A glance at Northwestern’s record book shows seniors Kassia Shishkoff and Emily Wong are among the fastest swimmers in school history. At the NCAA Championships they showcased their talent for the last time, competing with the nation’s best in West Lafayette, Ind., from March 18-20.
“They both had a couple of really outstanding swims,” coach Jimmy Tierney said. “It just wasn’t enough to put ourselves in the qualifying-for-the-finals level.”
Neither swimmer made the top 16 in the preliminaries for her events-the cutoff for the finals. Shishkoff still conjured a season-best performance, while Wong swam her fastest 100-yard freestyle to highlight the meet for the No. 24 Wildcats. Shishkoff started off strong with a season-best time on the opening day. Her time of 4:45.99 on the 500-yard freestyle lifted her above her 51st seed to 40th place. In the next two days, Shishkoff fell two places from her seed for both her races, taking 37th on the 200-yard butterfly and 27th on the 200-yard freestyle.
“I didn’t do too well,” Shishkoff said. “I got a season-best time and I was happy with that, but I added a bit of time with the 200 fly and the 200 free.”
While Shishkoff’s first day produced her strongest showing, Wong saved her best for last. After a mediocre start to the tournament, finishing 37th in the 50-yard freestyle-down six places from her seeded position of 31st-Wong raced to a career-best time on the 100-yard freestyle on the last day. Her 49.57-second performance lifted her to 29th place, up 21 positions from her 50th seed.
“She looked really good,” Tierney said. “The 50 free was a little off what we hoped for, so confidence wasn’t necessarily sky high for that reason, but she really got her mind set just to get out and race.”
Wong’s last swim for the Cats rounded off one of the most distinguished careers in program history. Third on the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and a member of the fastest 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay teams, Wong’s name bears a heavy trail on NU’s record books.
“Emily’s certainly one of the greatest swimmers we’ve ever had at Northwestern,” Tierney said. “She took over after the graduation of Andrea Hupman, who is maybe the best we’ve ever had.”
Tierney also reserved special praise for the multitalented Shishkoff, who raced in a variety of events for the Cats and set many top times. A member of the 400- and 800-yard record-breaking relay teams, Shishkoff ranks in the top four all-time on the 200-yard IM, 200-yard butterfly, and the 200-, 500-, and 1000-yard freestyle races. Most notably, Shishkoff has posted the fastest 400-yard IM time in NU history.
“Kassia’s certainly one of the most versatile athletes we’ve had,” Tierney said. “She can score in numerous events. She’s anchored our 400 and 800 relays as a freshman. That’s a pretty special role.”
Competing for the third time in their college careers after missing out as juniors, Shishkoff and Wong enjoyed their time outside the water at Purdue.
“I’m actually really glad she was there,” Shishkoff said of her teammate. “It was so much more fun than if we’d gone only with the coaches. We got to do a lot of things together.”
The NCAA Championships ended a strong season for NU’s leading swimmers. Wong and Shishkoff had perfect dual meet records on the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle, respectively. Tierney said the tournament is one of many memories he will have of Shishkoff and Wong.
“Since they’re both graduating and moving on, it’s certainly something we’ll remember,” he said. “The four years have been something quite special for me. They certainly left their mark on NU swimming history.” [email protected]
