CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On the night, the Illini set five pool records along with a pair of school records. The team earned three victories on the night by defeating Western Illinois (366-69), Olivet Nazarene (338-101) and Eastern Illinois (371-66).
“I thought the team performed well from start to finish today,” head coach Sue Novitsky stated. “We were able to set five pool records and two school records which is outstanding for being on the deck for over six hours. There was a lot of energy all the way through the meet which is what we wanted to see.”
In the first session of competition, the Illini won 11 of the 12 events, highlighted by three pool records and one school record. First to rewrite the record book was the relay combination of Gabbie Stecker, Amelia Schilling, Megan Vuong and Samantha Stratford with a time of 7:27.17 in the 800 freestyle relay. The previous record was 7:31.65 set by Michigan in 1985. Three events later, Lori Lynn set the pool and school record in the 50 fly with a mark of :24.68. Stratford also set a pool record in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:01.96.
On the boards, Olivia Kassouni scored 288.25 in the three-meter diving event, securing a first place finish. In doing so, she qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving competition. In the one-meter diving event, Jessica Clifford led the Illinois unit with a reading of 237.32, good for second place.
During intermission, nine swimmers and divers, as well as their families, were honored in a senior day ceremony. The honorary seniors included Clifford, Jennifer Coady, Stephanie Hein, Lynn, Sloane McDermott, Isabella Schamber, Hollie Smith, Sarah Sykstus and Kirsten Zborek.
The Illini continued their winning ways in session two by winning 10 of the 12 events. Stratford earned three of her five event victories in the second session, including a pool and school record time in the 100 IM (:57.99). With the Fighting Illini Dual Meet Spectacular marking the first time the event was held at the ARC Pool, the Illinois 4×100 relay team of Stratford, Lynn, Stecker and Gabriele Serniute now owns the pool record (3:59.97).
Next up for the Orange and Blue unit will be a trip to East Lansing to take on Michigan State on Friday, October 23rd at 3 p.m CT.
FIRST PLACE FINISHES
800 freestyle relay – Stecker, Schilling, Vuong, Stratford – 7:27.17
50 breaststroke – Coady – :30.65
50 butterfly – Lynn – :24.68
3 meter diving – Kassouni – 288.25
400 medley relay – McDermott, Coady, Lynn, Bethke – 3:51.02
500 freestyle – Schilling – 5:06.71
200 breaststroke – Coady – 2:24.98
200 butterfly – Stratford – 2:01.96
400 IM – Stratford – 4:23.08
200 freestyle relay – Bethke, Zborek, Vuong, Stecker – 1:36.05
200 medley relay – McDermott, Schamber, Lynn, Bethke – 1:46.90
1000 freestyle – Stecker – 10:25.72
200 freestyle – Stratford – 1:52.18
50 freestyle – Zborek – :24.28
400 medley 4×100 IM relay – Stratford, Lynn, Stecker, Serniute – 3:59.97
100 freestyle – Vuong – :52.54
100 butterfly – Lynn – :55.48
200 IM – Stratford – 2:04.55
400 freestyle relay – Bethke, Stecker, Vuong, Sykstus – 3:33.58
Swimming news courtesy of Illinois Swimming & Diving.