Huskers Open Season vs. Illinois

Nebraska vs. Illinois
Saturday, Oct. 10
11 a.m.  |  Devaney Natatorium

Huskers Open Season vs. Illinois
The Nebraska swimming and diving team will open its regular season on Saturday, Oct. 10, as it takes on Illinois at the Devaney Natatorium at 11 a.m. It will mark the third straight year the Huskers will open their season with the Fighting Illini, including the second time at home. Nebraska fell to Illinois 171-129 last season in Champaign, Ill.

The Huskers have already hit the pool twice this season, at the Intrasquad Meet and the Alumni Meet, which took place on Sept. 25 and 26 in the Devaney Natatorium. The Cream beat the Scarlet for team bragging rights in the Intrasquad Meet, while the Alumni defeated the current Huskers in the Alumni Meet.

Nebraska Head Coach Pablo Morales is entering his ninth season at Nebraska in 2009-10. Morales is 42-28 all-time at NU, including a 3-4 mark last year. Joining Morales on his staff are assistant coach Doug Humphrey, who is in his 10th season as an assistant coach and his 19th season overall with the Husker swimming and diving program, diving coach Natasha Chikina, entering her fifth year at Nebraska, and undergraduate assistant coach Jenna Stroud, who swam for the Huskers from 2006-09 and completed her eligiblity last season.

It will be the last home opener for seven Nebraska seniors and the first collegiate meet for 15 NU freshmen. Overall, the Huskers return 21 letterwinners from a year ago to go along with the 15 newcomers.

Husker Alums Prevail in Alumni Meet
The Nebraska alumni came out on top in the annual Alumni Meet at the Devaney Natatorium on Saturday morning. Around 30 former Huskers showed up and competed in the meet, with alums ranging from the class of 1947 to the class of 2009.

The alumni took 10 out of the 14 events on the day, led by Erik Wilken's three wins in the 50-yard butterfly, 50-yard freestyle and the 25-yard freestyle. Mike Irvin won two events for the alums, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard freestyle.

For the Huskers, Hailey Dean took first in the 50-yard breaststroke. Kaitlin Arntz won the 500-yard freestyle and D'Arcy Schmidt won in the one meter dive.

Cream Defeats Scarlet in Intrasquad Meet
The Cream team defeated the Scarlet team 113-98 in the eighth annual Scarlet v. Cream Intrasquad meet on Sept. 25 at the Devaney Natatorium. The Cream team won eight of the 12 events on the day to help them to a victory.

The Cream's Julie Giehl had two event wins on the day, including in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. D'Arcy Schmidt also picked up two victories for the Cream team, winning the one meter dive and the divers-only 50-yard freestyle.

The Scarlet team was led by senior Kaitlin Arntz, who won in the 200-yard IM and also beat freshman Courtney Rhodenbaugh in the swimmers-only one meter dive.

There were plenty of new faces for the Huskers at their opening meet of the season, as 14 of the 15 freshmen got a chance to show what they can do and how they can contribute to the team. Kailey Creek was held out of the meet due to injury.

Freshmen Kelsey Larson, Ariel Weech and Ellan Dufour were especially impressive for the Huskers on the day. Larson won the 100-yard breaststroke, Weech took first in the 50-yard freestyle and Dufour came in second in the 100-yard breaststroke as well as being part of the Scarlet's winning 200-yard medley relay team.