Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska swimming and diving team will host a trio of teams this weekend as it will face Iowa State on Friday, Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. (CT) and Minnesota and South Dakota in a double-dual on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. (CT).
The Huskers are coming off a well-rounded opening dual win at South Dakota State, where seven different swimmers won individual titles. Lexi Kucera highlighted the night, collecting a pair of victories in the 50 butterfly (26.35) and the 200 freestyle (1:53.88). Madesyn Ronquillio, a senior co-captain, won the 100 backstroke while setting a facility record at the Marshall Center Pool with a 57.59. Making her Husker debut, Gena Jorgenson set the facility record in the 500 freestyle with a 5:04.50 to win the event. Berkeley Livingston and Maia Hall, the largest returning scorers from the 2022 Big Ten Championships, each collected a win of their own in the 1,000 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, respectively. JoJo Randby kicked off her sophomore campaign with a 50 breaststroke victory, while Sarah Barton won the 100 butterfly to complete the Husker wins.
The Cyclones and Huskers have a long history as Friday marks the 48th meeting between the teams. Nebraska has dominated in recent years, owning the series record, 40-6-1, and winning every meeting since 2003. Last year, NU captured 12 of 16 event titles to win, 186-114. The 200 butterfly boosted Nebraska’s points as they managed a top-three sweep with Shannon Stott, Livingston and Barton claiming the top spots. All three swimmers are set to lead the Huskers again on Friday.
Nebraska divers will compete for the first time of the season on Friday with Reagan Hinze leading the squad, while Kelsey Clairmont and Ellee Delcamp will make their debuts as Huskers.
Iowa State finished fifth at the Big 12 Championships last season, with 2022-23 returner and Omaha-native, Elizabeth Richardson, garnering First Team All-Big 12 honors. Brinley Horras is another swimmer to watch as she became the first swimmer in Iowa State history to earn All-Big 12 honors in the 200, 500 and 1650 free in the same year.
On Saturday, Nebraska will meet its first Big Ten team of the season, with Minnesota competing in the double-dual. The Gophers posted a strong performance last season, handing the Huskers their only dual loss of the season and going on to finish sixth at the Big Ten Championships and 21st at the NCAA Championships.
Diving powerhouse Joy Zhu returns for Minnesota after placing in the top-three at the Big Ten Championships in the one- and three-meter and going on to post two top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
On the swimming side, notable returners include 2022 Big Ten Champion in the 400 IM, Megan Van Berkom. She also swam to a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200 butterfly and 200 IM, clocking school record times in both. Additionally, Hannah Cornish is set for her sophomore season after swimming to a pair of individual top-ten finishes at conference, while Emma Lezar, who placed in the top-12 in both breaststroke events at the Big Ten Championships is also set to return.
South Dakota will add to the action on Saturday. The Coyotes have finished as runner-up at the Summit League Championships three times in the last four seasons, including a school-record team points at the 2022 conference meet. Stella Fairbanks and Cassie Ketterling headlined the runner-up effort and both are returning for the 2022-23 season. Ketterling swam to both the 100 IM and 400 IM titles, while Fairbanks won the one-meter diving event.
Live results will be available through the Meet Mobile App, with a livestream provided on the Huskers YouTube page.
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