Wildcats Host Illinois, Rutgers in Home Opener

10/27/2016 2:23:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

EVANSTON, Ill. — The Northwestern women's swimming and diving program will compete at the Norris Aquatics Center for the first time this season when it hosts in-state foe Illinois and Rutgers in a Big Ten Triple Dual Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Wildcats opened the 2016-17 campaign with three wins at the Chicago Quad-Dual last weekend, including victories over host Chicago, UIC and Olivet Nazarene. Chicago's Big Ten Team won 14 of 16 events and broke two pool records - sophomore Olivia Rosendahl from the 1-meter board and freshman Valerie Gruest Slowing in the 1,000 free.

In addition to Slowing's three first-place finishes, the freshmen class contributed six more top-three finishes including a win by Malorie Han in the 100 free.

ROSENDAHL GARNERS BIG TEN HONOR
Sophomore diver Olivia Rosendahl set a Myers-McLoraine Pool record in the 1M springboard at Chicago last Saturday with a score of 314.18 and also claimed the 3M springboard at 308.03 to earn her second career Big Ten Diver of the Week award. Rosendahl won the award once in addition to six Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors last season in which she went on to become the first All-American diver in program history with a fourth-place finish on the platform at the NCAA Championships.

SLOWING MAKES A SPLASH IN DEBUT
Freshman Valerie Gruest Slowing made her collegiate debut for the Wildcats last weekend by setting a Myers-McLoraine Pool record in the 1,000 free with a time of 10:01.06. Slowing's became the eighth fastest Wildcat in program history in the 1,000 free setting up an afternoon that saw her also win the 200 fly (2:04.21) and the 200 back (2:03.76). The freshman competed in the 400 and 800 freestyle at the 2016 Olympics for the Guatemalan national team.

FRESHMEN MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT
In addition to Slowing's big day, six other NU freshmen made their debut and made a difference in the three wins. The Class of 2020 racked up nine top-three finishes, highlighted by a win in the 100 free by Malorie Han. Nicole Aarts finished second in the 200 back, Sandra Freeman posted two third-place marks in the 200 fly and 200 individiual medley and Krystal Lara finished third in the 100 and 200 back.

SWEEPING THE BOARDS
Rosendahl swept the springboard competitions, but teammates Janicia Ng, Eryn Scannell and Mashal Hashem helped Chicago's Big Ten Team sweep the events. Ng set a new career high and hit a zone diving standard in the 1-meter to finish second with a 269.33. Scannell set a career high on the 3-meter board with a 273.75 to finish second and posted a third-place finish on the 1-meter with a 250.95. Hashem completed the clean sweep for the 'Cats with a 248.93 from 3 meters to finish third in the event.