Huskers Soar Over Cyclones, 190-108

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln ? On Senior Day for fourth-year swimmers Adrienne Goodman and Lynn Siemert, Nebraska used one of its best performances of the season in a dominating 190-108 win over IowaState at the Devaney Natatorium Saturday afternoon.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

With the victory, the Huskers improved to 7-1 on the season, while also earning their first conference win of the year to move to 1-1 in Big 12 action heading into next week’s contest at No. 18 Missouri.

 

Despite not swimming a regular season home competition since November, Nebraska had no problems picking up the momentum, as the Huskers took the top two spots in seven of the first nine events.

 

“Whenever you finish a season at home like this; it’s great,” head coach Pablo Morales said. “We’ve had Senior Day’s in the past that didn’t turn out so well in terms of the end result, so you have to appreciate what happened today and how well we swam.” 

 

The Huskers won 11 of 16 events overall, including a pair in the diving well from junior Courtney Jolly. Prior to Jolly’s one-meter victory, Siemert won the 50-yard freestyle (24.16) as part of five-straight Nebraska wins.

 

The streak began when sophomores Hailey Dean and Mariah Hutchinson won the 100 breaststroke (1:05.02) and 200 butterfly (2:04.50), while junior Jenny Toler capped the run in the 100 freestyle (52.60).

 

Iowa State responded with a pair of wins, before freshman Julie Giehl won the 500 freestyle (5:02.20). Jolly’s three-meter win and a victory from junior Christina Yemm in 200 individual medley (2:09.14) rounded out Nebraska’s fifth-straight victory over the Cyclones.

 

Nebraska’s hot start on Senior Day 2008 began with a season-best winning time in 200 medley relay, before freshmen Brandie Kavalec (1,650 freestyle, 17:32.26) and Kelsey Grushecky (200 freestyle, 1:52.96) followed with victories.

 

“This meet was very encouraging,” Morales said. “We’ve taken a step or two since Christmas training and we’re a lot better than we were (two weeks ago) in Lawrence. We’re making improvement and our objective is to continue to build on that.”

 

Nebraska rounds out the regular season schedule on the road Feb. 9, as it travels to No. 18 Missouri to take on the Tigers at 1 p.m.