Nov. 29, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 17 Northwestern will test itself this weekend, Friday-Sunday, Nov. 30-Dec. 2, against some of the nation's best programs at the Georgia Fall Invitational in Athens, Ga.
No. 5 Florida, No. 9 Georgia, No. 14 Virginia, Harvard and West Virginia comprise the field alongside seventeenth-ranked NU. In addition to the four ranked teams in the meet, Harvard is receiving votes in the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll.
The Invitational -- Northwestern's first of the year after beginning the season with a 2-4 dual-meet record -- will follow the NCAA Championships format. Morning preliminary sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. CT all three days, with afternoon finals starting at 4 p.m. CT on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. CT Sunday.
All four of the Wildcats' losses in 2007-08 have come at the hands of ranked opponents (No. 4 Michigan, No. 7 Indiana, No. 12 Purdue and No. 18 Texas A&M). After this weekend, NU already will have competed against a full 25 percent of the other teams in the top-25 before the holiday training period.
Seniors Bruno Barbic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gymnazija) and Kyle Bubolz (Waukesha, Wis./Ozaukee) along with junior Eric Nilsson (Weston, Mass./Weston) have earned NCAA 'B' provisional qualifying times so far this season. Barbic's came in the 50 free, Nilsson has one in both the 200 free and 500 free, and Bubolz ranks No. 10 in the nation with his 'B' time of 48.22 in the 100 fly.
Nilsson currently is third in the nation with his 4:21.72 in the 500 free and seventh with his 1:37.81 in the 200 free.
In diving, junior Alex Kiaie (Milwaukee, Wis./Nicolet) earned his first-career Big Ten Diver of the Week honor after winning both boards and setting a career high in the 3-meter event in a double-dual against No. 4 Michigan and Wisconsin on Nov. 16-17. The honor is NU's first since current senior Ryan McIntosh (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) won the accolade on Nov. 15, 2005.
For live results all weekend long, link to Georgiadogs.com.