University of Illinois
Boiler-Make-It Last Chance Meet
Seniors Await NCAA Fate After Last Chance
February 18, 2007 | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 18, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Illinois sophomores Mallory Meyer and Katie Theissen each swam a pair of final events at the Boiler-Make-It Last Chance Meet on Sunday. Meanwhile four Illini seniors continued to watch and wait to see whether their last effort will be enough for a bid to the NCAA Championships three weeks from now.
Meyer won the 100 backstroke final over freshman teammate Jen Ivarson, improving her prelim time by more than a second finished second in the 200 free. Theissen cut her 100 fly prelim time and came in second. Theissen also came in second in the 50 free where she led a group of five Illini swimmers who all improved from prelims to finals. Freshmen Anna Johnson and Bailey Hatch made the biggest reductions of more than two seconds each between prelims and finals.
Of all the Illini entries in the last chance meet, the 200 free relay, comprised of seniors Barbie Viney, Becca Poetz, Michelle Grandcolas and Meghan Farrell, stands the best shot of receiving an NCAA bid. The Illini will know their postseason fate by next Friday, March 2, six days before the NCAA Championships begin in Minneapolis.
At this point head coach Sue Novitsky is not overly optimistic about the relay's chances, saying whether or not the relay is in or out might come down to a half-second. Novitsky believes the relay currently ranks in the high teens. Typically the NCAA picks the top 13 relays to go to the postseason, with a possibility of as many as 16 selections.
Senior Barbie Viney guaranteed herself a spot in the 100 free at the NCAA Championships after she swam an "A" cut at the Big Ten Championships last weekend.
