Session 6: Huskers Head Toward Title During Sunday Prelims

Lincoln ? Nebraska took another step toward the Husker Invitational title by qualifying 21 swimmers for the A and B Finals during Sunday morning’s Session 6 prelims at the Devaney Natatorium.

 

The Huskers won three of the four preliminary races as they enter Sunday afternoon’s finals session with a 166-point lead on second-place ColoradoState.

 

Junior Jenna Stroud will take six NU swimmers into the 100-yard freestyle A Finals, as her time of 52.72 led the field by one-tenth of a second over second-place Frances Calzada of IowaState (52.82). Competing with Stroud will be junior Jenny Toler (4th, 52.93), freshman Kelsey Grushecky (5th, 53.36), senior Lynn Siemert (6th, 53.43), freshman Jess Andrews (8th, 53.65) and sophomore Hailey Dean (10th, 53.79).

 

After finishing fourth in Saturday’s 100-yard breaststroke prelims, sophomore Kaitlin Arntz dominated Sunday’s 200-yard breaststroke with the No. 1 time of 2:24.22. Arntz’ mark was more than two seconds ahead of the competition, as IowaState’s Marni Benson was the next fastest-finisher in 2:26.52. She will be one of three Husker sophomores in the A Final as Colleen Criss (4th, 2:27.03) and Hailey Dean (8th, 2:29.97) also achieved top-10 preliminary times.

 

Sophomore Mariah Hutchinson ended the morning session with a season-best time and top mark in the 200-yard butterfly of 2:04.42. ColoradoState’s Nora Kennedy (2nd, 2:06.33) was the only competitor that prevented a 1-2-3 Husker finish as freshmen Kelsey Grushecky (2:06.65) and Blaine Hoppenrath (2:08.43) finished third and fourth.

 

Sunday’s finals session that will conclude the Husker Invitational begins at 2 p.m.