Session 7: Nebraska Wins Husker Invitational Championship

Lincoln ?Nebraska concluded it’s most exciting and busy week in recent years as it was crowned the 2007 Husker Invitational champions Sunday afternoon at the Devaney Natatorium to end a four-day meet that marked the longest home competition in school history.

 

The Huskers won 17 of 21 total events en route to capturing Nebraska’s first invitational title since 2000. The Big Red began a strong run on Friday night to take an immense lead over the six-team field that it would not relinquish, with the Huskers pulling away from second-place Colorado State to defeat the Rams by 281 points (1,519-1,238) by the end of Sunday’s seventh and final session.

 

The meet concluded with freshman Kelsey Grushecky winning the 200-yard butterfly in a time of 2:04.52, while sophomore Mariah Hutchinson finished second in 2:05.91. It was Grushecky’s second victory of the Husker Invitational after she also won Saturday’s 100 butterfly. Three Huskers matched Grushecky’s two-win meet total in freshman Julie Giehl (200 and 500 freestyle), sophomore Hailey Dean (200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke) and junior Courtney Jolly (one- and three-meter dive).

 

Sophomore Kaitlin Arntz gave Nebraska its second win in Sunday’s five-event finals schedule as the Omaha, Neb., native took the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 2:23.75. Dean was runner-up in 2:23.91.

 

Sunday’s competition also included the platform dive, where Jolly finished runner-up (214.35) behind IowaState’s Tien Tran (236.75). It was the second-straight week that the Husker divers competed on the platform after participating at the Minnesota Diving Invitational last week (Nov. 9-11).

 

The end of the Husker Invitational concludes a long homestand for Nebraska that saw the Huskers swim five of their first six regular-season meets in the friendly confines of the Devaney Natatorium. Nebraska is 6-0 in dual meets, with its next home competition coming Feb. 2 against Big 12 opponent IowaState, who finished third in the Husker Invitational with 1,013 points.

 

Nebraska will travel to the highly-touted Texas Invitational in Austin, Nov. 29-Dec. 1.