By Chris GentilvisoThe Daily Northwestern
In a season highlighted by top 25 opponents and tough losses, Northwestern was due for a breakout performance.
And it got one.
The Wildcats dominated the three-day TYR NU Invitational, winning 17 of 20 events and notching 11 NCAA-qualifying times to capture the title with 1203.5 points. Southern Illinois finished second with 886, followed by Michigan State with 844.5 and Kenyon College with 631.
“I’m real proud about how our team stood up to race this weekend,” NU coach Jimmy Tierney said. “We put the challenge to them that they were going to have to respond to fatigue and soreness. The format is the same as a championship meet, but we entered them in more events. There were some times that were just outstanding.”
NU went undefeated in its five relay events, capped by a pool record in the 800-yard freestyle to close day two. In the first 800-yard race of the season, the team of junior Andrea Hupman and freshmen Kassia Shishkoff, Emily Wong and Jenn Kocsis broke the previous Norris Aquatics Center mark by more than two seconds.
“Our relays are going to be a lot better this year with our freshmen,” Hupman said. “It’s going to help us big time in Big Tens. We’re already looking forward to the NCAA’s.”
Hupman was named swimmer of the meet with four individual victories, highlighted by her shattering her own pool record in the 100-yard free on Sunday.
“I think the team responded really well, especially toward the end of the meet,” Hupman said. “Even with the third day upon us, we still posted great times and didn’t let it affect us at all.”
Shishkoff picked up three NCAA qualifying times, with victories in the 500-yard free, 400-yard IM, and 1650-yard free. Shishkoff reached the wall at the end of the 1650 free nearly 16 seconds ahead of teammate Mary Beth Francis, and almost a full minute ahead of Kenyon’s third-place finisher Danielle Arad.
“Everyone swam so well,” Shishkoff said. “There were so many lifetime bests. We were all fired up, and we pretty much crushed them.”
NU showcased its depth in the tournament, as four other swimmers raced to first place finishes. Junior Jessie Bailis (100-yard) and sophomore Hayley Fry (200-yard) swept the breaststroke events, while freshmen Rachel Rys (100- and 200-yard fly) and Genny Szymanski (200-back) scored two qualifying times.
“We have a lot more balance than we’ve had the last couple of years,” Tierney said. “It shows that we can shine better in a championship meet format.”
As the Cats head into the U.S. Open individuals, Tierney said that despite the amount of work on tap for the next month, he was pleased with the team’s response to the grueling schedule of events.
“It should show the girls that their conditioning is right where we want it to be,” he said. “It gives them confidence and that’s what athletes need.”
Reach Chris Gentilviso at [email protected]
