Huskers Win CSCAA Open Water Title

Ilaria Murzilli swam to a runner-up individual finish to lead Nebraska to the 2021 CSCAA Open Water National Championships team title in Lawrence, Kan., on Friday morning.

Murzilli, a true freshman from Rome, Italy, made her competitive debut for the Huskers by covering the 5,000-meter distance at Lone Star Lake in 1:04.07.6, less than a minute behind individual champion Kate Beavon from Purdue (1:03.09.6).  The Boilermakers’ top distance swimmer, Beavon finished 10th at the 2021 Big Ten Championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle in her third season at Purdue.

Murzilli was joined in the top five by fellow Husker Shannon Stott. The senior from St. Albans, Great Britain took fourth (1:04.31.7), making Nebraska the only school among the 15 in the team competition with a pair of top five finishers. Stott, who enters her second season at Nebraska, is one of NU’s top butterfly swimmers and has raced primarily in the middle distance freestyle events for the Big Red.

Fifth-year senior Rachel Powers (Grafton, Wis.) added an 11th-place finish (1:04.56.4) to complete Nebraska’s team scoring in the event. The Huskers won with 17 points (2 for 2nd, 4 for 4th, 11 for 11th), 14 points ahead of team runner-up Rice (31). Purdue finished third with 39 points.

Senior Katelyn Kilpatrick (Ocala, Fla.) contributed a strong 13th-place finish (1:06.01.1) to put four Huskers among the top 15 individuals in the 70-swimmer event. Junior Molly Rosenthal (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) rounded out the Husker contingent with a top-20 showing of her own by placing 17th (1:06.44.9). The Huskers were the only team in the competition to place five individuals in the top 20.

Nebraska’s full roster will be in action for the first time next week, when the Huskers host the annual Scarlet vs. Cream Intrasquad meet at the Devaney Natatorium. Competition is set to begin at 4 p.m.