It was Senior Day at the ARC in Champaign, and the Illini (6-3) did not disappoint. In a 108-73 victory over the Eastern Illinois Panthers (1-10), many Illini set personal bests, raced into the top-10 program marks and finished the regular season on a high note.
“I am so grateful for this group of seniors,” said head coach Jeana Kempe. “They are incredible women. They’re leaders in and out the pool and have raised the standard in the Illinois program. Their legacy goes beyond the pool. It was a perfect day to celebrate them and head into the championship season.”
Special showing from seniors
For the final meet of the regular season, the seniors ended their Illinois career with a bang. Senior backstroke swimmer Suvana Baskar won the 100-yard backstroke race, one of her specialties.
Similarly, fifth-year freestyle swimmer Laurel Bludgen won the 100-yard freestyle race and set her personal best with a time of 50.77 seconds. Bludgen later picked up a personal best in the 100-yard IM, too, finishing at 59.57.
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In the 100-yard breaststroke, senior breaststroke and IM swimmer Jane Umhofer took the crown and later set a personal best in the 100-yard freestyle. A powerhouse senior team then came together for the 200-yard freestyle relay and took home the gold. Umhofer, senior freestyle and backstroke swimmer Molly Yetter and senior freestyle swimmers Logan Kuehne and Sydney Stoll powered through the water to finish with a time of 1:33.51.
After consecutive conference losses, this final win must feel good for the seniors. Their efforts resulted in plenty of points on the Illini’s board, showing how their hard work finally paid off.
She Stoll the show again
Stoll has been a vital member since she joined the program in 2021. In this meet, she not only contributed to three event victories but also set a personal best and pushed her way to the No. 7 fastest time in school history for a 50-yard swim in the 200-yard freestyle relay (23.08).
Also, Stoll flew fast in the 100-yard IM to take the victory, with an ARC pool record time of 55.51. Even with these impressive results, her intensity never died down. She came out on top in the 500-yard freestyle race and finished in 4:53.52.
Stoll can go the distance and sprint to the finish line, demonstrating how versatile she is as a swimmer. The Illini will certainly miss her next season, but her endeavors with the program will leave a lasting memory.
Personal bests in abundance
The win over Eastern Illinois is successful, but the personal bests set by many Illinois swimmers demonstrate the consistent efforts to reach their year-long goals.
In the 50-yard freestyle, sophomore freestyle swimmers Liv Dorshorst and Maggie Adler reached best times at 24.92 and 23.79, respectively. Adler got another personal best in the 100-yard backstroke as well.
One standout athlete was sophomore IM and freestyle swimmer Kalina Nikolaeva. She reached two personal bests in the 50-yard backstroke and 100-yard IM. But, the IM race was especially unique because it landed her the No. 6 fastest time in school history.
Along with Nikolaeva in the program ranks was junior breaststroke and IM swimmer Sara Jass. She finished with the program’s second-fastest time in the 100-yard IM at 56.44 and amassed another personal best in that and the 100-yard freestyle, where she got second place.
Finally, another young Illini made her mark today. Freshman IM and backstroke swimmer Sophia Yousuf won the 200-yard freestyle event and got her personal best time there, at 1:50.71.
Upcoming tests
Illinois has some time to rest before its next competition. The Big Ten championships begin Feb. 19 in Columbus, Ohio, and the Illini need high momentum to secure their victories.
@tess_eken
