CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois swim and dive team is set to begin its 2023-24 season on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan., with a dual against the Jayhawks at noon CT. Four of the Fighting Illini's five Big Ten scorers return for the season: senior Cara Bognar, junior Sydney Stoll, and sophomores Sara Jass and Liv Dorshorst. Jass led all Illini with 18 total points, followed by Bognar in third with 10, and Stoll and Dorshorst tied for fourth with seven.
The Orange and Blue also return four active individual school record-holders. Junior Molly Yetter holds the 50 freestyle record at 22.89; she missed most of the 2022-23 season due to injury. Junior Logan Kuehne set the 50 butterfly record at the end of the season with a 24.64. Stoll clocked the 100 IM record with a time of 55.77. Dorshorst owns two school records: the 1000 freestyle (9:56.73) and 1650 freestyle (16:33.79).
The top returning divers are seniors Brooke and Taylor Michael. Taylor owns the third-highest-scoring three-meter dive in program history at 312.90 points; Brooke owns the fifth-highest at 310.30 points. The twins lead a diving squad with five incoming freshmen: Elleka Boeres, Elle Crisostomo, Matilda García, Bethany Mercer, and Danielle O'Kelly.
Kansas started its season on Oct. 6 with the Sunflower Showdown. The Jayhawks emerged victorious, 692-412.5.
