Illinois
at Nebraska
Saturday,
Jan. 21
11
a.m. | Devaney Natatorium
The
Nebraska swimming and diving team is hosting its first conference dual as
members of the Big Ten Conference when the Illinois Fighting Illini travel to
the Devaney Natatorium on Jan. 19. The dual is set to begin at 11 a.m. and
marks the second in a string of three-straight weekend duals for the Huskers.
Nebraska is coming off a heartbreaking 145-155 loss to Kansas in Lawrence, and
is looking to bounce back strong against the Illini, before taking on Iowa
State on Jan. 28, also at the Devaney Center.
Nebraska
(2-1) is 1-3 all-time against the Illini (3-4), including a 109.5-185.5 defeat
in Champaign, Ill., last season. This weekend's meet marks the fifth-straight
year the Huskers and Illini have faced off, with the Huskers lone win occurring
during the 2007-08 season, the first in which
these two teams met.
The
Illini are coming off two-straight losses from the likes of Iowa and Southern
Illinois since winning three-straight duals and earning a second-place finish
at the Northwestern Invitational heading into winter break.
Following
the Huskers' dual with the Illini, NU will take on Iowa State at the Devaney
Center on Jan. 28 before traveling to Iowa City, Iowa for the Big Ten
Championships, taking place from Feb. 15-18.
+Pool Points
NU
junior Hayley Martin swept every event she swam in at Kansas. Martin began the
afternoon with a win in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.43) and added wins in the 50-yard
freestyle (24.23) and the 100-yard freestyle (51.93). Junior Ariel Weech tied
with Martin in the 50-freestyle with a matching time of (24.23). Martin was
also the lead-off swimmer in the Huskers' victory in the 200-yard freestyle
relay.
Nebraska
divers Payton Michaud, Alyson Ramsey and Kaitlan Walker swept the 3-meter
diving event at Kansas, finishing first, second and third, respectively. Michaud
won the event with a score of 277.35, while Ramsey and Walker followed at 274.
35 and 268.12. The closest Kansas competitor finished the event at 255.67.
Review: Kansas Defeats
Nebraska in Down-to-the-Wire Dual, 155-145
The Nebraska
swimming and diving team fell to 2-1 on the season after dropping a close dual
against Kansas in Lawrence. The Jayhawks and the Huskers both won eight events
on the day, but the Huskers fell just short on points in the dual. The Huskers
fall to 11-23 all-time against the Jayhawks.
Nebraska
started off strong, with the team of Ellan Dufour, Shannon Guy, Natalie Morris
and Ariel Weech winning the 200-yard medley relay in 1:47.24. Kansas' Rebecca
Swank won the 1,650-yard freestyle immediately after to earn nine points for
the Jayhawks. NU's Bailey Pons finished second in the event at 17:11.13.
Mailene Leslie and Riley Seidel rounded out the event for NU, earning two and
one points, respectively.
Hayley
Martin won her first event of the day in the 200-yard freestyle. At 1:51.43,
Martin finished 1.36 ahead of Kansas' Shannon Garlie to take the third event of
the afternoon. Kansas swimmers won event four through six in the 100-yard
backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard butterfly before Martin and
Weech split the 50-yard freestyle, with each finishing at 24.23, just .07 ahead
of Kansas' Sveta Golovchun. It was the first of two events in which Guy
and Weech took the top two spots. The second occurred in the ninth event of the
afternoon in the 100-yard freestyle. Martin bested Weech by just .30, finishing
at 51.93.
Kaitlan
Walker won the first diving event of the afternoon for the Huskers in the
1-meter dive. Her score of 285.29 was good enough to best teammate Payton
Michaud, who finished second in the event with a score of 269.25. Michaud won
the second diving event of the afternoon in the 3-meter dive with her score of
277.35. Alyson Ramsey and Kaitlan Walker of NU finished second and third, respectively,
at 274.35 and 268.12.
Kansas was
able to show resilience in the late-going, winning three-straight events for
the second time on the day in the 200-yard back, 200-yard breast and the
500-yard freestyle before NU's Guy won the thirteenth event, the 100-yard
butterfly.
Kansas'
Brooke Brull and Stephanie Payne took the top two spots in the fifteenth event,
the 200-yard IM, before the Husker 200-yard freestyle team won the final event
on the day to close out the dual.
