Northwestern swimming and diving suited up at Norris Aquatics Center for the last time this season and achieved two victories.
The Wildcats commenced Senior Weekend with a dual meet against Southern Indiana on Friday evening. On the men’s side, the undefeated ‘Cats triumphed over the Screaming Eagles 199-42, winning all 26 events. The women’s squad also won by a matching 199-42 margin, enhancing the ‘Cats to 4-1.
Competitors from UChicago, Penn State, and Northwestern await the start of their race.
Senior Tyler Lu, freshman Joshua Staples, and freshman Kyle Ly each secured multiple individual victories against Southern Indiana.
On Saturday, NU encountered Penn State and the University of Chicago in a double-dual meet against a Big Ten rival and local competitor.
Lu and sophomore Cade Duncan spearheaded the men’s side, both establishing pool records. Duncan recorded a time of 42.75 in the 100-yard freestyle, surpassing the previous record by .32 seconds. Lu established a new record in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:45.23.
The ‘Cats prevailed in 11 of the 16 events, including victories from sophomore Adam Cohen in both the one- and three-meter dives. NU’s men’s team overcame Penn State 172-127 and UChicago 231-63.
On the women’s side, the ‘Cats triumphed over Penn State with a score of 207-88 and UChicago 247-50, winning 13 out of 16 events.
Even though it was Senior Weekend, NU’s youthful talent shone bright. Freshman Sophie Martin and freshman Zoe Nordmann maintained their impressive debut seasons with two wins each. Nordmann accomplished a sweep in the distance events, claiming victory in the 500 free and 1000 free, while Martin took the win in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard IM. Sophomore Caroline Li triumphed in the one-meter dive, adding to her victory in the same event on Friday.
Overall, the ‘Cats dominated the weekend, winning 50 of 58 total events. NU acknowledged its seven-member senior class throughout the meets. Included in the graduating class are Lu, who captured three individual events in his final weekend of competition at Norris Aquatics Center, and graduate student Nikki Venema, a transfer from Princeton who won the 500 free on Friday and the 50 free on Saturday.
The ‘Cats have concluded their home schedule for the 2024-25 season but still have two more competitions prior to the Big Ten Championships in late February. NU’s next meet is scheduled for Jan. 18 at Wisconsin.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
—Northwestern men’s swimming and diving sweeps Duke, women fall to No. 16 Blue Devils
—Northwestern swimming and diving programs sweep Cincinnati, Ly breaks program record
—Northwestern swimming and diving programs open seasons with dominant wins in dual meet against Miami (Ohio)