Huskers Host Longest Meet in School History

Nebraska enters one of its most exciting weeks in program history as it hosts the four-day Husker Invitational this Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 15-18, at the Devaney Natatorium.

 

Competition begins with one session Thursday at 5 p.m., before action hits full speed Friday at 10 a.m., with preliminary races, followed by finals at 5 p.m. Saturday will start with prelims at 9 a.m., ahead of finals at 4 p.m., while Sunday’s final day will begin with 8 a.m., preliminary events, before finishing the meet with finals at 2 p.m. Huskers.com will provide daily recaps after each preliminary and finals session.

 

The Huskers will welcome five opponents to the pool in Colorado State, Iowa State, Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Iowa and South DakotaState. Nebraska has already faced Iowa State, Nebraska-Omaha and South DakotaState this season, defeating IowaState at the Big 12 Relays on Oct. 19 and downing Nebraska-Omaha (205-31) and South DakotaState (167-108) in dual meets at the Devaney Natatorium. The wins over the Mavericks and Jackrabbits are two of six straight for the Huskers as Nebraska is off to a 6-0 start in 2007-08.

 

Nebraska is 54-10 all-time against the Husker Invitational field (12-6 vs. Colorado State; 26-4 vs. Iowa State; 11-0 vs. Nebraska-Omaha; 4-0 vs. Northern Colorado; 1-0 vs. Northern Iowa) as they aim to capture their first invitational title since winning the final Husker Shootout in November 2000.

 

Huskers, Rams Meet in a Pair of Unbeatens

Nebraska and ColoradoState each bring undefeated dual records into this week’s Husker Invitational, as the Huskers have achieved a 6-0 mark in 2007-08, while the Rams are 5-0. Nebraska holds a 12-6 advantage in the all-time series, but CSU defeated the Huskers in the last match-up on Nov. 5, 2000 in Fort Collins, a 156-144 Rams’ win. Nebraska’s last victory over ColoradoState came the previous year in Fort Collins, with the Huskers downing the Rams, 170-130, on Nov. 8, 1999. ColoradoState has not swum in Lincoln since a 125-118 loss on Nov. 16, 1995.

 

The 2007-08 ColoradoState squad is coming off a 6-5 dual record in 2006-07 that included a fifth-place finish at the Mountain West Conference Championships. The Rams have earned wins over BoiseState, TCU, Air Force, New Mexico and Denver this season, while also taking the 10-team Early Bird Invitational title in Fort Collins last month.

 

Nebraska Will Face Familiar Foes

The Huskers have already faced three teams in this week’s Husker Invitational field as they competed against Iowa State at the Big 12 Relays (Oct. 19) and met South Dakota State (Oct. 20) and Nebraska-Omaha in dual meets over the past month.

 

Nebraska has the upper-hand against all three teams, finishing ahead of the Cyclones at the Big 12 Relays in fifth place, while defeating South DakotaState (167-108) and Nebraska-Omaha (205-31) in Lincoln. The Huskers last met Northern Iowa on Jan. 19, 2007, defeating the Panthers 121-81 in Cedar Falls.

 

Giehl, Kavalec Clock Huskers’ Top Times 

Freshmen Julie Giehl and Brandie Kavalec have played large roles in Nebraska’s 6-0 record as they hold a combined five top times for the Huskers this season.

 

Winner of a team-leading six races, Giehl has NU’s fastest marks in the 200- (1:52.17) and 500-yard freestyle (5:03.55). The freshman has swept the events in the Huskers’ last two meets for four of her six wins, while also winning the 500 free against Illinois and the 1,000 free against South DakotaState.

 

Kavalec has NU’s No. 1 time in three events - the 1,000- (10:23.96) and 1,650-yard freestyle (17:28.31) and 200-yard backstroke (2:07.21). She had her most successful stretch in the Huskers’ last meet Nov. 2-3, winning the 1,650 free on day one and the 1,000 free on day two.

 

Review: Jolly Wins Three Meter in Minnesota

The Husker divers had a successful weekend on the boards, highlighted by junior Courtney Jolly’s three-meter title at the Minnesota Diving Invitational in Minneapolis Nov. 9-11.

 

Jolly’s winning score of 300.45 was a season-high total, bettering her previous score of 294.65 from the Nevada/Iowa double dual on Nov. 3 in Lincoln. With the win, the Plantation, Fla., native now has four victories on the season.

 

Following Friday’s three-meter competition, freshman Mariesa Cloud delivered a team-best runner-up performance on the one meter on Saturday. Cloud’s total of 263.45 was only bettered by Minnesota’s Jacqueline Schroeder’s winning score of 271.75. Jolly finished in third with a score of 256.65.

 

Sunday’s platform dive was the first time the Huskers competed in the event this season, with Cloud finishing third (207.825) and Jolly in fourth (196.800). Freshman Emily Burbach registered her best finish of the three-day meet, coming in sixth (168.900).

 

Review: Freshmen Lead Huskers to 6-0 Start

Freshmen Brandie Kavalec and Julie Giehl combined for six wins to lead a Husker sweep in Nebraska’s double-dual meet against Iowa, Nevada and Nebraska-Omaha Nov. 2-3 at the Devaney Natatorium.

 

The Huskers were challenged the most by defending WAC champion Nevada, who took NU down to the wire in a 125-118 battle on Friday and a 158-142 contest on Saturday. Friday’s meet also included a win over in-state foe Nebraska-Omaha (205-31), while Saturday’s competition came with a victory over Iowa (170-130) to move Nebraska to 6-0 on the season for the third time in the past four seasons.

 

Kavalec and Giehl built early Nebraska advantages both days as Kavalec won the 1,000- (10:23.96) and 1,650-yard freestyle races (17:28.31) in the first individual events of the meet, while Giehl followed with wins in the 200-yard freestyle (1:53.05, 1:52.17).

 

A native of Boulder, Colo., Giehl also won the 500-yard freestyle (5:03.55; 5:05.88) each day to run her season win total to seven.

 

Friday’s 500-free win came at a crucial time in the 10th event of the meet, as Nevada had won three-straight swimming races and the one-meter diving competition up to that point. The Huskers’ most recent win was in the fifth event, the 400-yard individual medley, by junior Christina Yemm (4:32.25) before Giehl broke the streak.

 

Following the 500-free, the Wolf Pack took the three-meter and 200-yard breaststroke before Nebraska’s 800-yard freestyle relay (junior Jenny Toler, Giehl, sophomore Mariah Hutchinson, freshman Kelsey Grushecky) clinched a Husker victory in a time of 7:37.33.

 

Aside from Yemm’s Friday victory in the 400-yard individual medley, all of the Husker wins came from freshmen.

 

Grushecky was the final NU newcomer to register a first-place finish, taking Saturday’s 100-yard butterfly (56.87) immediately after Giehl’s 500-free win that gave the Huskers a 131-114 advantage. Nevada would go on to win the three meter and 200-yard individual medley, but the Huskers’ runner-up 400-yard freestyle relay team edged out Nevada in the final event to wrap up its fourth dual win in two days.

 

Friday’s meet marked the first time this season the Huskers have swam the long-event format. It proved to be a positive for Nebraska with Kavalec’s win in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:28.31). One of five NU victories on the day, the Huskers didn’t win the meet until the final event of the day, the 800-yard freestyle relay (Toler, Giehl, Hutchinson and freshman Kelsey Grushecky) in a time of 7:37.33.

 

Big 12 Swimmers and Divers of the Week (Nov. 8)

The conference office recently announced Big 12 Swimmers and Divers of the Week for meets from Oct. 22-Nov. 4. Maria Mayrovich (Kansas) was named Swimmer of the Week and Kendra Melnychuk (Missouri) received the Diver of the Week accolade. The student-athletes were chosen by vote of the league’s head swimming and diving coaches. The next awards will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 28.

 

Swimmer of the Week

Maria Mayrovich, Kansas, Jr, Novorossiysk, Russia

Junior Maria Mayrovich recorded eight victories in a dual meet against Missouri. Her time of 1:48.85 in the 200 free was a pool record, career best and a KU all-time performance. She also broke a pool record in the 100 free with her time of 50.25.

 

Diver of the Week

Kendra Melnychuk, Missouri, Jr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Junior Kendra Melnychuk earned her second weekly accolade of the season as she came out of the Mizzou Dual Challenge with six victories. She won every three-meter challenge and also placed first in three of four one-meter dives.

 

Coming Up Next in Husker Swimming and Diving

Following this weekend’s Husker Invitational, Nebraska will have completed eight of its 13 regular-season competitions prior to the Big 12 Championships in Austin, Texas from Feb. 27-March 1.

 

The Huskers will have a previous trip to Austin under their belt as they next compete at the Texas Invitational Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Nebraska will be up against some of the top competition in the nation, aiming to improve on its seventh-place finish from the Texas Invite during the 2004-05 sesason. It will also be the last meet for the Huskers during the fall semester, before traveling to San Luis Potosi, Mexico in January.

 

Nebraska’s first conference meet will be Jan. 19 when the Huskers travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Jayhawks. Two weeks later, the Huskers host their final home meet of the year as they welcome IowaState to the Devaney Natatorium for Senior Day on Feb. 2. A trip to Missouri on Feb. 9 to meet the Tigers will conclude the regular season.

 

2007-08 Nebraska Swimming and Diving Media Guides, Posters and Schedule Cards Now Available

The 2007-08 Nebraska swimming and diving media guide is available for purchase through Huskers Authentic, which is located across the street from Memorial Stadium in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage. The media guide cost is $3 (does not include shipping and handling). To order by phone, call Huskers Authentic at 1-800-965-8674. Posters are free and can also be obtained by calling Huskers Authentic, while schedule cards can be sent by contacting the Nebraska Media Relations Office at (402) 472-0694.

 

The media guide offers a comprehensive look at the 2007-08 Husker swimming and diving team, including season outlooks, biographies, history and records.

 

To view the 2007-08 Nebraska swimming and diving guide on the Internet, go to swimming and diving page on Huskers.com and click “Media Guide” on the left side of page.