Kansas Drops First Dual Meet at Illinois, 109-191

Thursday, October 10

Champaign, Ill.

5 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

109

191

Illinois

LAWRENCE, KS - October 4, 2024 - Shiyun Lai during Sunflower Showdown in Robinson Center in Lawrence, Kansas. Photo by Emma Crouch/Kansas Athletics

Kansas Drops First Dual Meet at Illinois, 109-191

10/10/2024 7:01:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Kansas women's swimming and diving team dropped its first dual meet of the season, 109-191 against Illinois at ARC Pool on Thursday night.

"It was a tough meet for us," said KU head coach Clark Campbell. "Illinois was well prepared and ready. When on the road, it's about being comfortable while uncomfortable. This was a good lesson moving forward."

Action in Champaign kicked off with the 200-yard medley relay, which featured three Illinois teams and four Kansas teams. The Jayhawks took third in the event with a time of 1:44.42, thanks to the efforts of Lezli Sisung, Ryan Johnston, Anna Gearhart and Caroline Blake.

Senior captain Eleni Kotzamanis was next to contribute for Kansas, racing a time of 1:50.90 to finish in first place of the 200-yard freestyle and clearing second place by 1.20 seconds. Following Kotzamanis' victory was the 100-yard backstroke, which was won by fellow captain senior Ellie Howe. Howe posted a time of 56.47 for the first-place finish.

Following her third-place contribution in the 200-yard medley relay to kick off the event, Johnston notched a second-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.32.

The 200-yard butterfly was next up for Kansas, resulting in a second-place finish by freshman Maya Lambert (2:08.50) and a third-place finish by junior Hailey Farrell (2:08.53).

Blake then toed the block for the 50-yard freestyle, claiming first place after racing a time of 23.52. Directly after, Blake got right back to work, this time in the 100-yard freestyle. Blake added more points to the Jayhawk total, swimming a time of 52.89 to finish in third.

Sisung was next on the podium for Kansas, finishing in third place of the 200-yard backstroke event after racing a time of 2:06.38. The 200-yard breaststroke followed, resulting in a second-place finish for Johnston (2:20.48), who finished second in the 100-yard event earlier in the night.

Kotzamanis was back on the board for Kansas, finishing third in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:06.71. Gearhart followed suit, finishing third in the 100-yard butterfly at 57.79 right after.

The 200-yard IM trailed and was highlighted by a third-place finish from senior captain Addi Barnes, who raced a time of 2:09.01.

The final swimming event of the night was the 400-yard freestyle relay. The Kansas A relay team of Blake, Izzy Satterlee, Izzy Porter and Kotzamanis grinded out a second-place finish after posting a time of 3:30.40.

On the diving side, sophomore Shiyun Lai continued her collegiate dominance in the three-meter diving event, finishing in first place with 327.83 points. Her teammate, Lize van Leeuwen, followed directly behind and in second place with 288.98 points. Lai completed the sweep against Illinois, taking first in the one-meter event after compiling 302.93 points.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will head back to Lawrence for the Alumni Meet at Robinson Natatorium, starting at 3:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 18.