OCALA, Fla./LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois swim and dive programs each wrapped up the first day of their season finales on Thursday (March 14). The swim team is out in Ocala, Fla., for the CSCAA National Invitational Championships (NIC), while the dive team is in Louisville, Ky., for the NCAA Diving Zones.
FROM OCALA
Three Illini swimmers advanced to the NIC night's finals: juniors Sydney Stoll (50 butterfly) and Logan Kuehne (50 freestyle and butterfly) and sophomore Sara Jass (200 IM).
Stoll placed second in the 50 butterfly finals with a new school record (24.02). In the morning prelims, she qualified to the finals with a then-school record 24.28.
The 400 medley relay squad of Stoll, Jass, Kuehne and senior Laurel Bludgen closed out the first day with a fifth-place finish on a school-record time of 3:40.78. Stoll's leadoff time of 54.01 ranks third all-time in school history.
Kuehne trailed Stoll in the 50 butterfly finals, taking seventh place with the program's second-fastest time (24.51). Much like Stoll, she qualified to the finals with the program's second-best mark at the time (24.55). Additionally, Kuehne placed 13th in the 50 freestyle finals (23.22), dropping 0.16 seconds from her prelim time (23.38).
Jass slotted in at 13th in the 200 IM finals clocking in at 2:01.21. She shaved 1.58 seconds from her prelim qualifying time of 2:02.79.
Freshman Gwen Bakker did not advance to the finals in the 50 breaststroke, but she did record a top-5 program time. She placed 24th overall with the program's third-fastest time (29.04).
The 200 freestyle relay team of Kuehne, Bludgen, junior Molly Yetter and Stoll took 12th place with a time of 1:32.94.
Junior Paloma Canos Cervera placed 22nd in the 500 freestyle prelims on a time of 4:55.39.
SWIMMING RESULTS
Finals
2nd 50 butterfly – Sydney Stoll (24.02)
7th 50 butterfly – Logan Kuehne (24.51)
13th 200 IM – Sara Jass (2:01.21)
Prelims
2nd 50 butterfly – Sydney Stoll (24.28).
6th 50 butterfly – Logan Kuehne (24.55).
15th 200 IM – Sara Jass (2:02.79).
19th 50 freestyle – Logan Kuehne (23.38)
22nd 500 freestyle – Paloma Canos Cervera (4:55.39).
24th 50 breaststroke – Gwen Bakker (29.04).
TEAM SCORES
1. TCU – 199.5
2. Akron – 199
3. Kentucky – 193
4. Queens (Charlotte) – 156
5. FIU – 140.5
6. Cal. San Diego – 139
7. Rice – 138
8. Grand Canyon – 120
9. Illinois – 114
10. Richmond – 82
FROM LOUISVILLE
A trio of freshmen competed on the first day of NCAA Diving Zones: Matilda Garcia, Bethany Mercer and Dani O'Kelly. Thursday's competition was the one-meter dive, and Garcia led the way for Illinois by placing 24th with a score of 236.90. Mercer followed as the second Illini and placed 33rd with a score of 227.75, while O'Kelly rounded out the crew in 47th by scoring a 207.10.
DIVING RESULTS
1-Meter Dive
24th – Matilda Garcia (236.90)
33rd – Bethany Mercer (227.75)
47th – Dani O'Kelly (207.10)
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue aquatics crew returns to action tomorrow (March 15) for day two of the NCAA Diving Zones (noon CT) and NIC Championships (8:30 a.m. // 5 p.m. CT).
TOP-10 PROGRAM MARKS
School Record: 50 butterfly – Sydney Stoll (24.02)
School Record: 400 medley relay – Sydney Stoll, Sara Jass, Logan Kuehne, Laurel Bludgen (3:40.78)
Second: 50 butterfly – Logan Kuehne (24.51)
Second: 100 backstroke – Sydney Stoll (54.01)
Third: 50 breaststroke – Gwen Bakker (29.04)
PERSONAL-BESTS
50 butterfly – Sydney Stoll (24.02)
50 butterfly – Logan Kuehne (24.51)
50 breaststroke – Gwen Bakker (29.04)
100 backstroke – Sydney Stoll (54.01)
200 IM: Kalina Nikolaeva (2:06.26)
