CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois swim and dive team completed their home opener on Friday (Oct. 10) in the ARC Pool, the Fighting Illini beat the Kansas Jayhawks 191-109 to improve to 1-0 on the season.
"This was a really good team win out of the gate for the entire program," said head coach Jeana Kempe. "From top to bottom everyone did their job, individual swimming, diving and every relay; it was truly a great team win for us."
BETWEEN THE LANES
The Illini jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, taking first and second in the 200 medley relay. The B team of Sophia Paduano, Chloe Diner, Sydney Stoll and Isabella Wilhelm (1:43.37) took first over the A team of Suvana Baskar, Kayla Duran, Logan Kuehne and Laurel Bludgen 1:43.48).
Illinois followed up by sweeping the podium in the 1000 freestyle with sophomore Liv Dorshorst in first (10:22.09), junior Adelaide Reaser in second (10:23.89) and freshman Taylor Judas in third (10:29.24).
Freshman Kayla Duran earned her first event win of her college career in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:03.12, missing out on a top-10 program mark by three tenths of a second. She later earned bronze in the 200 breaststroke (2:21.30). Diner also earned her first college event win in the 500 freestyle (5:02.26) and later won the 200 IM (2:03.08).
Sophomore Alexis Wendel added another event win for the Orange and Blue in the 200 butterfly (2:08.16). Bludgen claimed first in the 100 freestyle (52.54) with freshman Isabella Wilhelm trailing her in second (52.84).
Sophomore Kalina Nikolaeva touched first in the 200 backstroke (2:03.68) with Paduano directly behind her in second (2:04.33). Junior Sara Jass earned the 200 breaststroke crown (2:19.03) while Stoll did so in the 100 butterfly (55.89).
The 400 freestyle relay team of Stoll, Paduano, Bludgen and Wilhelm closed the meet out with one final victory on a time of 3:29.78.
ON THE BOARDS
Sophomore Dani O'Kelly led the Illinois in the three-meter dive in second place with a score of 285.30 which qualifies her to NCAA Diving Zones already. Sophomore Bethany Mercer placed fourth on the three-meter boards (264.23) and sophomore Matilda Garcia placed fifth to round out three-meter scorers (246.23).
On the one-meter boards O'Kelly led the Illini again in second place (260.78) which was six points off her personal best (266.78) set against Nebraska. Mercer followed in fourth place (256.80) and Garcia placed fourth (253.88).
Freshman Carlie Rose made her debut in the Orange and Blue on the boards with a sixth-place finish in three meter (224.55) and seventh in one meter (221.55).
EVENT WINNERS
100 freestyle: Laurel Bludgen (52.54)
100 breaststroke: Kayla Duran (1:03.12)
100 butterfly: Sydney Stoll (55.89)
200 medley relay: Sophia Paduano, Chloe Diner, Sydney Stoll and Isabella Wilhelm (1:43.37)
200 breaststroke: Sara Jass (2:19.03)
200 backstroke: Kalina Nikolaeva (2:03.68)
200 butterfly: Alexis Wendel (2:08.16)
200 IM: Chloe Diner (2:03.08)
400 freestyle relay: Sydney Stoll, Sophia Paduano, Laurel Bludgen, Isabella Wilhelm (3:29.78)
500 freestyle: Chloe Diner (5:02.26)
1000 freestyle: Liv Dorshorst (10:22.09)
PERSONAL BESTS
50 backstroke: Sophia Paduano (26.49)
100 butterfly: Marin McAndrew (57.95)
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue aquatics crew returns to action for the House of Paign Invite on Fri.-Sat. Oct. 25-26 welcoming in Vanderbilt and Indiana State.
