CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team competed in their opening intrasquad meet with Team Orange emerging victorious 66-63. Team Orange was led my sophomore Sydney Stoll, who finished first in the 50-yard backstroke, 100-yard backstroke, and 100-yard individual medley.
The meet began with the 200-yard medley relay, where Team Orange bested Team Blue. Senior Isabelle Guerra, senior Mariclaire Lynch, junior Sophia Burwitz, and sophomore Logan Kuehne comprised the relay for Team Orange.
In the 300-yard freestyle, freshman Liv Dorshorst won the event for Team Orange, while junior Cara Bognar and sophomore Paloma Canos-Cervera finished second and third for Team Blue, respectively.
Stoll took gold in the 50-yard backstroke, while sophomore Suvana Baskar and senior Athena Salafatinos finished second and third for Team Blue.
Team Blue claimed their first event win in the 50-yard breaststroke, where senior Kaleigh Haworth placed first, followed by freshman Sara Jass and Lynch for Team Orange.
Guerra and Burwitz yet again claimed points for Team Orange in the 50-yard butterfly, finishing first and third. Canos-Cervera took silver for Team Blue.
In the 50-yard freestyle, junior Laurel Bludgen and junior Lily Olsen finished in order for Team Blue, while Kuehne claimed bronze for Team Orange.
Bludgen again emerged victorious in the 100-yard freestyle for Team Blue, while junior Lauren Beard and junior Anna Kurzydlo finished second and third for Team Orange.
The 100-yard butterfly featured three returning podium finishers, comprised by Canos-Cervera finishing first for Team Blue, Burwitz claiming second for Team Orange, and Olson finished third to round out the event for Team Blue.
Stoll won her second event in the 100-yard backstroke, closely followed by Guerra for Team Orange with Baskar claiming a point for Team Blue.
Haworth returned to the podium for Team Blue in the 100-yard breaststroke, with Jass claiming second for Team Orange, and sophomore Jane Umhofer claiming third for Team Blue.
In her final event of the day, Stoll won the 100-yard individual medley, followed by Jass for Team Orange, while Haworth finished third for Team Blue.
In the final event of the day, Team Blue, made up of Salafatinos, Bludgen, Olson, and Umhofer, won the 200-yard freestyle relay.
On the Boards
Junior Taylor Michael, senior Erin Young, and junior Ally Landis finished in order in the 3m dive, claiming six points for Team Blue and three for Team Orange.
In the 1m dive, sophomore Hannah Hong won the event for Team Orange, while Landis and Young finished second and third, respectively.
Up Next
The Fighting Illini stay home on Saturday, October 8th to face off in a dual-meet with Indiana State.
