Jan. 23, 2009
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -
In the first of two final dual-meets for the Illinois State swimming and diving team, the Redbirds will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini as they travel to the ARC pool for Saturday's noon competition. The meet will be the second time these two teams face each other during the 2008-09 season.
The Redbirds hosted the Fighting Illini at Horton pool Nov. 7, 2008. The `Birds suffered their first, and only, dual-meet loss this season, as Illinois (4-1) won 194-106.
"It's amazing that we are only 21 days away from the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, so every opportunity these student-athletes have to compete is going to be very beneficial for the remainder of the season as we determine our line-up," said head swimming and diving coach Steve Paska. "I am really looking forward to this meet, because Illinois has been a place that we have traveled to for competition for a number of years during my coaching career at Illinois State. Illinois' pool has been under renovation in recent years so we haven't been able to go to their campus to compete, and I'm eager to see the Redbirds compete in this newly renovated pool."
This week's meet follows a cancelled dual-meet between Illinois State and Ball State Saturday, Jan. 17. The Redbirds hosted an intra squad meet instead where the senior Redbird Athletes were honored, after Ball State was not able to travel to Illinois State due to inclement weather.
"If we bring the same focus and intensity as we did last week at our senior intra squad meet, we are going to do great," Paska said. "The girls are looking forward to competing against Illinois, and I know that they are excited to see where they are competing at this point in the season"
Head diving coach Phil Hoffmann shares Paska's enthusiasm about the upcoming competition.
"All six of our divers will be competing in the meet against Illinois, who is a top-Big Ten competitor," Hoffmann said. "It is a good chance for all of our girls from top to bottom to have a chance to compete against divers of that level. This meet being so close to the MVC Championships is a great plus for us."
