CANTON, Ohio – What a day to be a Falcon! Notre Dame College's men's swimming and diving team is crowned the Mountain East Conference Champion for the third year in a row and the NDC women's team places second in the MEC to tie their best finish in program history (2^nd in 2021).

"The team put in the hard work all year," said head coach Stephanie Gyurke. "It was awesome to see them reap the benefits. No one deserves it more than this group of athletes."
 
Day one of the GMAC/MEC Championships was full of awards and accolades for the Notre Dame swimming and diving team. After Wednesday's events, the NDC men's team is seated in second place overall and first amongst the MEC with 263.5 points. Moreover, the NDC women's team was in fifth place overall and second amongst MEC competition with 193 points.

The quartet of Emily Thomas, Jaybreona Foster, Hannah Berlin and Courtney Ledbetter set the tone for Notre Dame by claiming the Mountain East Conference Championship in the women's 200-yard medley relay during the very first event. Their time of 1:50.74 earned the four swimmers First Team All-MEC honors. The relay of Trey Parris, Evan Gyurke, Garrett Warren and Roan Kelleher hit the water next earning Second Team All-MEC praise with a swim of 1:34.87. More impressively, their time of 1:34.87 is the new NDC program record in the men's 200-yard medley relay.
 
In the first individual events, Hannah Berlin and Daniel Alvarez brought home Second Team All-MEC honors during the Women's and Men's 1,000-yard freestyle. Both swimmers shaved an impressive 20 seconds, or more, off of their seeded times with Berlin touching the wall at 10:35.80, and Alvarez finishing at 10:01.28. In back-to-back events Notre Dame breaks a new program record with Berlin in the women's 1,000-yard freestyle.
 
In the women's 50-yard freestyle, Ledbetter came up big for Notre Dame by grabbing Second Team All-MEC at a time of 24.92.
 
Ashton Smith enjoyed a busy Wednesday evening which feature his services in the 200-yard IM, 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard free relay. The two-time MEC swimmer of the week grabbed Second Team All-MEC in the 200-yard IM (1:55.18), and was crowned MEC Champion in the 50-yard freestyle (20.91) and 200-yard free relay (1:25.10). Moreover, Smith's time of 1:55.18 in the 200-yard IM breaks the NDC record in the event.
 
Warren, Parris and Kelleher joined Smith in the 200-yard free relay which earned First Team All-MEC. In addition, these four Falcons rewrite the program record for NDC in the aforementioned event, Notre Dame's fourth record of the evening.
 
The NDC women's side comprised of Abrielle Junge, Alexis Torosian, Alaina Wittum and Ledbetter tied Frostburg State during the Women's 200-yard free relay (1:39.33), resulting in Second Team All-MEC honors for the aforementioned four Falcons.
 
During day two of the GMAC/MEC Championships, Notre Dame College continued to rewrite the record book and swim strong with the men's side accumulating 457.5 points and continuing to hold the top spot in the MEC (3^rd overall). The NDC women's team also holds onto their spot at second in the MEC (5^th overall) at 285 points.
 
Daniel Alvarez and Adonis Thomas set the tone this evening for the Falcons. Alvarez swam a blazing 4:14.69 to break the NDC record in the event during his "B" Final. Thomas earned Second Team All-MEC during the "A" Final with a time of 4:15.65.
 
Hannah Berlin and Ashton Smith grabbed back-to-back MEC Championships for Notre Dame in the 200-yard freestyle. Berlin swam a 1:57.45 and Smith touched the wall at 1:41.56, as both athletes garnered First Team All-MEC honors with the swim. Furthermore, Berlin enjoys her second record setting performance, joining her 1,000-yard freestyle performance from a night ago.
 
The Falcons closed out the second day of competition with impressive swims and Second Team All-MEC honors by both 400-yard Medley Relay teams. The women's side went a 4:02.98, while the men finished at 3:30.63. The quartet of Garrett Warren, Evan Gyurke, Smith and Roan Kelleher generated a new Notre Dame program record in the event.
 
Day three of the GMAC/MEC Championships featured Notre Dame in the same placements as the day prior. NDC's men continued to pace the MEC and hold third place overall with 703.5 points, while the women's side posted 469 points holding second place in the MEC and fifth overall.
 
Hannah Berlin brought the electricity in the 500-yard freestyle by bringing home the MEC Championship after a terrific final 50 yards. Her time of 5:09.34 grabbed First Team All-MEC honors.
 
Emily Thomas followed suit with an MEC Championship swim in the 100-yard backstroke (58.77). Like Berlin, Thomas earned First Team All-MEC honors.
 
Moments later, Jaybreona Foster was crowned the Mountain East Conference Champion in the 100-yard breaststroke at a time of 1:08.21. She too garnered First Team All-MEC honors with the swim.
 
Alexis Torosian swam to Second Team All-MEC in the 200-yard butterfly (2:16.30), while Adonis Thomas was awarded the MEC Championship (1:56.23) in the same event, earning himself First Team All-MEC.
 
The relay of Abrielle Junge, Hannah Berlin, Alaina Wittum and Alexis Torosian concluded day three for Notre Dame in the 800-yard free relay with All-MEC Honorable Mention (8:12.01).
 
On the fourth and final day of competition inside C.T. Branin Natatorium for the GMAC/MEC Championships, Notre Dame flexed their muscles one last time to grab impressive finishes on both the men's and women's side.
 
Beginning Saturday evening, Hannah Berlin and Daniel Alvarez each registered Second Team All-MEC in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Berlin swam a 17:51.04 during prelims this morning, which vaulted her onto Second Team after Frostburg State's Lydia Nebiolo swam an 18:08.25 during finals. Alvarez generated a time of 16:53.41.
 
In the 100-yard freestyle, Courtney Ledbetter snagged All-MEC honorable mention at a time of 54.85. Ashton Smith posted his fourth MEC Championship during the meet with a 45.44 to win the event within the conference.
 
In the 200-yard backstroke, Adonis Thomas tallied Second Team All-MEC with a time of 1:56.24.
 
Jaybreona Foster was crowned MEC Champion in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:30.24). She also earned First Team All-MEC.
 
During the final two events of the 2022 GMAC/MEC Championships, both NDC relay teams were awarded Second Team All-MEC in the 400-yard free relay. Abrielle Junge, Alexis Torosian, Alaina Wittum and Ledbetter swam a 3:41.00, as Gabriel Acosta, Danny Gutzwiler, Roan Kelleher and Smith touched the wall at 3:09.00.
 
The University of Findlay won the GMAC Championships on the men's side with 1955.5 points. On the women's side, Hillsdale College earned the GMAC Championship (1631.5 points), while Frostburg State claimed the MEC title (752 points).

Another impressive season in the books for Notre Dame College and fifth-year head coach Stephanie Gyurke who will now hit the offseason until the Fall of 2022.