It came down to just three hundredths of a second as the Fighting Illini swimming and diving team fell just short against the Kansas Jayhawks, losing 154-146 in a hard fought battle. However, the Orange and Blue defeated Tabor College 254-29 and took home a total of eight first-place finishes on the afternoon. The Illini are now 3-2 this season and will look to bounce back next week against Notre Dame.
“I thought it was very competitive all the way through the meet,” head coach Sue Novitsky said. “It’s great to be in a close meet like that to learn how to deal with pressure.”
The Illini got off to a flying start, taking first-place in the 200 medley relay. Senior Alison Meng, freshman Samantha Stratford, junior Sarah Sykstus and freshmen Gabrielle Bethke finished just 18 hundredths of a second before the Jayhawks to claim the opening event of the meet for the Orange and Blue. It would be the first of many close finishes on the day.
“It was a close meet,” Novitsky said. “It all came down to the last relay and whichever team won that last relay was going to win the meet.”
The Jayhawks held a seven point lead heading into the final event of the meet, the 200 free relay, meaning the Illini needed to take first in the race to claim victory. Bethke, Meng, junior Kristen Zborek and senior Megan Marchuk recorded a time of 1:35.82, Illinois’ best performance in the event this season, but touched the wall just three hundredths of a second after the Jayhawks.
Meng and Stratford led the scoring for the Illini, taking home a combined five first-place finishes on the afternoon. Individually, Meng took first in the 100 back (55.16), breaking Kansas’ pool record and ranking ninth all-time on Illinois’ fastest performances in the event, and 100 fly (55.45), which ranks 10th on Illinois’ fastest performances. Stratford claimed victories for the Illini in the 100 breast (1:04.67) and 200 breast (2:19.76). In the 400 IM, Stratford came in second with a time of 4:26.13, which ranks as the ninth fastest individual in Illinois history in the event.
Sykstus also claimed one of the Illini’s eight first-place finishes. Sykstus would touch the wall first in the 200 fly in a time of 2:04.78, a season best for the Illini in the event.
The Orange and Blue’s second-place finishers were sophomore Gabbie Stecker in the 200 free (1:51.25) and 500 free (4:59.58), Stratford in the 400 IM (4:26.13) and Bethke in the 50 free (24.40) and 100 free (52.55).
The Illini secured nine third-place finishes, which included performances by sophomore Amelia Schilling in the 1000 free (10:22.14), Marchuk in the 200 free (1:53.98), senior Hailey Booth in the 200 fly (2:07.78), senior Callan McDermott in the 200 back (2:06.97) and junior Jennifer Coady in the 200 breast (2:24.08).
Taking fourth-place finishes for the Orange and Blue were senior Kayla Dlugopolski in the 1000 free (10:26.98), Marchuk in the 50 free (24.72) and 100 free (53.50), freshman Sascha Meyers in the 200 fly (2:08.30), Sykstus in the 100 fly (57.30) and 500 free (5:04.61), junior Sloane McDermott in the 200 back (2:07.29) and Stecker in the 400 IM (4:34.38).
Also earning points for the Illini with fifth-place finishes were junior Sloane McDermott in the 100 back (59.05), junior Hollie Smith in the 100 breast (1:07.49), senior Sabrinne Gibson in the 50 free (24.94), freshman Ashley Aegerter in the 200 breast (2:26.38) and junior Stephanie Hein in the 400 IM (4:34.64).
Illinois’ divers had a great a great day on the boards, taking first-place in both events. In the three-meter dive, sophomore Olivia Kassouni claimed first with a score of 274.80 and freshman Raquel Corniuk scored 252.83 to finish third. Senior Erika Murphy took first in the one-meter dive with a score of 255.83 while Kassouni finished third with 246.45 and Corniuk placed fourth with 244.80.
The Illini will return to action against Notre Dame on Friday, November 14th at 4 p.m. CT in South Bend, Indiana.
“We have another tough one coming up this week,” Novitsky said. “We’re going to keep our focus on what we need to do and how we need to keep executing in the moment.”
