Huskers Send Seniors Out on High Note

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska swimming and diving team sent out its 2006 senior class in style on Saturday afternoon as it picked up its seventh win of the season with a 181-115 victory over IowaState at the Devaney Natatorium.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The senior class, which was Head Coach Pablo Morales’ first full recruiting class at Nebraska, combined for three of NU’s 10 victories on the day.

 

“The seniors had a meet that you dream of for the seniors,” Morales said. “Our seniors swam out of their minds and the rest of the team stepped up and performed which was a great tribute to the seniors. It was really a fantastic meet.”

 

Senior Rachel Schlatter swept the 100- (1:05.11) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:23.17) events in season-best times, while Alex King won the 50-yard freestyle in a season-best mark of 24.08. Schlatter’s 100-yard breaststroke and King’s 50-yard freestyle victory came during a span in the first half of the meet that saw Nebraska win six of the first seven events.

 

Another senior, Lana Baker, was third in both breaststroke races behind Schlatter and IowaState’s Marni Benson. Baker’s 200-breaststroke time of 2:25.21 was a season-best swim by seven seconds.

 

Junior co-captain Kate Wheeler was the second Husker to win a pair of events as she won the 100- (51.92) and 500-yard freestyle (5:01.08). Wheeler now owns nine victories this season.

 

The tone was set in the first event of the day as the relay team of junior Bailey Ingles, seniors Schlatter and Alex King and sophomore Lynn Siemert won the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 1:47.16.

 

In the very next event, junior Lauren Bailey set an NCAA-provisional cut in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:30.98. The victory was just one second off her career best, and runs her team-leading win total to 14. She also took second in the 200-yard backstroke (2:06.93) and 200-yard butterfly (2:05.23). Ingles was first in the 200-fly in a time of 2:05.06. It was one of five events in which Nebraska had the top two finishers.

 

The Huskers took the top five spots in the 1,650-yard freestyle as senior Esmie Holderman (17:15.41), junior Casey Schnack (17:18.17) and senior Mackenzie Clark (17:20.51) followed Bailey and Wheeler. Holderman’s time was a career best while Clark’s was a season best in their final home meet at Nebraska. Holderman was also second in the 500-yard freestyle (5:04.06) and Clark was third in a season-best time of 5:08.28.

 

Nebraska also had the top five finishers in the 50-yard freestyle that included senior Kate Dulgar in fourth place in a season-best time (24.42).

 

The Huskers were plagued by injuries on the diving boards, but senior Amie Buoy and junior Danielle Stansbury each earned a runner-up finish. Buoy scored a 250.72 on the one meter and Stansbury a 255.52 on the three meter. Stansbury was also third on the one meter with a season-best score of 243.14 while senior Becky Johnson was fourth (202.71).

 

Morales and Head Assistant Coach Doug Humphrey also saw good signs for the future on Saturday as two freshmen - Jenny Toler and Christina Yemm - each earned a win in season-best times.

 

Toler was first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.70) and Yemm won the 100-yard butterfly (57.45). Yemm was also second in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.68).

 

“The team just let it all out and had a great performance,” Humphrey said.  “They have been looking good in practice, but we never expected this kind of elevation out of their efforts. The team poured it out for the seniors and it was an all-around effort.”

 

Nebraska (7-1) will finish the regular season next Saturday, Feb. 4 when the travel to Columbia, Mo., to take on the Missouri Tigers at 1 p.m.