With a fresh schedule, Illinois (0-0) will open its regular season this Friday at Iowa State (0-1) under head coach Jeana Kempe and head diving coach Tricia Grant.
Sophomore Kayla Duran and junior Bethany Mercer are Big Ten Women’s Swimmers and Divers to Watch for the upcoming season.
The team heads into their first official meet after starting earlier this month. They kicked off with their annual Orange vs. Blue intersquad meet. Team Orange pulled through with a 118-107 win.
The Illini saw a lot of shining stars during their intersquad meet. From Team Orange, senior captain Liv Dorshorst took the victory in the 150 freestyle. Sophomore Sophia Paduano pulled through with a win in the 100 backstroke. From Team Blue, sophomore Chloe Diner won two events. She breezed through the 100 breaststroke, and her team took first in the team 200 medley relay.
Team Blue took first place in both diving events; junior captain Elleka Boeres won the 3M dive, and sophomore Carlie Rose secured first in the 1M dive.
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The regular season begins this Friday at Iowa State. The history between the Illini and the Cyclones dates all the way back to 2004. The last time they competed was in 2017. The Illini are undefeated against the Cyclones, and this weekend will determine if that trend continues.
With a 6-3 record, a .667 pace control time and multiple broken records, the Illini saw success in their previous season. The squad is expected to show out again this season with a mix of veteran leadership and promising new talent.
Iowa State also started earlier this month with its Cardinal vs. Gold intersquad meet. The Cyclones kicked off their regular season when they took on the Nebraska Cornhuskers and fell short 197-103. Last season, they had a record of 3-5.
This matchup will set the tone for the Illini’s schedule this year with 11 competitions. Three of these will be home meets at the ARC pool, and eight of them will be on the road. Next week, Illinois will have its first home meet Oct. 24-25 against Illinois State and Southern Illinois.
November brings a competition between Illinois, Indiana State and Vanderbilt, as well as a mid-season test at the Hawkeye Invite in Iowa City from Nov. 18-21. Illinois will face the Big Ten competition starting Dec. 6 against Wisconsin. There will be additional highlights with the CSCAA Open Water Nationals on Dec. 13 and the Big Ten Championship later in the season.
