Huskers Open Season at Illinois

Meet: Nebraska at Illinois

Date: Friday, Oct. 10

Time: 3 p.m.

Site: Champaign, Ill.

Next Meet: Big 12 Relays (Lawrence, Kan., Oct. 24)

Huskers Open Season at Illinois
The Nebraska swimming and diving team kicks off its regular season this weekend with an away meet at Big Ten foe Illinois. The meet will mark the second all-time meeting between the schools, as they squared off last season in Lincoln where the Huskers ran away with the victory 172-126. This weekend's meet will be Nebraska's first of two away dual meets at Big Ten schools to open the season, as Nebraska will travel to Iowa on Nov. 1.

The meet against the Illini won’t be the first time the Huskers have hit the pool this season, as they have already completed their annual intrasquad and alumni meets. Nine newcomers joined 20 returning letterwinners in the pool in each meet, with the Scarlet beating the Cream 78-68 in the Intrasquad meet and the Alumni edging the current Huskers 127-109 in the Alumni meet.

This season marks the eighth year for head coach Pablo Morales, who is 39-24 career in dual meets after a 7-2 record last season. Joining Morales on the coaching staff are assitant coach Doug Humphrey, in his ninth season as an NU assistant, diving coach Natasha Chikina, who is in her fourth year at Nebraska, and new undergraduate assistant coach Lynn Siemert, who swam for the Huskers from 2005-08 and completed her final year of eligibility last season.

Two seniors will be making a return to their home state this weekend, as Jenny Toler (Elk Grove, Ill.) and Christina Yemm (Sterling, Ill.) will be swimming for the first time in Illinois since high school. C.J. Bray, Courtney Jolly and Jenna Stroud will join Toler and Yemm to make up the five-person senior class this season for the Huskers.

Nebraska has next week off before heading to Lawrence, Kan. for the Big 12 Relays on Oct. 24. The Huskers travel to Iowa on Nov. 1 and then the Nebraska divers will head to Minnesota for the Minneapolis Diving Invitational from Nov. 14-16 before the Huskers kick off their home schedule with the Husker Invitational from Nov. 20-23.

Scouting the Illini
Ninth-year head coach Sue Novitsky leads the talented Illinois swimming and diving team in 2008-09. During Novitsky’s first eight years as head coach, the team has broken 83 school records and 15 athletes have qualified for NCAA Championships. Joining Novitsky on the Illinois coaching staff are Associate Head Coach Steve Farnau and Diving Coach Chris Waters.

Four seniors lead this year’s young Fighting Illini squad, including Marissa Clapp (IM/Breast/Back), Ali Keehn (Fly/Breast/IM), Lindsey Shirley (Free/Fly/IM) and Katie Theissen (Free/Back/IM). Along with the four seniors, the Illinois roster features 10 juniors, five sophomore and thirteen freshmen.

Review: Scarlet Defeats Cream in Intrasquad Meet
Behind a strong performance from sophomore Jess Andrews, the Scarlet team took down the Cream team, 78-68, in the seventh annual Nebraska swimming and diving intrasquad meet on Sept. 26 at the Devaney Natatorium.

Andrews played a big role in the Scarlet’s victory, having a hand in 20 of the team’s 78 points. Andrews won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races while also participating on the Scarlet relay teams that won the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relays. The Scarlet took home titles in eight of the 14 events, including six of seven events in the middle of the meet.

 The Cream team dominated the diving events, winning both the one and three meter dives, while also winning in the 50-yard freestyle event for divers only. The Cream added on a fourth straight victory in the one meter dive for swimmers only as Kaitlin Arntz beat Brandie Kavalec.

The Scarlet squad sealed the victory in the meet’s final race, the 200-yard freestyle relay, as it took first and third place for the team’s final six points of the meet.