Husker Swimming and Diving Team Heads To Florida Atlantic Invite

Lincoln -- With two meets under its belt, the Nebraska swimming and diving team will head to Boca Raton, Fla., for the Florida Atlantic Invitational on Jan. 4.

Although the final schedule of teams has not yet been set, Nebraska will face Bucknell, Binghamton and Pennsylvania.

The Huskers face the Quakers for the second time in two seasons, as NU downed Penn last year in Boca Raton, 186-93.

Nebraska will be facing Bucknell and Binghamton for the first time in school history.

Bucknell, from the Patriot League, sits at 2-2 in dual action. The Bison have taken home a second-place finish at the Penn State Invitational as well fourth-place finish at the Princeton Invitational.

Binghamton, out of the America East Conference, is in its first season of Division One competition.

The four-way dual meet features each team squaring off against the other, dual-meet style.

At the 2001 FAU Invitational, the Huskers went 3-1, with wins over Florida Atlantic, Penn and Virginia Tech before narrowly falling to then-25th ranked Purdue, 148-132. Six Huskers won individual events.

The duals will mark the beginning of the dual season for the Huskers, as NU has three dual meets on the 2001-02 schedule.

Following the Florida Atlantic Invitational, the Huskers will travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Jayhawks in a conference dual on Jan. 19.

Fortino Rejoins Team
Junior Jeni Fortino has rejoined the diving team, according to diving coach Jefferson Bro.

Fortino, who dove her freshman and sophomore years at Nebraska, will be available to compete at Florida Atlantic.

Last season, Fortino became NUs leader in the diving well when Jerilyn Drummond went down with a back injury. The highlight of her sophomore season came against top-ranked Georgia when the Modesto, Calif., native took home the title on the three meter, establishing a career-best score of 378. At the Big 12 meet, Fortinos top finish came on the platform, where she took home a 14th-place finish (253.70).

Having Jeni back adds another element to our team, Bro said. She was one of our top divers last season and I know that she can compete well for us down the stretch.