Part of Illinois women’s swim and dive will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, to compete at the Louisville Invite on Feb. 16. This also marks the last meet before the Big Ten championships for Illinois.
The Illini have had their ups and downs this season and while they currently stand at a 2-6 record overall, their season has been filled with many personal bests and school records.
As the postseason continues to draw near, assistant swimming coach Kyle Patnode spoke about the support that both head coach Jeana Kempe and himself like to say is unconditional no matter if the team wins or loses. Regardless of results, their goal is to always be there for the athletes.
“That’s my job title, to support them regardless,” Patnode said. “No matter what, you show up for that individual.”
Patnode furthered this statement by saying that showing up for that individual differs from person to person, but to him, it’s knowing how to step up in different moments and being a constant support system.
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“Knowing what to do in the right moments, the tough moments and the good moments is important,” Patnode said. “Supporting them is a constant.”
Heading into this week, junior Sydney Stoll, freshman Gwen Bakker and freshman Kylee Sessions are the three Illini that will swim on Friday.
Stoll has had an impressive junior season thus far, breaking numerous records and getting on the podium to win events at almost every meet. Her most recent personal best came a few weeks ago against Nebraska, where Stoll swam a 25.87 in the 50-yard back. Stoll has also been featured on relays this season, where she has contributed to records as well.
Sessions herself was also apart of the 200 medley relays this season. Sessions and Stoll teamed up with junior Logan Kuehne and senior Lily Olson in late January for a time of 1:41.64 in the 200 medley, breaking the ARC pool record.
The Illini’s most recent meet took place on Jan. 27, where they faced a loss in their final home meet of the season. It has been awhile since the 169-131 loss to Nebraska but Patnode said that it was nice for the team to take some time away from competing to come together in less hectic environments.
“It is nice to have a couple of weekends where we get to spend time together,” Patnode said. “We get to come together in a more relaxed way that builds the unity of the group.”
Three members of Illinois women’s swim and dive will be competing at the Louisville Invite on Friday, with preliminaries taking place at 10 a.m. and finals taking place at 5 p.m.
