Swimming and Diving: Freestyle wins it for Northwestern in record-breaking weekend

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Daily file photo by Angeli Mittal

Northwestern men and women will host Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue at home this weekend in their last team meet before the Big Ten Championships.

Kyle Leverone, Assistant Sports Editor

The Northwestern swimming and diving teams took over the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis this past weekend with a sweep in a triple-dual meet.

NU’s women, ranked No. 17 in the country, beat both No. 21 Minnesota and Iowa, and the men topped Purdue and Minnesota. Within the nine events they won, three school records emerged as well.

Graduate student Maddie Smith, sophomore Jasmine Nocentini, junior Ally Larson and freshman Kenisha Gupta set the 200-free relay record with 1:28.50 (and placed second behind a Minnesota school record 1:28.43). 

Sophomore Lola Mull broke the 1000-free record with a 9:34.56. Nocentini kept the pace going in a second record-breaking performance with a 21.92 in the 50-free event.

Both the men and women placed first in the 400-free relays as well. Almost half of the team’s victories came from freestyle events.

After a loss to No. 15 Wisconsin on Jan. 22, this sweep was a crucial bounce back with Big Ten Championships looming in two weeks.

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Twitter: @KLever0ne15

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