Despite Three Pool Records from Beata Nelson, NU Women Defeat Wisconsin

WISCONSIN V. NORTHWESTERN

• Saturday, January 25, 2020
• Madison, WI
• SCY
• Full Results

WOMEN’S MEET

• Northwestern 166.5, Wisconsin 133.5

Beata Nelson put up several big individual swims, winning three events on Wisconsin’s Senior Day. She broke pool records in all three events, records that will likely remain forever as this could be one of the last meets in this pool. Wisconsin’s brand-new natatorium is expected to be in operation later this year.

Nelson re-set her own pool marks in both backstroke events, touching at 51.98 in the 100 and 1:54.18 in the 200. In the 200 IM, she ripped a 1:56.24, chopping over three seconds off of her teammate Lillie Hosack‘s pool record of 1:59.47 from 2016. Hosack would win the 200 free (1:50.68) and 50 free (23.50) for Wisconsin, and they’d combine for a big win in the 400 free relay, 3:23.19 to NU’s 3:27.50.

The Northwestern women, meanwhile, won against Wisconsin for the first time since 2009, breaking a seven-meet Badger win streak.

Three Wildcats won two events, with Miriam Guevara coming in clutch in tight butterfly wins over Wisconsin’s Megan Doty. Guevara got her hands to the wall first in both races, going 55.09 to Doty’s 55.41 in the 100 and 2:00.01 to Doty’s 2:00.31 in the 200. Hannah Brunzell took care of business in the breaststroke events, going 1:01.98 in the 100 and 2:14.25 in the 200, with Sophie Angus right behind her in both races (1:02.67/2:15.34). Finally, Ilektra Lebl swept the distance races, going 4:58.28 in the 500 and 10:11.18 in the 1000.

While Calypso Sheridan was no match for Nelson in the 100 back or 200 IM, she opted for the 100 free for her third event, where she clocked a 50.69 to edge out Hosack (51.14).

MEN’S MEET

• Wisconsin 161, Northwestern 139

Wisconsin’s men out-performed the visiting Wildcats on Saturday, kicking things off with a 200 medley relay win (1:27.60) that broke the pool record. Matt Novinski led off in 22.42, followed by Eli Fouts (24.76), MJ Mao (20.81) and Griffin Back (19.61).

After his field-best fly split on the medley relay, Mao showed off his versatility, claiming wins in the 100 breast (54.47) and the 200 breast (1:59.63).

Erik Gessner claimed the 100 back (48.88), while senior Michael Milinovich got things done in the 200 fly, 1:48.88 to Northwestern freshman Ben Miller‘s 1:48.89, an incredibly tight race.

Northwestern was boosted by Federico Burdisso, who won the 50 free (20.40), 100 free (44.35), and set a pool record in the 100 fly (47.48). The Wildcats also got a distance sweep from Dj Hwang (4:33.40/9:21.29), grabbed the 200 free with freshman Aleksa Bobar (1:39.49) and took the 200 back thanks to Manu Bacarizo (1:45.40).

Wisconsin pushed hard over the last few events, with Tazman Abramowicz winning the 3-meter, Caleb Aman (1:49.61) and Milinovich (1:50.17) going 1-2 in the 200 IM and the Badger 400 free relay prevailing to close out the meet with a 2:59.24.