CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois swim and dive team is set to host the Kansas Jayhawks for their 2024-25 home opener on Thursday (Oct. 10) at the ARC Pool. Diving begins at 4:30 p.m. followed by swimming at 5 p.m. CT. The Fighting Illini aim to avenge their 169-131 loss they suffered in Lawrence, Kan. last season.
The Orange and Blue return all six of their individual Big Ten scorers from last season: senior Sydney Stoll, junior Sara Jass, and sophomores Gwen Bakker, Matilda Garcia, Bethany Mercer and Kylee Sessions. Jass was the top scorer for the Illini with 19 points, followed by Stoll with 12, Garcia with five, Bakker with three, Mercer with two and Sessions with one.Â
The Fighting Illini also return four active individual school record holders. Senior Logan Kuehne set the school record last season in the 50 freestyle with a 22.79 and owns the 50 butterfly record at 24.64. Senior Suvana Baskar owns the 100 backstroke school record at 53.66. Sophomore Liv Dorshorst holds the 1000 freestyle record at 9:56.73 and the 1650 freestyle record at 16:33.79 while Stoll owns three school records of her own in the 200 freestyle (1:47.53), 100 butterfly (54.00) and the 100 IM (55.21).
The Illini return five divers from last season to begin their sophomore campaigns: Elleka Boeres, Elle Crisostomo, Matilda Garcia, Bethany Mercer and Dani O'Kelly. They welcome in freshmen Leia Berman and Carlie Rose to the dive room.
Kansas opened its season on Oct. 4 with the Sunflower Showdown where the Jayhawks came away first out of four teams with 1,157 points.Â
