Huskers Open Big 12 Season at Kansas

Following a Holiday break that included vigorous training and a trip to the <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?><?xml:namespace prefix="u1"?>Bahamas, the Husker swimming and diving team will be back in full force when it travels to Lawrence, Kan., this Saturday, Jan. 14 to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers will take on the Jayhawks in their first meet of the Big 12 Conference season at 2 p.m. at the Robinson Natatorium.

Nebraska and Kansas met earlier this season at the Big 12 Relays on Oct. 14 when the Jayhawks edged out the Huskers by seven points (50-43) for fourth place.

 

The Jayhawks are 5-2 on the season, and earned a spot among the top 25 after impressive victories over then-No. 20 Missouri and Iowa in early November. Kansas was ranked as high as No. 23 before falling out of the CSCAA rankings after placing third at the Minnesota Invitational.

 

“Kansas is a great team,” Nebraska Head Coach Pablo Morales said. “They reloaded this year and looked fabulous at the Big 12 Relays and Minnesota Invite. They have a great program, and with the meet being in Lawrence, I am sure they will have motivation to do well at home. We are going to have to be ready at a high level with great intensity.”

 

Nebraska defeated Kansas last season in Lincoln 180-120, while the Jayhawks hold the all-time series lead 16-11.

 

Huskers Enjoy Trip to the Bahamas, DefeatMichiganState 107-98 

The Huskers have been out of regular-season competition since Nov. 20 when they took sixth at the Minnesota Invitational, but they got a taste of high-level action last week while on their Holiday Training Trip in Nassau in the Bahamas when they defeated Big 10 foe MichiganState, 107-98, on a long-meter course at the BettyKellyKenningNationalAquaticCenter.

 

Juniors Kate Wheeler and Lauren Bailey led NU with two victories each as Wheeler won the 100- and 200-yard freestyle, while Bailey took first in the 200-yard IM and 100-yard backstroke.

 

Junior Bailey Ingles also won the 100-yard butterfly to give the Huskers five victories.

 

Nebraska flew to Nassau on Jan. 2, and aside from training for five days, the team enjoyed the beach, visited the world famous Atlantis resort and found time for shopping.

 

“This was the best Christmas training I have seen since I was a freshman,” senior Mackenzie Clark said. “I think that the change in locations (Lincoln to the Bahamas) helped switch things up. And being in the Bahamas made it fun to train and added an aspect that this team really took advantage of."

 

The adventure to the Bahamas wasn’t the only training for the Huskers, as they endured a five-day practice period in Lincoln prior to leaving for Nassau.

 

“Overall, Christmas training went really well,” Morales said. “Our strategy was to spend a good portion of our time in Lincoln. During that time, we had unlimited access to our facility and no time limitations and we were able to get a great deal of training accomplished. That took some pressure off the next week in Nassau, but we were still able to get some great training done. Our quality of training was excellent and our team had a great time enjoying the surroundings in Nassau, while training really hard. The end result was extremely productive.”

 

Huskers Sign Seven in Early-Signing Period

Head Coach Pablo Morales has announced the signing of seven recruits that will join the Nebraska swimming and diving team next season.

The class is the largest Morales has signed in the early recruiting season since he arrived at Nebraska in 2001, and includes athletes from six different states.

 

“We are very happy with the early-season recruiting success, which gives us great momentum for the spring recruiting season,” Morales said. “This class continues our trend of signing quality student-athletes who have high improvement potential.”

 

Morales, along with Head Assistant Coach Doug Humphrey, managed to cover every stroke in this class that includes multiple-time state champions, four high school All-Americans and one Olympic trial qualifier.

 

Kaitlin Arntz of Omaha, Neb. (Millard West) has seen much success at the Nebraska state meet. Arntz, a Junior National Qualifier, claimed her first of three golds at the state meet as a freshman on the 200-yard medley relay team that included current Husker Bailey Ingles and earned Millard West a runner-up team finish. Arntz went on to win individual golds as a sophomore in the 100-yard butterfly and last season as a junior in the 100-yard breaststroke to earn high school All-America honors.

 

Colleen Criss of Omaha, Neb. (Marian) is the second Nebraska native in the class and is the younger sister of current Husker swimmer Michelle Criss. The 2004 high school All-American has collected three gold medals at the Nebraska state meet, most notably anchoring the 200-yard medley team at the 2005 state meet that earned her high school All-America status. She has qualified for the state meet every year and placed as high as third individually each in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard IM to contribute to Marian’s amazing run that has seen the Crusaders rattle off six straight state titles and counting.

 

Hailey Dean of San Diego, Calif. (Christian) will be the eighth California native on the Husker swimming and diving roster since Morales began his career at Nebraska. Dean was a 2003 high school All-American in the 100-yard breaststroke after winning the San Diego region at the high school championship. She followed up the first-place performance with a third-place showing in the same event last year.

 

Mariah Hutchinson of Topeka, Kan. (Topeka) is also a U.S. Junior National Qualifer. Hutchinson guided Topeka High to a historic win over ManhattanHigh School last year in which she won three golds to win the 1-70 league title and stop Manhattan’s 18-year streak.

 

Kelsey Ida of Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista) will be the second Colorado native in Morales’ tenure following current Husker, senior Mackenzie Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Ida was fourth at the state meet last season in the 100-yard backstroke and sixth in the 100-yard butterfly. She earned high school All-America honors both in the pool and scholastically. Ida has also accepted a New Nebraskan Scholarship.

 

Brittany Legal of Bainbridge, Ohio (Hawken) nearly reached the pinnacle of swimming when she qualified for the 2004 Canadian Olympic trials in the 400- and 800-meter freestyle, reaching the finals of the 800. Legal was the runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle at the Florida state meet as a sophomore before moving to Ohio where she placed third in the 500-free while helping Hawken to the state title. She is also a Junior National and U.S. Open Qualifier. Much of her success has come from her trainers that include Bud McAllister, Peter Banks and Jerry Holtrey. Under their instruction, she has swam with Olympic gold medalists Janet Evans, Brooke Bennett and Diana Munz.

 

Sarah Ziegelmann of Fargo, N.D. (Fargo North) is a former North Dakota high school state champion in the 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle relay. She has also excelled in the classroom by ranking No. 1 academically in her class which helped her earn a prestigious New Nebraska Scholarship. Last season, she was runner-up in the 50-yard freestyle at the state meet.