INDIANAPOLIS — If we’re talking college football, Purdue is Quarterback U., USC is Tailback U., Penn State is Linebacker U. And any conversation in this sport must include Notre Dame, possibly Heisman U.

But Notre Dame swimming? You’re not serious, right?

Chris Guiliano is. This sport needs to start taking him seriously, in fact. Boisterous green-clad suppoerters were doing so Wednesday in, appropriately, a football stadium.

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On night 5 of the Olympic Trials, before a record crowd of 22,209, Guiliano won a showdown among the three fastest American men ever in the 100-meter freestyle.

The 20-year-old from Douglassville, Pa., finished first in 47.38 seconds, followed by Jack Alexy in 47.47. Defending gold medalist Caeleb Dressel was third in 47.53.

Guiliano had already become the first Notre Dame male swimmer to make a U.S. Olympic team, surprisingly placing second Monday night in the 200 freestyle.

Now he will be the first American to swim in both 100 and 200 freestyles at an Olympics since Matt Biondi in 1988.

“Coming to the University of Notre Dame is something I always wanted to do,” Guiliano said. “I wanted to cement a legacy at such a special place. I’m just so excited to represent it. And for everything it means. I hope to represent it well.”

It has been a rapid rise by Guiliano, who ranked 21^st among Americans in the 100 free in 2022 and 36^th in the 200 free in 2023. His breakthrough came when he finished second to Alexy in the 100 free in last year’s nationals at the Natatorium at IUPUI.

Guiliano was on the team that won a bronze medal in the 4x100 free relay at the 2023 World Championships. In Paris, the Americans are not only thinking gold, but world record.

Upon reviewing the scoreboard, Dressel said:

“I think the world record is 47.3 average. We’ve got a shot at that.”

Guiliano and Alexy touched the wall simultaneously at 50 meters in 22.51, and Guiliano had just enough to hold off the Cal sprinter.

“We’ve been rehearsing the back half leading into this meet,” Guiliano said. “Just had to find a way and find an extra gear.”

That’s what Josh Matheny had to do, too, as a representative of Breaststroke U.

Matt Fallon set an American record of 2:06.54 in the 200 breaststroke, breaking the mark of 2:07.16 held by Josh Prenot since 2016.

Matheny, of Indiana University, was third through 150 meters before surging back for second in 2:08.86. He was third in the 100 breaststroke, one spot from Paris.

He said his legs were hurting by the end, “but the thought of getting third again just powered me to the wall,” Matheny said.

The Pittsburgh native chose IU for its reputation of developing breaststrokers, and now he can aim to join the Hoosiers’ Olympic medalists in that stroke:

Lilly King, gold in 2016; Cody Miller, bronze in 2016; Sergio Lopez (Spain), bronze in 1992; Don McKenzie, gold in 1968; Chet Jastremski, bronze in 1964. Jastremski, in fact, was pictured on the Jan. 29, 1962, cover of Sports Illustrated.

Matheny conceded he felt “pure joy,” but that the outcome did not feel real.

“I looked up at the board and like totally forgot where I was,” he said. “It took like a full minute to register it was second next to my name.”

IU teammates, including King, celebrated with him near the warmdown pool. Matheny said King has been a friend and mentor.

“After disappointment in the 100, she is someone I could look up to and kind of rely on, and someone who has been in the game and has had her fair share of ups and downs,” Matheny said. “She really helped pull me through it, along with my incredible team, my coaches.

“Just get back on the horse and get ready to race tonight.”

In the women’s 200 breaststroke, King came from behind to win a semifinal in 2:22.45 over Alex Walsh’s 2:22.81.

Both were slower than Kate Douglass, whose 2:21.23 semifinal followed a heat in 2:19.66, just off her American record of 2:19.30.

King secured a third Olympic berth by winning Monday’s 100 breaststroke.

Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Record crowd sees Notre Dame, IU swimmers earn spots on USA Olympic team