Honors & Awards

  • Team Captain (2022)
  • Nebraska Outstanding Scholar Award (2023)
  • Four Letters (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)
  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021; Spring 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award (2021)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

Senior (2021-22)
Rachel Powers was one of five Huskers that competed at the CSCAA Open Water Championships, where she finished 11th and helped Nebraska to a team victory. At the opening dual, Powers finished fourth in the 1,000-yard free and fifth in the 200 medley relay. The fifth-year senior from Sun Prairie, Wis. followed that up with a third-place swim in the 200 freestyle and fifth-place finish in the 500 freestyle in the dual against Iowa.

The Mizzou Invitational (Nov. 17-19) was highlighted by an 11th-place finish in the 1,650 freestyle (17:01.70) for Powers. To wrap up dual season, she provided a pair of top-five finishes in the 1650 freestyle for the Huskers against Illinois and Rutgers.

At her final Big Ten Championships, Rachel cruised to a top-20 finish in the 1,650 freestyle with a 16:42.62.

2020-21 (Redshirt)
A leader in and out of the pool for the Huskers, senior Powers took a redshirt season for the Huskers in 2020-21. Powers hopes to return as a fifth-year senior in 2021-22 to lead a deep and talented distance freestyle corps. Powers was a top-16 finisher in the 1,650 freestyle at the 2020 Big Ten Championships.

2019-20 (Junior)
Powers finished 15th in a career-best time of 16:36.40 at the 2020 Big Ten Championships, cutting nearly 13 seconds off her previous career best in the event to cap her junior season. She also posted a career-best time of 10:17.17 in the 1,000 free on her way to a second-place showing in a dual against Kansas earlier in the season. She represented Nebraska at the Big Ten Championships in the 500 free (56th, 4:57.56) and the 200 free (78th, 1:52.87). During the season, Powers produced 12 top-five individual finishes, including three victories and three more runner-up performances. All three of her wins came in the 1,000 free in team dual victories over Northern Iowa, Omaha and Illinois. In the classroom, Powers was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season.

2018-19 (Sophomore)
Powers provided a solid sophomore season, earning five top-five finishes in distance freestyle events, including a victory in the 1,000 free against Iowa State in a then-career-best time of 10:24.49. At the Hawkeye Invite, she finished seventh in the 1,650 free and 28th in the 200 free. Competing at the Big Ten Championships in three events, Powers finished 30th in the 1,650 free, 56th in the 500 free and 70th in the 200 free. Outside the pool, she was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and claimed Academic All-Big Ten honors. 

2017-18 (Freshman)
Powers made an impact in her first year as a Husker, racking up 10 top-five finishes, including one victory. She set three career bests, with one coming at the 2018 Big Ten Championships. At the conference meet, she posted her top finish in the 1,650 free, while also setting a career best in the 500-yard freestyle (4:52.60) to take 43rd. Her second career best came at the Mizzou Invite in the 200 free (1:50.73). She also competed in the 500 free, earning eighth place at Mizzou with a time of 4:53.73. Powers also got off to a strong start in the classroom, claiming spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters of 2017-18. 

Previous
Powers was named Wisconsin Female Swimmer of the Year for three years. She was team captain and WIAA High School All-State throughout her high school career. The seven-time All-State and five-time honorable-mention All-State selection aided Sun Prairie High School to the WIAA High School State meet her senior year. Powers placed in the top eight five times and came to Nebraska after winning the 500 freestyle title at the WIAA High School Championships.  She holds WIAA records in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles, 200-yard individual medley. While swimming for her club team, Powers won the 400 free at the Wisconsin 2016 Summer Long Course State Meet. She also swept the 500 free, 1,000 free and the mile free, taking first at the Wisconsin 2017 Winter Short Course State Meet. Powers was a member of Sun Prairie’s honor roll and earned the Academic Excellence Award all four years. She also graduated with high honors.  

Personal 
The daughter of Margaret and Tim Powers, Rachel was born Aug. 22, 1998, in Sun Prairie, Wis. She has an older sister, Sarah, and an older brother, Luke. An elementary education major, Rachel earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2022. She was a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She earned 10 appearances on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She claimed a Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award in 2021 and was a five-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She chose Nebraska over Missouri.


 Career-Best Times

Event Times Meet (Date)
100 Free 53.83 Rutgers (2022)
200 Free 1:50.73 Mizzou Invitational (2017)
500 Free 4:52.60 Big Ten Championships (2018)
1,000 Free 10:17.17 Kansas (2019)
1,650 Free 16:36.40 Big Ten Championships (2020)