While classes at Illinois were on hold for winter break, the swimming and diving team kept up with work during the break, competing and training in Curacao.

The Illini took on the Curacao national Team at the Sentro Deportivo on Jan. 7, with strong performances coming from Meghan Bradley and Barbie Viney.

“There were some close races that kept us on our toes and made the athletes step up and perform when they were not feeling their best,” head coach Sue Novitsky said in a press release. “With all of the training, it was great that the meet format allowed us to get in a lot of races without a lot of rest.”

It had been more than a month since Illinois had last competed, leading Novitsky to worry the athletes might be rusty. But after more than a week of two-a-day workouts, the Illini were back in form.

“Now it is a matter of coming back to campus and keep sharpening our racing details in anticipation of the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships,” Novitsky said.

Illinois swims against Michigan, Notre Dame and Washington in Ann Arbor, Mich. this weekend.

The Illini will then have one more meet before the Big Ten Quad.