Northwestern trounced Rutgers by more than 90 points Saturday but could not conquer No. 24 Michigan and No. 25 Notre Dame.

The Wolverines and the Fighting Irish beat the Wildcats 172-128 and 160-140, respectively, during a quad match at the Norris Aquatics Center. 

Despite the losses, coach Jimmy Tierney said NU put up a good fight against the day’s tough competition. Tierney cited starts and turns that would help the Cats catch up to their fast competition.

“We did a really good job of raising the bar. Still, our work isn’t over yet,” Tierney said. “We are only slight changes away. … We need to focus on technique.”

Despite the loss, the meet marked overall improvement following NU’s December training trip.

Sophomore Ellen Anderson placed first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:53.27. Freshman Lacey Smith also consistently swam near or at her best times in her events.

NU now looks to the Big Ten Championships just around the corner. The Cats have one dual meet and a two-day invitational left in the regular season.

Senior Megan Goss said it is nice to see results coming off a training trip before the championship. 

“The team did well today. … We’re swimming faster than ever,” Goss said.

NU’s next meet is senior night, featuring a rematch against Iowa, who narrowly beat NU last season. The team is looking for solid swims to claim a victory and redemption for the graduating class, Goss said.

“Especially for the seniors,” she said. “We want to be the winners this time around.”

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