Oct. 11, 2013
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team will kick off the 2013-14 season with the annual Orange & Blue Intra-Squad Meet Saturday, October 12, at 9:30am. Smack talking is heating up, as the teams will remain the same from last year with the addition of this season's newcomers.
"For the us it's a good opportunity to see our athletes step up and compete," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "There are always some things to address but the meet provides a great competitive environment, setting up our lineup for Nebraska."
Entering this season, the Blue Team lost a number of their members and currently had just 10 members on their squad. In an unprecedented turn of events the Blue Team drafted all newcomers to their roster to even out the numbers at 15 people on each team.
SCOUTING EACH TEAM
Orange
The Orange Team will be returning a strong team of veterans that came back and took the victory last year by 3 points. Under the arm of coach Novitsky, the Orange Team took some big points last year by winning both relays and wants to continue the trend. The team also returns event winners Megan Marchuk (200 Free) and Erica Lynn (100 Breast, current meet record holder).
Blue
The Blue Team, headed by assistant coach Alec Hayden, returns a number of event winners from last year: Lori Lynn (200IM & 100 Back), Courtney Pope (100 Free), Hailey Booth (500 Free). The Blue Team graduated Kathleen Knight, the 100 Butterfly record holder, and hope that they have people ready to step up and compete. A talented group of 5 newcomers will try to boost the team to victory.
THE ROSTERS
Orange
Cara Chuang
Jessica Clifford
Jennifer Coady
Emily Fung
Sabrinne Gibson
Anne Goering
Mary Beth Howard
Erica Lynn
Megan Marchuk
Callan McDermott
Sloane McDermott
Alison Meng
Hollie Smith
Sarah Sykstus
Alyssa Toland
Blue
Hailey Booth
Rachel Burke
Alison DeAngelis
Andrea DeAngelis
Kayla Dlugopolski
Stephanie Hein
Jessica Holz
Olivia Kassouni
Lori Lynn
Erika Murphy
Courtney Pope
Isabella Schamber
Amelia Schilling
Gabbie Stecker
Kirsten Zborek
EVENT ORDER
(A competitor may compete in a maximum of 3 events in any combination)
Event 1 - 200 Medley Relay
Event 2 - 200 Freestyle
Event 3 - 200 IM
Event 4 - 50 Freestyle
Event 5 - 3m Diving
Event 6 - 100 Butterfly
Event 7 - 100 Freestyle
Event 8 - 100 Backstroke
Event 9 - 500 Freestyle
Event 10 - 100 Breaststroke
Event 11 - 1m Diving
Event 12 - 400 Freestyle Relay
