Just one sports was left in competition for Notre Dame over the weekend, but there was plenty of news to report on Fighting Irish athletics anyway.
First off, Notre Dame grad Mike Lee kept his undefeated record in tact this past Friday with a victory over Eliseo Durazo.
Bayou Irish over at Her Loyal Sons had a nice write up about the match. HLS was pretty kind but fair to Lee, but Scott Christ over at Bad Left Hook surely was not:
In the televised opener, Mike Lee ran his Charmin soft record up to 9-0 (5 KO) with a six-round decision win over a chubby guy who fought on five days' notice. That guy's name was Eliseo Durazo (4-3, 1 KO), who has also now lost three in a row. Lee has a rabid section of fans that don't really seem to care about boxing, but do like to shout and chant and root for their bro.
Ouch.
Outdoor track and field was the last sport in action for the academic calendar and the team finished up their season at the NCAA Championships over the weekend.
Junior Rebecca Tracy advanced to the finals in the 1,500 meter run and ultimately ended up finishing in 12th place. For her efforts, Tracy is expected to be named a second-team All-American according to und.com.
A day earlier, senior Kevin Schipper concluded his collegiate career with a 20th place finish in the pole vault.
12 of the overall 14 student-athletes that Notre Dame brought to the NCAA Championship did not advance to the finals in their respective competitions.
Elsewhere, as seen in our FanShot section of our main page, a handful of Irish baseball players are being swapped up by Major League franchises.
Junior catcher Joe Husdon was taken in the 6th round by the Cincinnati Reds and is the highest drafted Irish catcher in almost 50 years. Hudson said after being drafted:
"I couldn't be more excited to be part of the Cincinnati Reds organization," said Hudson. "This is truly a dream come true. However, my ultimate goal is to become a Major League player. I have a lot of work still ahead of me. I can't thank the coaching staff at Notre Dame enough for what they have done for me not only as a baseball player but as a person."
Senior pitcher Will Hudgins was taken in the 22nd round by the Washington Nationals after leading the Big East in ERA in 2012. Hudgins said in response:
"I couldn't be more excited to get drafted by the Washington Nationals," said Hudgins. "I'm extremely proud to represent Notre Dame baseball and hope to make the most of this tremendous opportunity. I can't express enough appreciation to all of my teammates, coaches and support staff that helped me along the way."
Lefty senior pitcher Steve Sabatino was drafted in the 26th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. In response, he had this to say:
"Being able to play professional baseball has been my dream for as long as I can remember," said Sabatino. "Thanks to all the people who never stopped believing in me. I am so grateful for all their support. Notre Dame has pushed me to be the person I am today."
As noted by und.com, this is the 15th out of the last 18 MLB drafts where Notre Dame has had at least 3 players drafted. Senior lefty pitcher Joe Spano also signed a free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Irish women's soccer team just finished up their 2012 recruiting class and Top Drawer Soccer has named it the top class in the entire nation.
Women's golf season is over but a few girls have had some personal success away from South Bend in recent weeks. Senior Becca Huffer and incoming freshman Lindsey Weaver have qualified for the U.S. Open in July, while freshman Ashley Armstrong is currently an alternate and will tee off for the American Championship if someone else withdraws from the tournament.
A pair of women's senior tennis stars---Kristy Frilling and Shannon Matthews---were awarded All-American status for doubles play in 2012. This is Frilling's fifth All-American honor, making her the most decorated Irish female tennis player in school history.
Finally, Michael Floyd recently signed his rookie contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Sources close to the situation report that Floyd's four-year deal is worth $10 million guaranteed and has an option for a fifth season.
Go Irish!