Final Results

LINCOLN, Neb. – The University of Illinois swimming and diving team fell 185-115 to Big Ten foe Nebraska on Saturday afternoon at the Devaney Center Natatorium. Freshmen Athena Salafatinos earned a place in the record book with an all-time top 10 fastest individual time in the 100 backstroke.

"It was a very competitive meet from start to finish," said head coach Sue Novitsky. "We would have liked the outcome to be different, Nebraska competed strong on their senior day.  We challenged them as a team to be willing to stretch and choose to act to keep working on increasing confidence.  I was proud of how the team showed courage and was ready to compete.  Now we can go back to work and fine tune details heading into championship season."

Salafatinos took the top spot in two of three individual events. The native of Naperville, Ill., swam the fastest times in both the 100 backstroke (:56.16) and the 200 backstroke (2:01.75). Salafatinos time in the 100 backstroke puts her in eighth-place on the all-time top 10 fastest individuals in program history.

Freshman Jeanri Buys recorded a personal-best time of 2:11.31 for sixth-place in the 200 butterfly and freshman Kaleigh Haworth posted a personal-best 1:06.25 in the 100 breaststroke to finish the event in fourth. Sophomore Emily Bolger set a season-best in the 50 freestyle, as the Palatine, Ill., native came away with seventh-place with a time of :25.01.

Senior Kristin Anderson claimed the gold in the 50 freestyle, touching the wall with a time of :23.86.

The 200 freestyle relay team of freshman Isabelle Guerra, Anderson, Salafatinos and sophomore Abigail Cabush combined for a time of 1:36.15 for first-place. The 200 medley relay team membered by redshirt senior Aby Olson, freshman Divya Kale, senior Rebecca Corzine and Anderson finished second in the event with a time of 1:45.13.

On the Boards

Freshman Erin Young scored a 250.50 to come away with third place in the three-meter dive. Sophomore Madelyn Crosby finished fifth in the event with a six-dive total of 224.40.

In the one-meter dive, Crosby claimed second, while Young placed fifth, with scores of 255.90 and 214.95, respectively.

Up Next

The Fighting Illini diving team will compete in Chicago, Ill., on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the UIC Diving Invitational, hosted by UIC.  The Illini swim team will see action Saturday, Feb. 15 – Sunday, Feb. 16, at the Ohio State Winter Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.

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