Six Wildcats will be taking their last competitive dip into the Norris Aquatics Center pool this weekend, and the Northwestern women’s swimming team expects the support of the season’s largest crowd to witness it.
Senior Ashley Wagner expressed what the swelled attendance will mean to the team.
“For things like this (Senior Day), people really turn out, and I think that will definitely give us an advantage this weekend,” she said.
The No. 16 Wildcats will take on No. 18 Penn State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Although NU may be ranked higher in the poll, head coach Jimmy Tierney showed great respect for his team’s opponent.
“Penn State is always one of the contenders for the Big Ten title, and this year is no different,” he said. “We just want to show them that we are too this year.”
Tierney said he expects a closely contested event because the Nittany Lions’ lineup is comparable to NU’s.
“Looking through the times of their top swimmers, they match up very well against ours,” Wagner said. “It looks like almost every race will come down to the wire, so it’ll be interesting to see who wins.”
The Cats’ contest Saturday marks the start of three events that will serve as preparation for the Big Ten and NCAA championships. Senior Adrian Talcott was optimistic about NU’s prospects in the upcoming weeks.
“Overall, I think everyone is really excited about the upcoming (series) of big meets,” Talcott said. “Everyone is getting ready to pump out some fast times, and we’re all excited about how we’ve been swimming.”
The team’s optimism is further fueled by last weekend’s impressive showing in Alabama, where NU faced off against Auburn and Tennessee. Talcott also pointed out that the Penn State swimmers might be a bit fatigued after their meet tonight in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“I think we’re very ready,” Tierney said. “I think mentally we’ll be excited, mainly because it will be the senior meet, but also because of what we managed to do last weekend. Even though we’re a bit fatigued, I think we’ll be ready to go.”
The Cats (2-2-1) will attempt to move above .500 for the year in dual meets, but much of the day’s attention will be centered around the seniors.
The exiting swimmers and divers – Talcott, Wagner, Merritt Adams, Kaisa Greenberg, Lauren Moore and Whitney Winters – will be recognized in a ceremony preceding the emotionally charged meet.
“We’ve got a good group graduating,” Talcott said. “It’s great to make it four years in any sport here, especially one that requires you to put in a lot of hours and work. It’s a big accomplishment. Just making it here to this point is part of the goal.”
The leadership and poise shown by this group will be sorely missed, Tierney said.
“Here we put a great deal of emphasis on the team aspect, even though swimming is considered an individual sport,” he said. “These six girls have done a whole lot, pushing each other and supporting each other.
“Their presence goes beyond mere performance. They brought a lot of spirit and a lot of energy to this program that won’t be forgotten.”
