Wildcats to Open 2017-18 Campaign with a Pair of Dual Meets

Friday, October 20

Evanston, Ill.

4 p.m.

Northwestern

Georgia

Photo by: Walt Middleton

Wildcats to Open 2017-18 Campaign with a Pair of Dual Meets

10/19/2017 2:34:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING: MEET INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	LIVE Results
Friday, Oct. 20	#4 Georgia	4 p.m.	Norris Aquatics Center	Live Results
Saturday, Oct. 21	Georgia Tech	10 a.m.	Norris Aquatics Center	Live Results

EVANSTON, Ill. — The Northwestern women's swimming and diving program will host No. 4 Georgia on and Georgia Tech on back-to-back days inside the Norris Aquatics Center to kick off the third season under head coach Abby Steketee.

The Wildcats open the season on Friday, Oct. 20 versus the fourth-ranked Bulldogs at 4 p.m., before playing host to the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. Admission to the events at the Norris Aquatics Center is free and fans are encouraged to park in the North Garage of the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion.

Northwestern enters its third season under head coach Abby Steketee looking to build on a 21st-place performance at last seasons NCAA Championships, which saw diver Olivia Rosendahl claim the program's first-ever individual national championship in the platform. The 'Cats welcome back 22 members from last year's roster and welcome nine first-year students.

Rosendahl went on to capture the 10-meter at the 2017 USA Diving National Championships and will look to add to her already long-list of accomplishments that includes three All-America honors in her first two seasons.

"Really, really excited," Steketee said. "We're in week seven of training, so they are certainly ready for any event that is thrown at them. For some of our first years, it's their first time swimming in short-course yards, so they're automatically going to get personal bests, so that is pretty exciting. Definitely gnawing at the bit and ready to go. One of our values is challenge, so taking on challenges like Georgia and Georgia Tech shows a lot about the spirit of our team and that we really back up what we say."

One of the eight seniors returning for the 'Cats is Mary Warren, who finished third or better in the 50 free in every meet last season. Warren finished third at the Big Ten Championships with a career-best 22.46 and also posted career-best times in 100 free (49.72) and 100 fly (54.71).

Also returning to the Wildcats this season is junior Peyton Greenberg after a tremendous showing at the 2017 Maccabiah Games. Greenberg was slowed by illness late in last season, but bounced back and earned a pair of silver medals in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the Maccabiah Games in Isreal in July.

The Wildcats welcome nine first-year swimmers and divers, including students from Australia, Greece, Kenya and Singapore, as well as five from the United States. Becky Kamau (Nairobi, Kenya) and Ilektra Lebl (Athens, Greece) competed at the 2017 World Championships last summer in Budapest, while Sophie Angus (Weston, Conneticut) captured a bronze and silver medal at the Canadian Nationals.