He finished the season averaging 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. In the final nine games of the campaign, he scored in double figures in four of those contests and recorded three double-doubles in the final six games of the season. He netted a career-high 17 points in Notre Dame's win at Georgetown and grabbed personal-best 14 rebounds against Connecticut. Scott hit the game-tying three-pointer in Notre Dame's eventual overtime win at Marquette as he finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. He also led the team with 37 blocked shots.
Lechlitner Repeats As MVP At 2009-10 Women's Basketball Awards Banquet
For the second year in a row, senior guard/tri-captain Melissa Lechlitner was voted as the Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player, receiving the award at the 2009-10 women's basketball banquet held on Tuesday before a sold-out crowd of 600 fans at Purcell Pavilion.
Lechlitner follows in the footsteps of Charel Allen (2007, 2008) as a two-time Monogram Club MVP after successfully piloting Notre Dame to one of the most productive seasons in school history. Lechlitner led the team in assists (tied - 3.2 apg.), three-point percentage (.420) and free throw percentage (.849), setting new career highs in all three categories. A two-year team tri-captain, she also ranked among the team leaders in scoring (5th - 8.4 ppg.) and assist/turnover ratio (3rd - 1.27) while starting all 35 games and playing a team-high 1,030 minutes. With Lechlitner at the helm, Notre Dame averaged 77.2 points per game (11th in the nation) and 18.1 assists per game (sixth in the nation), while finishing an entire season with a positive assist/turnover ratio (1.11 - 10th in the nation) for the second time in school history, both in the past three seasons and both with Lechlitner on the roster.
Schrader is the first-ever recipient of this media-selected award after closing out her brilliant career as one of only four players in school history with 1,400 points and 800 rebounds in their careers (joining Jacqueline Batteast, Katryna Gaither and Ruth Riley in that exclusive company). She also holds the school records for double-doubles by a guard in both a single season (seven in 2008-09) and a career (17) during a tenure that was extended to a fifth year after she missed the entire 2006-07 campaign with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee, an injury suffered on the fourth day of preseason practice.
A two-time recipient of this award, Barlow recently completed a stellar career that saw her emerge as one of the most versatile players in Notre Dame women's basketball history. She is the only Fighting Irish basketball player (male or female) to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 steals in her career under the Golden Dome, and she is one of only three Notre Dame women's players to register at least 60 steals in four consecutive seasons, joining Coquese Washington (1989-93) and Ivey (1997-2001) in that elite club.
Diggins joined Schrader as an AP and State Farm Coaches' honorable mention All-America choice this year, in addition to earning second-team all-BIG EAST plaudits and a unanimous selection to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Those honors came following one of the finest rookie seasons in the 33-year history of Fighting Irish women's basketball, with Diggins becoming the first freshman in 17 seasons to lead Notre Dame in scoring and the first Fighting Irish rookie in 16 years to top 100 assists in her debut season. What's more, she finished as just the third player in program history (and the first freshman) to log 400 points, 100 assists and 75 steals in a single season, joining Ivey (2000-01) and Megan Duffy (2004-05) in achieving that distinction.
Novosel appeared in all 35 games for Notre Dame this season, making the first four starts of her career and posting career highs in assists (61), steals (47), three-point percentage (.350) and free throw percentage (.761). She was one of five Fighting Irish players with at least 40 steals this season -- part of the team's record-setting 450 thefts in 2009-10 -- and she also collected 5.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. She scored in double figures five times this season, with a season-high 12 points on three occasions (home games against Valparaiso, South Florida and Providence), and she registered at least three steals in seven different games.
One of the veteran leaders on this year's squad, Williamson appeared in 34 games, becoming a full-time starter late in the regular season and throughout the postseason. She ranked second on the team with a .602 field goal percentage (including a .700 mark in the postseason and a .727 ratio in the NCAA Championship) and she wound up third on the squad with 19 blocked shots. The quintessential teammate, Williamson made the most of her 12.1 minutes per game, averaging 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, including a season-high 16 points (and her first career three-pointer) in a BIG EAST Championship second-round win over Louisville in Hartford, Conn.
Despite playing less than two full seasons at Notre Dame, Christiansen endeared herself to her Fighting Irish teammates and the Notre Dame faithful, and will leave the University as one of the most beloved players in the program's history, thanks to her inspiring blend of positive energy, passion, dedication and work ethic.
Gerek Meinhardt Strikes Gold, While Enzo Castellani And Avery Zuck Each Win Bronze
Gold Medalist Gerek Meinhardt
Final Team Standings
1. Pennsylvania State University 191
2. St. John's University 182
3. Notre Dame 180
5. Harvard University 137
6. Princeton University 135
7. Columbia/Barnard 98
8. Pennsylvania 81
9. Stanford University 70
10. Duke University 59
11. Northwestern University 53
12. U.S. Air Force Academy 52
13. Temple University 38
14. Yale University 37
15. Wayne State University 33
16. New York University 32
17. U.C. San Diego 22
18. Sacred Heart University 20
19. Cornell University 19
20. UNC, Chapel Hill 18
21. Brown University 17
22. Boston College 16
23. Vassar College 10
24. Haverford College 7
25. Brandeis University 6
26. Cleveland State 3
27. Cal Tech 1
Notre Dame's 2010 All-Americans (All-America Team/Overall Finish)
Courtney Hurley (1st/t-3rd)
Kelley Hurley (2nd/6th)
James Kaull (3rd/10th)
Greg Schoolcraft (3rd/12th)
Hayley Reese (2nd/5th)
Gerek Meinhardt (1st/1st)
Enzo Castellani (1st/3rd)
Sarah Borrmann (2nd/5th)
Eileen Hassett (2nd/7th)
Avery Zuck (1st/t-3rd)
Barron Nydam (3rd/10th)
Irish Finish Season At NCAA Swimming And Diving Championships
Juniors Amywren Miller and Samantha Maxwell represented Notre Dame at the 2010 NCAA Championships.
Irish Fall To North Carolina In The College Cup Semifinals, 1-0
2009 NCAA Women's College Cup Highlights
2009 NCAA Women's College Cup Post-Game Press Conference
Five-Set Match Ends In Ohio's Favor To Halt Irish Season At NCAAs
All-American Christina Kaelin had 11 kills and six digs for the Irish Friday against Ohio in a 3-2 NCAA Tournament loss.
Special ticket designation games announced for 2010
From The ND Nation
Sept. 25, 2010 Stanford SENIOR ALUMNI GAME Oct 16, 2010 Western Michigan PARENT & ALUMNI FAMILY GAME October 30, 2010 Tulsa PARENT & ALUMNI FAMILY GAME November 13, 2010 Utah PARENT & ALUMNI FAMILY GAME
Compliance with NCAA Rules
a.. contact a current student-athlete regarding employment opportunities, however, no contact may be made without approval from the Compliance Office.
b.. provide a student-athlete, not their family and friends, an occasional (once a semester) meal at your home.
a.. provide a currently enrolled student-athlete, their parents of friends any benefit or special arrangement without prior approval from the Compliance Office.
b.. pay for or arrange for payment of room, board or any type of transportation for a student-athlete or their family and friends.
c.. entertain student-athletes or their family and friends. (Exception: NCAA rules do permit institutional staff members and athletics representatives to provide student-athletes (not including their family and friends) with an occasional meal (defined as once a semester) provided the meal is at the staff member's or athletic representative's home and not at a restaurant.)
d.. use the name, picture or appearance of an enrolled student-athlete to advertise, recommend or promote sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind. Any use of a student-athlete's name, picture or appearance must receive authorization from the Compliance Office.
e.. provide any payment of expense or loan of an automobile for a student-athlete to return home or to any other location.
f.. provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete for any reason. All awards provided to student-athletes must first be approved by the Compliance Office and meet all NCAA regulations.
g.. provide an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement. All speaking engagements must be approved in advance by the Compliance Office. h.. allow a student-athlete, his/her relatives or friends to use your telephone to make free calls.
i.. provide free or reduced cost lodging in your home to a student-athlete or a student-athlete's family and friends.
In regards to a prospective student-athlete: (The following lists of examples are not all-inclusive. As always, ask before you act!)
a.. forward information about prospective student-athletes to the appropriate coaching staff.
b.. have telephone contact with a prospect regarding permissible pre-enrollment activities such as summer employment, provided the prospect has graduated from high school and signed a National Letter of Intent. Also, you must contact the Compliance Office to make them aware that you are making these employment arrangements.
c.. have a telephone conversation with a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call. Such a call may not be prearranged by an institutional staff member and you are not permitted to have a recruiting conversation, but may exhibit normal civility. You must refer any questions about our athletics programs to an athletics department staff member/coach.
d.. view a prospect's athletic contest at your own initiative provided you do not contact the prospect or his/her parents. In addition, you may not contact a prospect's coach, principal, or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect.
e.. continue established family relationships with friends and neighbors. Contacts with sons and daughters of these families are permitted so long as they are not made for recruiting purposes or encouraged by Notre Dame coaches.
a.. write, e-mail or telephone a prospective student-athlete or his/her parents in an effort to recruit them to Notre Dame.
b.. become involved in making arrangements to provide money, financial aid or a benefit of any kind to a prospect or the prospect's family and friends.
c.. make contact with a prospective student-athlete and his/her parents when the prospect is on-campus for an official or unofficial recruiting visit.
d.. contact a prospect to congratulate him/her on signing a National Letter of Intent to attend the University.
e.. transport, pay or arrange for payment of transportation costs for a prospect, and his/her relatives or friends to visit campus (or elsewhere).
f.. pay or arrange for payment of summer camp registration fees for a prospect.
g.. provide ANYTHING to a prospect, the prospect's family or friends without prior approval from the Compliance Office.
a.. taking pay (or promise of pay) for playing
b.. entering into any agreement (verbal or written) with an agent or a representative of an agent
c.. using athletic skill for pay in any form
d.. promoting a commercial product (or by allowing their name or picture to be used regardless of pay)
e.. accepting payment for work not performed or receiving pay at a higher rate
f.. playing on any professional athletics team as defined by the NCAA in the athlete's sport
g.. playing on any team in which members of that team are being paid as professionals
a.. a prospective student-athlete who has begun classes for the 12th grade may make at total of five official visits to five different institution's campuses. (An official visit is when an institution pays for any part of the visit such as travel, meals or lodging.)
b.. only institutional employees may have contact with the prospect and their families on the official visit.
c.. a prospective student-athlete may receive one phone call in the month of March of their junior year and one phone call per week from coaches as of July 1 after their junior year in high school. (Please note that men's and women's basketball, football and hockey have different rules.)
d.. a prospective student-athlete may receive recruiting materials and general correspondence from an institution no earlier than September 1 of their junior year in high school.