Nov. 6, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 20 Northwestern will begin its home schedule at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, when it hosts Purdue at the Norris Aquatics Center. The meet is the first for the Wildcats since opening the season two weeks ago at then-No. 8 Indiana.
The Wildcats narrowly fell to the Hoosiers in that season-opening competition, swimming so well that the pollsters moved Northwestern up two spots and into the top-20 in the most recent CSCAA coaches poll. Junior Kassia Shishkoff (Raleigh, N.C./St. David's School) was named the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week after having a hand in four event wins for NU and swimming a pair of NCAA `B' cuts in her first outing of the year.
Northwestern and Purdue have met annually in a meet pitting perennially strong Big Ten programs, but the Boilermakers had dominated the recent series until NU bested Purdue on November 3 of last year for its first win over the Boilers since 1999. Now the Wildcats enter this weekend's meet a heavy favorite.
Two freshmen are a part of the respect NU is getting in the early going after making strong debuts at Indiana. Jenny Wilson (Bethesda, Md./Sidwell Friends School) won the 100 breast while Hannah Points (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) took second in the 400 IM behind Shishkoff, with both earning places on Northwestern's all-time top-10 performers lists with their swims.
Northwestern's relays also are looking to build off strong season-opening performances after the Wildcats won the 400 free relay and took both second- and third-place in the 400 medley relay against the eighth-ranked Hoosiers.
Friday's meet is a combined meet with the men, and is a perfect time to come see both of NU's strong programs in action!