Jan. 19, 2002
Evanston, Ill. - With a final-race victory in the 200 free relay, the No. 16 Northwestern women's swimming and diving squad edged No. 18 Penn State, 151.50-148.50, Saturday afternoon at the Norris Aquatics Center. The win ups NU's record to 4-2-1 overall and 2-1-1 in the Big Ten.
It was a see-saw affair all afternoon, as the 'Cats took nine events and the Nittany Lions the other seven. The teams also split the diving competition and each went home with one relay win.
Susie Sample (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) won both backstroke events for NU. Her times in the 100 (56.52) and 200 (2:00.42) were both season bests for the junior.
For the third time this season, the 'Cats swept the butterfly events. Junior Carmen Cosgrove (Perth, Western Australia/Nebraska) took top honors in the 100 (56.42), while classmate Rachel Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) placed first in the 200 with an NCAA provisional time of 2:02.90.
In the 200 breaststroke, sophomore Katie Simmons (Carmel, Ind./ Carmel) touched in first with a season-best time of 2:15.58. It was also an NCAA provisional time.
In the diving events, freshman Ashley Carter (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) won the 3-meter with a six-dive total of 304.58. In the 1-meter, it was Kristin Ward (Oakton, Va./St. Stephen's and St. Agnes) who was the 'Cats top placer, coming in second (235.34).
After 13 swimming events and two diving, it all came down to the day's last race-the 200 free relay. The relay squad of Megan Keefe (Blowing Rock, N.C./Watauga), Lauren Moore (Wilton, Conn./Wilton), Merritt Adams (Norcross, Ga./The Lovett School) and Cosgrove beat PSU to the wall by .48 seconds and secured the win.
The 'Cats are next in action Thursday, Jan. 31, when they travel to South Bend, Ind., for a nonconference dual with Notre Dame. The next day, NU travels to Ann Arbor, for a dual with 2001 Big Ten Champion Michigan.