Northwestern Defeats Illinois, Eastern Michigan in Season Opening Meet

EVANSTON, Illinois, October 18. NORTHWESTERN University got its season underway Friday night, hosting Eastern Michigan and the University of Illinois’s women’s team at the Norris Aquatics Center and winning all three matchups. Sophomore Jordan Wilimovsky set a career best in the 1,000 free, with his 9:12.51 now standing as eighth-fastest in the country.

Northwestern Women’s Press Release

The Wildcats got their season underway Friday at the Norris Aquatics Center with wins over Illinois and Eastern Michigan.

NU defeated the Fighting Illini 166-133 and EMU 199-100.

Illinois began the meet winning the 200 medley relay, edging out the Wildcats team of Lacey Locke (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), Julianne Kurke (Atlanta, Ga./Parkview), Valerie Nubbe (Huntsville, Ala./Huntsville) and Annika Winsnes (Singapore/United World College) 1:44.64 to 1:44.95.

NU freshman Lauren Abruzzo (Denver, Colo./Kent Denver) gave the Wildcats a win in the 1,000 yard freestyle, swimming a 10:05.65.

Jackie Powell (Madison, Wis./James Madison Memorial) registered the best time in the 200 yard freestyle, giving the ‘Cats the win with a 1:52.26 time.

The Illini’s Alison Meng won the 100 yard backstroke (55.27). Lacey Locke finished in second for the Wildcats (55.48). Locke’s time was faster than any Northwestern time during the 2012-13 season, besting Karen Turner’s (Oswego, Ore./Lakeridge) time of 55.59 in the Big Ten Championships (Feb. 22, 2013)

Eastern Michigan recorded the best time in the 100 yard breaststroke (1:04.56), followed by Northwestern’s Julianne Kurke second place time of 1:04.75.

Eastern Michigan’s Jessie Godlewski tallied the best time in the 200 yard butterfly (2:03.29). The ‘Cats Ellen Stello (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood) finished in second, swimming 2:03.45.

The Fighting Illini’s Courtney Pope won back-to-back events with the 50 yard (23.82) and 100 yard (51.52) freestyel. NU’s Valerie Nubbe finished in second (24.28) in the 50 yard freestyle and Jackie Powell finished second for the ‘Cats in the 100 yard freestyle (52.41).

Between events, Eastern Michigan recorded the top three scores in 3-meter diving and the top two in 1-meter diving Cosima Lenz (Altadena, Calif./Polytechnic School) led the Wildcats with a 249.50 score on the 3-meter dive and a 237.25 score on the 1-meter dive.

Northwestern freshman finished with the top two times in the 200 yard backstroke, led by Lacey Locke (2:01.92) and Melissa Postoll (2:03.40).

Illinois’s Erica Lynn won the 200 yard backstroke (2:20.63). Julianne Kurke’s time of 2:21.41 finished second for the ‘Cats. In the 500 yard freestyle, the ‘Cats took the top two times over Illinois and Eastern Michigan. Freshman Lauren Abruzzo won the event with a 4:56.32, followed by Ellen Anderson (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg), who swam a 4:57.73.

Northwestern freshman Ellen Stello finished in second place to Illinois in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.48. Illinois concluded the meet winning the 400 yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:27.77

The ‘Cats travel to Western Kentucky to take on the Hilltoppers on Friday, Oct. 25 at 4:00 p.m. CT.

Northwestern Men’s Press Release

Northwestern opened its season with a 160.50-128.50 win against Eastern Michigan Friday at the Norris Aquatics Center.

Sophomore Jordan Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif./Malibu) posted a career-best 9:12.51 in the 1,000 yard freestyle with a time of 9:12.51. It bested his previous career-low by more than eight seconds (9:20.64 vs. UIC/Western Kentucky on Nov. 2, 2012).

Northwestern opened the meet by registering the top two times in the 200 yard medley relay. Dominik Cubelic (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), Uula Auren (Helsinki, Finland/M?kel?nrinteen Lukio), Mark Ferguson (Perth, Australia/John XXIII) and Matt Wilcox (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) teamed up to swim the fastest time, recording a 1:31.81.

The `Cats posted impressive times in the 50 yard freestyle. NU’s senior Chase Stephens won the race with a 20.38 time, followed by Wildcats freshman Andy Jovanovic (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy), who swam a 21.22.
Stephens time of 20.28 faster than any time he recorded in 2012-13 until he recorded a 19.91 time at the Big Ten Championships to qualify for the NCAA field. His 20.28 time against Eastern Michigan was just 0.04 seconds behind his 20.34 time Stephens posted in the NCAA Championships.

With identical times of 1:39.64, NU’s Chase Stephens (Madison, Wis./Edgewood) tied Eastern Michigan’s Brian Moore for first place in the 200 yard freestyle.

NU’s divers took the top three scores in 1-meter diving. Andrew Cramer (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) registered the top score (291.90), while Eastern Michigan posted the top three scores in 3-meter diving.

Dominik Cubelic earned the `Cats the win in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 50.53. In the 100 yard breaststroke, Northwestern’s Uula Auren swam the fastest, with a time of 56.47. Eastern Michigan rebounded with Krzysztof Gilski winning the 200 yard butterfly (1:51.79). NU’s Grant Halsall finished in second place (1:54.47).

Stephens also posted the top time in the 100 yard freestyle, swimming a 45.60. In the 200 yard backstroke, Jovanovic posted the meet’s top time of 1:51.61.

In the 200 yard breaststroke, NU posted the top two scored against Eastern Michigan. Van Donkersgoed (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) paced the race for the `Cats with a 2:05.95 time.

Jordan Wilimovsky posted another strong time of 4:31.32 to win the 500 yard freestyle, which would have been the Wilimovsky’s fastest time during the 2012-13 season until the Big Ten Championships.

Mark Ferguson posted the fasted time in the 100 yard butterfly, swimming a 50.00. NU concluded the meet registering the fastest time in the 400 yard freestyle relay. Stevens, Jovanovic, Wilcox and Cubelic swam 3:03.37 for the `Cats.

The `Cats travel to Western Kentucky to take on the Hilltoppers on Friday, Oct. 25 at 4:00 p.m. CT.

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