NORMAL, Ill. – Taking a win in every event, the Illinois State swimming and diving team opened its 2021 season on Saturday with a dominant 178-35 victory over Valparaiso at Horton Pool.
TOP PERFORMANCES
Four Redbirds – including three freshmen – won two individual events:
Raegen Follis – 200-yard freestyle (1:57.75), 500-yard freestyle (5:21.52)
Olivia Gonder – 200-yard IM (2:09.58), 100-yard freestyle (53.83)
Cassidy Carey – 100-yard butterfly (59.48), 100-yard backstroke (59.99)
Caroline Lecoeur – 1-meter diving (291.23), 3-meter diving (295.20) – Both marks qualify for NCAA Diving Zones
RUNNING AWAY WITH THE RELAYS
Illinois State opened the meet going 1-2 in the 200-yard medley relay. The quartet of Kenzie Weber, Madyson Morse, Cassidy Carey and Mikayla Jasek clocked in a winning time of 1:50.06. Sarah Hein, Olivia Gonder, Lauren Naeger and Maddie Hernandez finished closely behind, touching the wall at 1:51.95.
In the final event of the meet – the 400-yard freestyle relay – nearly 12 seconds separated the Redbirds' winning squad of Weber, Jasek, Gonder and Haley Rivera from Valparaiso, as the group clocked in at 3:39.39.
ON THE BOARDS
Senior standout Caroline Lecoeur swept the 1- and 3-meter events, turning in NCAA Zone qualifying scores of 291.23 and 295.20, respectively. Sophomore Kamryn Blake notched a second-place finish in the 1-meter (253.73) and finished third in the 3-meter (235.35), while rookie Megan Mulligan grabbed a second-place place finish in the 3-meter (241.05) in her first collegiate meet.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will continue their season on the road, traveling to UNI on Feb. 27.
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