Michigan State Backs Out Over COVID Issues, Purdue Women Beat Illinois 173-122

Purdue vs Illinois

• Saturday, January 16th, 2021
• Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center, West Lafayette, IN
• Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Women’s Results 
• Men’s Results (live results link)

Team Scores

1. Purdue – 173
2. Illinois – 122

Purdue was set to host Illinois and Michigan State for a tri-meet this weekend, however, Michigan State had to back out on Friday due to COVID-19 issues within the program. Without MSU, there was no other men’s team, so the Boilermaker men just swam an unscored intrasquad. In the women’s meet, Purdue won 11 of 16 events, tallying up 173 points to Illinois’ 122.

Illinois did have a pair of double event winners in Cara Bognar and Abby Cabush. Bognar won the 200 fly in a very tight race with Purdue’s Evie Sierra. Sierra actually 150 mark in the lead, 1:31.13 to Bogner’s 1:31.21. Bognar turned it on the final 50, however, splitting 31.35 to Sierra’s 32.00. Bogner finished in 2:02.56, while Sierra was 2nd in 2:03.13. She went on to win the 500 with a 4:59.59, touching over 5 seconds ahead of the field. Bognar also came in 2nd in the 1000 with a 10:16.89.

Abby Cabush first took the 200 free with a 1:51.34, finishing nearly 2 seconds ahead of anyone else. She also negative split the race, which is a rare feat in the 200 free, splitting 55.81 on the first 100, and 55.53 coming home. Cabush went on to win the 100 free with a 51.77, taking the event by half a second.

Purdue’s Claire Abbasse took the women’s 50 free, swimming a 24.06 to lead the pack. Boilermaker Riley Kishman posted a 1:04.10 in the 100 breast to claim victory by nearly a second. Sylvia Kobylak picked up a win for Purdue in the 100 fly, clocking a 56.58.

In the men’s intrasquad, Michael Juengel posted a 47.93 in the 100 back, leading the way for the Biolermakers. He went on to clock a 1:47.68 in the 200 back, again leading the team.

Ryan Hrosik and Nick Sherman had a photo-finish in the 50 free, touching in 20.18 and 2019 respectively. Nikola Acin posted an impressive 43.37 in the 100 free, approaching his personal best of 43.09. Trent Pellini swam a 52.57 in the 100 breast, marking the top time on the team.

PRESS RELEASE – PURDUE:

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Led by a trio of double event winners, Purdue women’s swimming & diving won 12 of the 16 events to top Illinois 173-122 Saturday at Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center in the opener of the Big Ten dual meet season for both teams.

The Purdue men also competed but did so as a non-scored intrasquad after Michigan State had to cancel its trip to West Lafayette on Friday due to COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing. The meet was originally slated to be a triple dual on the women’s side and a head-to-head dual between the Purdue and MSU men.

Emily Bretscher (springboard diving), Sylvia Kobylak (100 fly, 200 breast) and Natalie Myers (200 back, 200 IM) were the two-time winners for the women to account for six of the team’s 10 individual event victories. Claire Abbasse (50 free), Riley Kishman (100 breast), Tessa Wrightson (100 back) and Kobylak all won an individual event and contributed to a relay winner. Kendra Bowen and Wrightson contributed to both victorious quartets as the Boilermakers swept the 200 medley and 400 free relays.

Greg Duncan (springboard diving), Michael Juengel (100 & 200 back), Brett Riley (200 IM, 1,000 free) and Skyler Younkin (100 & 200 fly) were all two-time winners in the men’s events. Purdue kept its same meet lineup in place – events, entries and lane assignments – that was planned for the dual with MSU.

Trent Pellini won the 100 breaststroke with an NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut) of 52.57. He was one of five Boilermakers on the men’s side to register a team season-best time in an individual event.

The Purdue women posted 1-2-3 finishes in the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 200 backstroke. Myers and Erin Verbrugge finished 1-2 in both the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley. Kobylak was also the runner-up to Kishman in the 100 breast to go along with her unique sweep of the 100 fly and 200 breast.

Aaron Frollo (500 free), Coleman Modglin (200 breast), Hayley Pike (1,000 free) and Jude Wenker (200 free) were Purdue’s freshman event winners. Frollo, Modglin and Pike have all accounted for team season-best times in those events this season.

The Boilermakers return to action Saturday, Jan. 23 for a co-ed triple dual with Minnesota and Wisconsin in Madison. The meet at UW’s new Soderholm Family Aquatic Center is slated to begin at 2 p.m. ET.

PRESS RELEASE – ILLINOIS:

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Illinois swim and dive team dropped their opening meet of the season to Purdue, 173-122. Junior Abigail Cabush and freshman Cara Bognar both had a pair of first place finishes.

“The team was excited for the opportunity to compete today,” said head coach Sue Novitsky. “Right from the first event, the team had terrific energy and showed they were willing to step up and accept the challenge. In the pool and on the boards, we had a strong meet and competed hard to the end. Our freshmen showed they are racers, going out after their events. Abby Cabush led the way getting the first win for the team in the meet. We are looking forward to getting back to work and fine-tuning things each week.”

Cabush grabbed her two first place finishes in the 100 and 200 freestyles by times of 51.77 and 1:51.34, respectively. Bognar claimed first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:02.56 and in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:59.59. The Greenville, South Carolina, native also touched the wall second in the 1000 freestyle (10:16.89).

Sophomore Kaleigh Haworth came out with a first place finish in the 200 individual medley (2:09.33) along with a third place finish in the 200 breaststroke (2:25.53).

Taking second place in their individual events, sophomore Athena Salafatinos recorded a time of 3:38.04 in the 100 backstroke and sophomore Isabelle Guerra in the 100 butterfly finished with a time of 57.23. Freshman Lily Olson clocked a time of 2:06.58 in the 200 butterfly to place third.

The Illini grabbed second place in the 200 medley relay (1:45.81) to open the day courtesy of Salafatinos, junior Emily Bolger, Cabush and freshman Laurel Bludgen. The 400 freestyle relay team membered by Cabush, Olson, Bludgen and Guerra also took second place with a total time of 3:31.05.

ON THE BOARDS

Sophomore Erin Young returned to the diving lineup with a second place mark in the one-meter and third place in the three-meter dive totaling 243.68 and 232.80, respectively.

Four freshmen made their debuts for the one-meter and three-meter events. Taylor Michael led the newcomers with a second place finish in the three-meter (249.98) and third place in the one-meter (242.63). Allison Landis, Brooke Michael and Cacia Kaupp rounded out the diving lineup for the Fighting Illini on the events.

The Illini and Boilermakers were expecting to be joined by Michigan State, but the Spartans did not make the road trip due to COVID-19 issues within their program.

NEXT UP

The Orange and Blue will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on Nebraska on Friday and or Saturday, January 22-23. The competition time will be announced at a later date.