Northwestern University Athletics
2002 Swimming and Diving Season in Review
5/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
May 14, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - With a young but experienced team in the pool for the Northwestern women's swimming and diving squad this season, the Wildcats finished fourth in the Big Ten and once again sent a handful of swimmers to the NCAA Championships. Seventeen underclassman were listed on the roster, but head coach Jimmy Tierney did not dare call this a rebuilding year.
NU went 4-3-1 in dual competition this season, with the tie coming against an Indiana team coached by Tierney's sister Dorsey in the first meet of the year. With wins over No. 24 Minnesota and No. 17 Michigan, the Wildcats saw their national ranking climb as high as No. 16 heading into the championship portion of the season.
In Tierney's eight years at the helm of the 'Cats, no Northwestern team has finished lower than fourth at the conference championships. After three days of competition in Ann Arbor, Mich., this past February, the Wildcats were in sixth place and in danger of breaking Tierney's streak. However, senior Merritt Adams (Norcross, Ga./The Lovett School) made sure she did not leave that legacy at NU, winning the 200 butterfly for the second time in her career on the final day with the second-best time in school history (1:58.73). NU earned a total of 62 points in the 200 fly, giving the 'Cats the extra push they needed to make it into the top four.
Six swimmers earned the right to extend their season in extra weekend by qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Three flyers received automatic bids throughout the season, while a backstroker, breaststroker and freestyler were given at-large bids and made the trip south to Austin, Texas in late March.
Adams continued her success with a 14th-place finish in the 200 fly, earning her fourth All-America honor-all in different events. Adams was the only Wildcat to score during the meet, as NU's other top flyer Carmen Cosgrove (Perth, Western Australia/Lumen Christi College) was hit with the flu during the weekend. An All-America transfer from Nebraska, Cosgrove posted the fastest time in the 100 fly for the 'Cats at Georgia with an NCAA 'A' time of 54.21. She also had the second-fastest time in the 100 freestyle this season and third-fastest in the 50 free.
Illinois native Rachel Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) was the third flyer to receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs. Johnson also earned her ticket against Georgia with an NCAA 'A' time in the 200 fly (1:59.56), second this season only to Adams' time at nationals.
2001 Big Ten Champion Vicky West (Redlands, Calif./Redlands) made her second straight appearance at NCAAs in the distance events. West holds NU's record in the 1,650 and competed in the 500 and 1,650 in Austin. West scored in both those events at Big Tens.
Susie Sample (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) has qualified for NCAAs every year of her career thus far. The junior placed sixth in the 200 backstroke at Big Tens with a 1:59.31 and was given an at-large bid to the NCAAs.
Sophomore Katie Simmons (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) was the only new face at NCAAs this season for the 'Cats, as the breaststroker competed in both the 100 and 200. Simmons placed first a total of 10 times in the breaststroke events throughout the year and took home fifth in the 200 at Big Tens.
In the diving well, freshman Ashley Carter (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) made the biggest splash for NU. The 5-2 diver was NU's top placer for the 'Cats on both boards in all but two meets, including a first-place honor on the 1-meter against Minnesota. Carter's season was cut short when she suffered a head injury at diving zones prior to the NCAA Championships.
With only four graduating seniors, the Wildcats will return 23 letterwinners next season with the goal to send a larger contingent of 'Cats to nationals.
