Illinois (7-4, 0-4) broke multiple program records at the Big Ten championships but struggled to keep up with the competition. The Illini finished last of 14 teams at the meet in Minneapolis.
Diner, Paduano in record-breaking business
Sophomore Sophia Paduano broke the first Illinois record of the meet, swimming her 50-meter leg of the 200 medley relay in 24.68. Paduano swam alongside sophomores Kayla Duran, Chloe Diner and Isabella Wilhelm as the group recorded the second-best time in program history in the event (1:38.44).
Diner flew in her individual events, setting new school records in both the 100 butterfly (53.50) and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.26). Diner’s 100 breaststroke time earned her a silver finish in the event’s B final and is a qualifying time for the NCAA championship.
Other Illini enter record book
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Alongside Diner in the 100 butterfly, junior Martina Cibulkova swam a 55.01, marking the program’s ninth-best time in the event.
Junior Michelle Kaner found success in her backstroke events. Kaner swam the 100 backstroke in 53.83, marking the second-best time in program history. In the 200 backstroke, Kaner also set the school’s second-best time with a 1:57.04, earning her 20th at the competition.
In the 50 freestyle, Wilhelm swam a 22.83 for the program’s all-time third-best time.
Kaner, Duran, Diner and Adler swam the 400 medley relay in 3:38.15 to set the second-fastest time in Illini history. The team finished 11th in the event.
In the 800 free relay, Diner, along with senior Sara Jass, junior Maggie Adler and Cibulkova swam the program’s sixth-best time (7:16.74). However, they fell short against the competition, finishing twelfth of fourteen teams.
Jass performed well in the 200 IM, finishing 20th overall (1:59.77). Diner followed closely and ended as 22nd in the same event (2:00.30).
Wilhelm, Adler, Cibulkova and Diner finished with the ninth-best time in Illini history for the 200 freestyle relay (1:32.03).
On the three-meter board, junior Elle Crisostomo led the Illini with 232.45. On the 1-meter board, junior Matilda Garcia finished 28th — the Illini’s best diving rank at the championships — with a score of 235.30.
Up next
The Illini travel to South Bend, Indiana, on Friday to compete at the Notre Dame Last Chance meet.
