Nov. 11, 2011
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Norris Aquatics Center)
Score: Wisconsin 163, Northwestern 132
Records: NU (1-2, 1-2 Big Ten), Wisconsin (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Saturday, Nov. 12 -- vs. UIC/North Dakota (Norris Aquatics Center), 11 a.m. CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern opened its 2011-12 home schedule Friday night against Big Ten foe Wisconsin, falling to the Badgers, 163-132, despite a bevy of season-best efforts.
Wisconsin went 1-2 in the opening 200 medley relay to take an early lead Friday, though the third-place team of Wildcats comprised of Meaghan Fenn (New Rochelle, N.Y./The Ursuline School), Jenny Wilson (Bethesda, Md./Sidwell Friends School), Meghan Cavanaugh (Anchorage, Alaska/East Anchorage) and Marybeth Hall (Brighton, Mich./Brighton) did turn in a season-best time of 1:46.05.
Megan Goss (Brentwood, Tenn./Ravenwood) was Northwestern's top finisher in the 1,000 free with a third-place time of 10:16.39, then sophomore Jackie Powell (Madison, Wis./James Madison Memorial) found herself in a fight in the 200 free. She and Wisconsin's Laura Miller were neck-and-neck for the entire race, but it was Miller pulling out a .26 of a second victory in the end over Powell's season-best 1:50.47.
Wisconsin swept the top three spots in the 100 backstroke, then Ashley Wanland of Wisconsin nearly broke the pool record in winning the 100 breast with an NCAA `B' provisional qualifying standard. NU's Wilson grabbed second-place points in the event with a 1:04.03, holding off a Badger rally for the spot by .21 of a second.
Northwestern roared back with a 1-2-3 sweep of the 200 fly, led by Meredith King (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual) and her season-best 2:04.18. Cavanaugh was second in 2:05.67 and Becca Soderholm (Madison, Wis./Madison East) was third with a season-best 2:05.74.
The Badgers earned their second NCAA `B' cut of the meet to win the 50 free. NU freshman Tori Larsen (Elmhurst, Ill./York Community) was the best NU swimmer in the event, taking third in a season-best 23.71.
In diving action during the first half of Friday's meet, Northwestern sophomore Cosima Lenz (Altadena, Calif./Polytechnic School) shattered her career-best score on the 3-meter springboard with a 356.91 to edge her older sister, Felicitas Lenz (Altadena, Calif./Polytechnic School), by 1.11 points. Felicitas' score of 355.80 also was a career-best for her.
On the 1-meter springboard, it was more of the same. Cosima tallied a career-best 301.50 while Felicitas was just behind her younger sibling with a 299.88. Both sweeps gave Northwestern a big boost in the meet's points.
When the swimming resumed after the meet's first break, Wisconsin went 1-2 in the 100 free with Powell swimming a Northwestern-best and season-best 51.39. Powell was just out-touched by .01 of a second for second-place points in the race.
Fenn went out hard and held a lead through much of the 200 back for Northwestern before being chased down and placing second by .26 of a second. Fenn's time of 2:04.58 was easily a season-best. Wilson followed with second-place points of her own in the 200 breast, turning in a time of 2:20.48.
Erin Sosdian (The Woodlands, Texas/Woodlands College Park) was Northwestern's top finisher in the 500 free with a season-best and sub-5:00 4:59.11 to take third overall, then a Badger swimmer narrowly out-touched Cavanaugh (56.43) and Hall (56.89) in the 100 fly.
Lauren Clifford (Pollock Pines, Calif./El Dorado) won the 400 IM for Northwestern with an NU-season-best time of 4:25.75. Senior Jacquie Godbe (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens) had the third-fastest time in the event with a season-best 4:26.52.
NU's team of Hall, Sheila O'Neill (Dunwoody, Ga./Marist School), Katie McCullough (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) and Powell swam an NU-season-best 3:29.06 in the 400 free relay to round out Friday night's meet.
Northwestern returns to action at 11 a.m. CT tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 12, against both UIC and North Dakota in a double-dual meet at the Norris Aquatics Center.
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