Illinois vs Pepperdine
- October 26, 2023
- Malibu, Calif.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Illinois Athletics
MALIBU, Calif. – The Illinois swim and dive team completed action against Pepperdine on Thursday, Oct. 26. The Illini left Malibu with a 164-75 victory over the Waves. Sophomore Sara Jass won the 200 breaststroke (2:18.21) and earned silver in the 100 IM with the program’s third-fastest time (58.33).
“I’m really happy to get our first win this year,” said head coach Jeana Kempe. “Our team handled the travel to California well and I was proud of how they competed today. Adelaide Reaser continues her dominance in the distance events for us. We also had a lot of other ladies get victories and swim season-best times. The divers continue to show huge improvements from last year and we are really excited about their energy and competitive spirit.”
BETWEEN THE LANES
The 400 medley relay team of: junior Sydney Stoll, Jass, senior Sophia Burwitz and senior Laurel Bludgen started the winning from the first event and clocked a 3:55.42. Stoll would later earn the 100 IM (58.13) and 200 backstroke crowns (2:05.42).
Freshman Adelaide Reaser won the 500 (5:05.41) and 1000 freestyle (10:20.17). Junior Paloma Canos Cervera touched second (10:25.43) in the 1000 freestyle. Freshman Maggie Adler claimed the 100 freestyle crown (53.01).
Freshman Kylee Sessions won the 200 freestyle (1:54.39), fellow freshman Martina Cibulkova placed second (1:54.50) and Bludgen finished third (1:56.45). Senior Lily Olson claimed gold in the 50 freestyle (23.77) and 200 butterfly (2:07.02). Freshman Abby Ninan placed second in the 200 butterfly (2:07.40).
ON THE BOARDS
It was a 1-2-3-4 finish on the one-meter boards for the Illini. Freshman Matilda Garcia led the way with an NCAA Zone cut score of 271.20, fellow freshman Bethany Mercer placed second with a NCAA Zone cut (270.23) and freshman Dani O’Kelly placed third (260.18), senior Taylor Michael rounded out the quartet (258.90).
The Illini divers replicated the result on the three-meter boards; led by Michael with a NCAA Zone cut score of 290.70, O’Kelly in second (266.85) and freshman Elle Crisostomo in third (266.40). Mercer (258.98) and Elleka Boeres (255.00) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini swim and dive team are back in action tomorrow, Oct. 27 for a dual against UCLA at 5 p.m. CT.
Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics
MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine swimming and diving program fell to Illinois in its second dual meet of the season on Thursday evening at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.
MEET RECAP
Although the Waves’ best finish in the 1-meter dive event was fifth, sophomore Vivian Vallely (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) scored a season-high 256.65 in the event. In the 3-meter dive event, sophomore Amanda Wong (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) finished with a solid score of 261.15, good for fourth-place.
In swimming, six Waves took second in their individual events. In the 50 free, junior Alexandra Browne (Arlington, Va./Washington-Liberty HS) clocked a time of 24.22. In the 100 IM, freshman Kiana Fan (Irvine, Calif./Portola HS) completed the event in 59.80. Fan improved her time on the top-10 all-time list where she has the sixth fastest time in program history. Freshman Layla Busquets (Diablo, Calif./Monte Vista HS) recorded a time of 53.73 in the 100 free. In the 200 back, sophomore AJ Adams (Castle Rock, Colo./Valor Christian HS) notched a time of 2:08.37. In the 500 free, freshman Ansley Halbach (Watkinsville, Ga./North Oconee HS) swam the event in 5:16.06. Sophomore Charli Sunahara (Chino, Calif./Ruben S. Ayala HS) finished the 200 breaststroke in 2:27.41.
The foursome of Browne, Busquets, Eleanor Mashkovich (Calabasas, Calif./Westlake HS) and Anna Ryan (Alamo, Calif./Monte Vista HS) took first-place in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:36.94.
Illinois earned 164 points on the day, while Pepperdine accumulated 75.
NEXT UP: Pepperdine will have just over a week off before visiting Loyola Marymount in a dual meet on Friday, November 3, at 2:30 p.m. at Burns Recreation Center Pool.
