Huskers Fall to Illini

Champaign, Ill.- The Nebraska swimming and diving team was defeated by Illinois Saturday afternoon in its final regular season Big Ten dual-meet of 2014-15.  Illinois downed the Huskers 171-129, despite multiple victories from Taryn Collura and Anna Filipcic.

Collura captured two victories for the Huskers.  Collura raced to a first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle posting a time of 23.69.  Collura's second victory came in the 100-yard freestyle swimming to a first-place time of 51.89.

Nebraska's second multiple event winner, Filipcic, captured her victories in the diving well.  Filipcic earned her first victory in the one-meter dive (316.87) and her second victory in the three-meter dive (325.28).

Nebraska as a unit had a strong day in the diving well.  Nicole Schwery earned two runner-up finishes for the Huskers.  Schwery posted a score of 288.67 in the one-meter dive and a score of 286.50 in the three-meter event.  Nebraska swept the top-three spots in the three-meter dive, with Francesca Giganti earning a third-place finish posting a score of 273.45.

Katt Sickle also had a strong day for the Huskers.  Sickle captured a victory in the 1,000-yard freestyle racing to a time of 10:22.71.  Sickle added a second-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (5:01.13) and a third-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.10) for the Huskers.

Erin Oeltjen captured another victory for the Huskers in the 200-yard backstroke.  Oeltjen swam to a first-place time of 2:04.23.

Nebraska had a strong showing in the 100-yard backstroke with Jacqueline Juffer and Cassie Brassard capturing the second- and third-place spots respectively.  Juffer earned second with a time of 56.78, while Brassard came in third with a 57.51 time.

Jordan Ehly was strong for the Huskers in the breaststroke events, earning two runner-up finishes.  Ehly captured second-place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:07.68, while her second runner-up finish came in the 200-yard breaststroke posting a time of 2:22.76.

Alex Bilunas and Bria Deveaux also were strong contributors for the Huskers against Illinois.  Bilunas earned a second-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.15.  Deveaux captured a second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (52.26) and a third-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (57.28).

In the relay events, the Huskers raced to a victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay.  The team of Bilunas, Oeltjen, Deveaux and Collura finished in a time of 1:35.57.  The Huskers also secured a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay.  The team of Juffer, Ehly, Deveaux and Collura posted a time of 1:45.39

Nebraska will return home for their regular season finale Friday, Jan. 30 and Saturday, Jan. 31, to take on Washington State. The two-day event will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday and continue at 10 a.m. Saturday.  The Huskers will then begin postseason competition competing at the Big Ten Championships Feb. 18-21, in Columbus, Ohio.  Check back in to Huskers.com for any and all updates regarding the Nebraska swimming and diving team.