Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Has High Hopes for Big Ten Championships
2/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 14, 2006
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern enters the 2005-06 Big Ten Championships with a number of high seeds and tall expectations, aiming for its first Big Ten championships since 2002.
The Wildcats are led in 2006 by sophomore Andrea Hupman (Lawrenceville, Ga./Brookwood), who is seeded first in the 100 free, second in the 200 free and fourth in the 50 free.
Hupman finished second in the 100 and 200 freestyle events last season, earning NCAA automatic qualifying times in both.
Also entering the weekend with an excellent chance at picking up her first Big Ten title is freshman diver Chelsea Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), who comes into competition with the top-ranked scores on the 1- and 3-meter boards according to the Big Ten.
The freshman is a three-time Big Ten Diver of the Week honoree in her rookie season, and already has set Northwestern's school records in both the 1- and 3-meter events.
She is joined on the boards by junior Leanne Dumais (Ventura, Calif./Buena), who set the Northwestern record on the 1-meter board earlier in the year before Davis broke her teammate's mark.
Also earning top-16 seeds for Northwestern are senior Katie Paglini (Chicago, Ill./Latin School), sophomore Katie Braun (Edina, Minn./Edina), sophomore Jessie Bailis (Omaha, Neb./Millard North) and freshman Hayley Fry (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar).
Paglini is No. 7 in the 200 back, No. 8 in the 200 IM and No. 11 in the 100 back. Braun also has at trio of top-16 seeds, coming in at No. 9 in the 200 fly, No. 12 in the 100 fly and No. 14 in the 200 IM.
Bailis rates as No. 10 in the 100 breast, while Fry is No. 13 in the 200 breast and No. 14 in the 100 breast.
The Northwestern relays could be the Wildcats' most surprising performers of the meet.
"Our seeds are not very high this year," NU head coach Jimmy Tierney said. "Things have been coming together very well, though. We expect to move up and finish a lot higher than we come in. Our 400 medley and 200 free relays should be our best in the meet."
For Northwestern's complete preview of the Big Ten Championships, click on the link at the top of this page. For complete Championships coverage, including live results, link to ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
