Arkansas Women Top Illinois, Continue Non-Conference Win Streak

Arkansas vs. Illinois

• Results
• Hosted by Illinois
• Saturday, January 7th
• 25 yards
• Dual meet format

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

• Arkansas – 179
• Illinois – 118

Madison Strathman recorded three wins, and Jessie Garrison, Olivia Weekley, Chelsea Tatlow registered two victories of their own, as the Arkansas Razorbacks women topped the Illinois Fighting Illini to tally their 24th consecutive non-conference win.  After posting the fastest breaststroke and butterfly splits in the medley relay, Strathman and Weekley dominated their individual stroke events, with Strathman winning the 100 breaststroke by nearly 2.5 seconds (1:04.14), and Weekley taking the 100 fly by nearly 1.5 seconds (55.67).  Strathman also took the 200 breast by nearly two seconds (2:19.39).

The host Illini didn’t make it win easy, however, winning four of the five individual freestyle events (each by different people):

• Gabby Bethke took the 50 freestyle in 24.43
• Audrey Rodawig came back to win the 100 freestyle in 52.72
• Amelia Schilling put together a great third 50 to win the 200 in 1:52.47, holding off Arkansas’ Aiden Lister (1:52.62)
• Monica Guyett pulled away over the final 200 to win the 500 in 4:58.79

Press Release – Arkansas

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For the 24th consecutive non-conference meet, the Arkansas swimming and diving program (2-3) defeated its adversary, winning Saturday morning against the Illinois Fighting Illini 179-118.

Arkansas took home 11 first place finishes in the 16 event meet. The Razorbacks earned two of the top three spots in 12 different events, sweeping the top three in the 100 backstroke, 1m and 3m dives.

Molly Harvie (273.52) and Nicole Gillis (267.98) finished first and second in the one-meter springboard event, both recording NCAA Zone scores. It marked Gillis’ 11th zone score of the year, while Harvie recorded her third.

The duo also took the top two spots in the 3m dive with Harvie, garnering the first place spot (263.70) and Gillis claiming second (263.10).

In the 200 butterfly, Jessie Garrison touched first with a time of 2:01.07, setting an ARC pool record. Her time is the fourth fastest by an Arkansas swimmer this season in the event. She also took home the 200 IM title with a time of 2:04.65.

Two other Arkansas swimmers won multiple individual events. Madison Strathman captured the 100 (1:04.14) and 200 breaststroke (2:19.39) titles, while Chelsea Tatlow claimed the 100 (56.88) and 200 backstroke (2:02.91) events.

Arkansas now holds a 2-0 record over the Illini after defeating Illinois 187-10 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, last season.

UP NEXT
Arkansas will participate in a quad-meet against Vanderbilt, Houston and Clemson on Friday, Jan. 20-21. The swim events will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, while the diving events will be held in Clemson, South Carolina.

For more information on Arkansas Swimming and Diving, follow @RazorbackSD on Twitter.

Press Release – Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois swimming and diving team fell to Arkansas on Saturday, 179-118. With the loss, the Fighting Illini fall to 6-2 on the season.

“We knew we were probably going to have a lot of ups and downs, which we did, coming off our training trip,” said head coach Sue Novitsky. “We haven’t had a day off in 10 days or so. We know they are pretty tired. The big focus was their attitude coming in, and seeing who would step up and race.”

Senior Amelia Schilling won the first event for the Illini, placing first in the 200 free with a time of 1:52.47. In the 50 free, junior Gabrielle Bethke won the event with a time of 24.43. Senior Audrey Rodawig added a victory in the 100 free, and freshman Monica Guyett won the 500 free.

Illinois closed out the meet in style, with the 400 free relay team of senior Gabbie Stecker, Rodawig, Bethke and Schilling winning the last event with a time of 3:29.18.

“We are pretty tired, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Novitsky said. “Now it’s about working with our younger swimmers, trying to keep them cool when the pressure is on a little bit more. With our upperclassmen, just keep working those details. They have been in this situation before; they know these next few weeks are going to be really tiring. We have just got to accept it, stay in the moment, and take it day-by-day.”

Up Next

The Illini will head to South Bend, Indiana, to take on Iowa and Notre Dame over the course of Thursday and Friday, January 12-13. The Orange and Blue will then head home to host Iowa State on Saturday, January 14.