Olivia Swalley Wins Three Times as Iowa Edges Illinois

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Olivia Swalley Wins Three Times as Iowa Edges Illinois

Olivia Swalley won three individual races and a relay as Iowa edged Illinois, 166.5-133.5, in a dual meet Friday afternoon.

Swalley clocked in at 1:03.48 to capture the 100 breaststroke. She surged late to hold off a push from Illinois’s Sara Jass in winning the 200 breast in 2:16.86. Then she put the meet out of reach for the Hawkeyes with the top time in the 400 individual medley at 4:12.54.

Swalley was part of Iowa’s winning 400 medley relay to start the match. She teamed with Kennedy Gilbertson, Scarlet Martin and Jenna Kerr to post a time of 3:45.54.

Gilbertson was responsible for the most consequential swing of the meet in Champaign when she won the 100 backstroke. She went 56.23 seconds to get to the wall first, and teammates Annie Galvin and Hope Schimming followed in the 57-mids for a 1-2-3 result. Galvin was second and Schimming third in the 200 back.

Gilbertson led off Iowa’s winning 400 free relay with Kerr, Sabina Kupcova and Martin. Kerr won the 500 free in a 1-2-3 result. She was second in the 200 free, a spot ahead of Kupcova, the 100 free runner-up. Martin did the fly double, going 2:01.95 in the 200 and 54.74 in the 100. Iowa went 1-2 in both diving events, Makayla Hughbanks scoring 356.93 to dominate on 3-meter and finished second to teammate Sarah Ballard’s 303.38 on the lower board.

Illinois’s sprinters nearly hauled it back into the meet. The Illini took the top four spots in the 50 free, led by Laurel Bludgen’s time of 23.76. Second was Lily Olson, who won the 100 free in 51.73. Sydney Stoll won the 200 free, an event after Adelaide Reaser prevailed in the 1,000 free, then added a win in the 200 back. Jass was second in the 200 breast and 400 IM. Reaser was third in the 400 IM, as was Bludgen in the 100 free.

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