Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, October 24
Chicago, Ill.
1 p.m.
Northwestern
at
Chicago
Wildcats Set to Begin 2015-16 Season with Quad Meet
10/23/2015 8:52:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
By: Preston Michelson
NUSports.com
EVANSTON, Ill. — Newness abounds with the women's swimming and diving program. Under first-year head coach Abby Steketee, the Wildcats are set to being the 2015-16 season on Saturday in Chicago.
"We're the kind of team that, anywhere and anytime, we're going to be able to race," said Steketee, who graduated from Northwestern in 2003. "Whether it's our home pool, whether it's the pool in Chicago, whether it's Big Tens in Michigan, we're going to have our wits about us."
Northwestern will face off against Chicago, UIC and Denison and the meet is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Senior Julianne Kurke (Parkview/Atlanta, Ga.), the team's top breaststroker, returns for her final season with the Wildcats.
"She has set a phenomenal example of what it means to work hard in practice," Steketee said. "She's gotten faster and stronger every week."
Last year, Kurke ranked first on the Wildcats' top times in both the 100 and 200 breast events. She also broke the NU school record with the 200 medley relay at the Big Ten Championships.
Steketee would love for a repeat performance from Kurke, and the rest of the swimmers, at Big Tens in late February. That's when she's guiding the team to peak.
The team will do that through their training plan, working on pace and varying between crescendoing and tapering in intensity.
By having a peak at Big Tens, the goal is that Northwestern will qualify their individuals for the NCAA Tournament in March.
This season has the added storyline of preceding the 2016 Summer Olympics. Swimmers have already qualified for Olympic trials, and others are on the way.
"With any year, you have your long-term plan, and the trick is to stay in the moment and focus on what you can control," Steketee said. "In any year, at a program like Northwestern, we're going to have international competitions."
In these first seven weeks since practices started, the team has made big improvements and fitness gains, according to Steketee. They're ready for the season to get underway.
The junior sprint freestyler, Annika Winsnes (Singapore/United World College) is poised to set even more career-best times this season, after breaking personal records in all three sprint freestyle races last season.
"Annika will attack any workout, no complaints," said Steketee. "She elevates the focus in practice and she comes to training with intention."
Northwestern's top backstroker last season, junior Lacey Locke (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), has been a moral leader for the squad.
"She brings positive energy around the team, getting people involved with the Athletic Department and helping with recruiting," said Steketee.
Locke led the Wildcats last season in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM and also broke the Northwestern school record with the 200 medley relay at the Big Ten Championships.
Senior Ellen Anderson (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg) has continued to work hard in practice leading up to the season. She ranked in NU's top times list in five different events following last year.
Another senior, Julia Pratt (Vincennes, Ind./Vincennes Rivet), has had "intensity and a competitive spirit in practice." Last season, she spent almost all of her time in the 50 free before stepping up in the sprint butterfly late in the season.
In terms of the divers, freshman Olivia Rosendahl (Los Angeles, Calif./Immaculate Heart) has already been impressive, even before her collegiate career has started. She won a bronze medal and earned another top-10 finish at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju City, South Korea this summer.
"She has a lot of joy," Steketee said about Rosendahl. "She's serious and focused but it's clear she's passionate about diving."
Since she has taken over, Steketee has focused the team on building relationships and building character. She wants the program to be about more than just swimming.
"It's about passion," she said. "Don't be in that grey twilight of sorta-kinda-maybe. No matter what you're doing, go after it with your whole self."
This season, Steketee is joined by Kyle Berg, the assistant coach for the women's swimming and diving program. Her husband and Northwestern alumnus, Steve Steketee, joins the team has a volunteer assistant coach.
"They're excited to race. They're eager," said Steketee. "They're definitely hungry."
NUSports.com
EVANSTON, Ill. — Newness abounds with the women's swimming and diving program. Under first-year head coach Abby Steketee, the Wildcats are set to being the 2015-16 season on Saturday in Chicago.
"We're the kind of team that, anywhere and anytime, we're going to be able to race," said Steketee, who graduated from Northwestern in 2003. "Whether it's our home pool, whether it's the pool in Chicago, whether it's Big Tens in Michigan, we're going to have our wits about us."
Northwestern will face off against Chicago, UIC and Denison and the meet is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Senior Julianne Kurke (Parkview/Atlanta, Ga.), the team's top breaststroker, returns for her final season with the Wildcats.
"She has set a phenomenal example of what it means to work hard in practice," Steketee said. "She's gotten faster and stronger every week."
Last year, Kurke ranked first on the Wildcats' top times in both the 100 and 200 breast events. She also broke the NU school record with the 200 medley relay at the Big Ten Championships.
Steketee would love for a repeat performance from Kurke, and the rest of the swimmers, at Big Tens in late February. That's when she's guiding the team to peak.
The team will do that through their training plan, working on pace and varying between crescendoing and tapering in intensity.
By having a peak at Big Tens, the goal is that Northwestern will qualify their individuals for the NCAA Tournament in March.
This season has the added storyline of preceding the 2016 Summer Olympics. Swimmers have already qualified for Olympic trials, and others are on the way.
"With any year, you have your long-term plan, and the trick is to stay in the moment and focus on what you can control," Steketee said. "In any year, at a program like Northwestern, we're going to have international competitions."
In these first seven weeks since practices started, the team has made big improvements and fitness gains, according to Steketee. They're ready for the season to get underway.
The junior sprint freestyler, Annika Winsnes (Singapore/United World College) is poised to set even more career-best times this season, after breaking personal records in all three sprint freestyle races last season.
"Annika will attack any workout, no complaints," said Steketee. "She elevates the focus in practice and she comes to training with intention."
Northwestern's top backstroker last season, junior Lacey Locke (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), has been a moral leader for the squad.
"She brings positive energy around the team, getting people involved with the Athletic Department and helping with recruiting," said Steketee.
Locke led the Wildcats last season in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM and also broke the Northwestern school record with the 200 medley relay at the Big Ten Championships.
Senior Ellen Anderson (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg) has continued to work hard in practice leading up to the season. She ranked in NU's top times list in five different events following last year.
Another senior, Julia Pratt (Vincennes, Ind./Vincennes Rivet), has had "intensity and a competitive spirit in practice." Last season, she spent almost all of her time in the 50 free before stepping up in the sprint butterfly late in the season.
In terms of the divers, freshman Olivia Rosendahl (Los Angeles, Calif./Immaculate Heart) has already been impressive, even before her collegiate career has started. She won a bronze medal and earned another top-10 finish at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju City, South Korea this summer.
"She has a lot of joy," Steketee said about Rosendahl. "She's serious and focused but it's clear she's passionate about diving."
Since she has taken over, Steketee has focused the team on building relationships and building character. She wants the program to be about more than just swimming.
"It's about passion," she said. "Don't be in that grey twilight of sorta-kinda-maybe. No matter what you're doing, go after it with your whole self."
This season, Steketee is joined by Kyle Berg, the assistant coach for the women's swimming and diving program. Her husband and Northwestern alumnus, Steve Steketee, joins the team has a volunteer assistant coach.
"They're excited to race. They're eager," said Steketee. "They're definitely hungry."
••••••
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