IOWA CITY, Iowa — Despite losing to Iowa 162-135, Northwestern swimmers remain optimistic as they head into the home stretch of the 2012- 2013 season.
“I have no doubts we’ll be better next week,” coach Jimmy Tierney said. “They’ll be a little fresher next week and certainly, the emotion of honoring such a great senior class is going to be a big part of their performance.”
Taylor Reynolds continued her stellar senior season Saturday, but the opening 200-yard medley relay did not go as she or her team had hoped. The NU ‘A’ relay team, comprised of Reynolds, senior Katie McCullough, freshman Karen Turner, and sophomore Valerie Nubbe, was disqualified after Reynolds came off the blocks early.
“I was a little too excited, so that was totally my bad, but I didn’t let it get me down,” Reynolds said. “I think people generally did a really good job of bouncing back from it.”
Reynolds refused to let her relay disqualification affect the rest of her meet. The senior went on to win the 50- and the 100-yard freestyle races comfortably with times of 23.08 and 50.96, respectively.
Both Reynolds and McCullough were able to redeem their initial medley relay mishap in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Joined by Nubbe and junior Jackie Powell, the Cats won the free relay with a time of 1:33.25. After dealing with injury and illness throughout the season, Tierney is excited to finally have a group of swimmers who are capable of winning relays.
Turner continued her tremendous debut season as a Wildcat with a first place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, out-touching the second place finisher by two-hundredths of a second and a second place finish in the 200-yard backstroke.
“I just wanted to get out fast. I had no idea that girl was so close,” Turner said of the 100 back. “I just told myself that this is my race, and I’m not going to let anyone beat me. I just wanted to get into the finish.”
Senior Felicitas Lenz also refused to let anyone beat her as she once again dominated the diving competition, adding crucial points to NU’s overall score. Lenz won both the 1-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform diving competitions with scores of 276.97 and 288.45, respectively.
With the final regular season meet coming up this weekend at NU and the Big Ten Championships right around the corner, it can be educational for the Cats to understand their shortcomings.
“The Iowa meet was important to show us what we need to work on over the next couple weeks,” Reynolds said. “More than anything, it’s a learning experience to show us how to be better.”
The final home meet will honor the seniors, who Tierney said have been the key to the season.
“I’m so proud of them,” Tierney said. “I know they have a lot of pride in their swimming and their team, and I really expect them to rise up next week and carry that all through Big Tens. They have that gleam in their eyes.”
