Five Huskers Set for CSCAA Open Water

Five Nebraska swimmers will travel to Lawrence, Kan., for the CSCAA National Open Water Championship on Friday, Sept. 17. Hosted by the University of Kansas, the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) race is set for an 8:30 a.m. start at Lone Star Lake.

A newcomer from Rome, Italy, Ilaria Murzilli will be making her Husker debut at the Open Water Championship. As the first Italian swimmer in Nebraska history, Murzilli came to NU as the No. 27 ranked international recruit according to CollegeSwimming.com. Junior freestyle swimmer Molly Rosenthal (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) will be representing the Big Red in Kansas as well. Rosenthal was a consistent contributor in the Nebraska distance corps last season, with four top-five finishes. 

Joining Murzilli and Rosenthal will be three seniors. Rachel Powers is a fifth-year senior from Sun Prairie, Wis., after redshirting last season. As a leader in and out of the pool, Powers capped off her junior season with a 15th-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2020 Big Ten Championships. Her junior season also featured three victories and three runner-up performances.

Katelyn Kilpatrick (Ocala, Fla.) is another senior who has been a key member of the distance program throughout her career at Nebraska. Kilpatrick competed in the 200 free and the 500 free at the 2021 Big Ten Championships and earned three top-five finishes in the 1,000 free throughout the season.

Shannon Stott (St. Albans, Great Britain) will round out the Huskers competing on Friday. Stott is entering her second season at Nebraska. A talented butterfly swimmer, she finished 18th in the 200 fly at the 2021 Big Ten Championships. She also competed for the Big Red in the 200 and 500 freestyles, while swimming legs of the 400 and 800 freestyle relays at the conference meet.