“We love our seniors” echoed through Norris Aquatics Center on Saturday as the Northwestern women’s swimming team cheered on its pending graduates in their final home meet at NU.
The enthusiasm seemed to work, as the No. 16 Wildcats defeated No. 18 Penn State 151.50-148.50 in a meet that came down to the last event. NU was down by two points going into the final race of the meet, the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Cats’ first-place finish in the race awarded them 11 team points and a victory over the Nittany Lions.
“It was awesome,” diving coach Tom Michael said. “It was definitely a good meet to be at.”
Michael said he was pleased with the performance of the divers, especially freshman Ashley Carter. Carter’s six-dive total for the 3-meter event was 304.58, a mark Michael said is one of the best in NU history.
“We did a lot of work in Florida on some basic mechanics, and things are really starting to pay off,” Michael said. “We have one month to perfect what we’ve learned.”
Head coach Jimmy Tierney said the team put forth a great overall effort Saturday.
“It’s hard to recognize certain individuals because the whole team really stepped it up,” Tierney said. “Every win was a must. We couldn’t afford to give up any points along the way because it could matter in the end.”
Tierney said it was not only the first-place finishes that keyed NU’s success in the meet, but also the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishes.
Michael was happy the divers were able to contribute to the Cats’ win,bringing NU’s dual-meet record to 4-2-1.
“What makes me more happy than diving well is that we were able to contribute as much as the swimmers to the victory, because I believe this to be a true team,” Michael said.
Junior Susie Sample had one of the Cats’ top performances. She placed first in both backstroke events, achieving two season bests with times of 56.52 in the 100 and 2:00.42 in the the 200.
“I was happy to be able to contribute points today, ” Sample said. “That was the main objective.”
Sophomore Vicky West took first place in the 1000 free, finishing in 10:03.85. West was named collegeswimming.com’s National Swimmer of the Week last week after her performance against Auburn and Tennessee.
Midway through the meet, the seniors received flowers and gifts as they were recognized for their accomplishments. Senior captain Lauren Moore was especially pleased with the fan support – the stands were filled with parents, students, friends of the swimmers and even one of Moore’s professors.
“When I tear up after the meet, I know this team is very special to me,” Moore said.
