Jan. 24, 2015 Final Stats
RENO, Nev. - The University of Nevada swimming and diving team shined on Senior Day, winning 11-of-16 events to hand San Jose State its first dual loss of the season. The Wolf Pack (8-1) started strong and never looked back en route to a 179.5-120.5 victory over the Spartans (6-1) Saturday at Lombardi Pool.
After honoring seniors Lauren Allen, Jocelin Drennan, Michelle Forman, Kaelie Reviglio and Luiza Vieira before the meet, Nevada went on to win 11 events and place two competitors in the top-three in 12 events.
Junior Yawen Li won three events while sophomores Teresa Baerens and Sita Kusserow each won two events. In the diving pool, junior Krysta Palmer won both events and set the program record in the 3-meter dive.
"Of all the meets we've had since I've been at Nevada, this one might've had the biggest concerted effort from the entire lineup," said head coach Abby Steketee. "We had only 16 student-athletes competing, but they really showed a depth of both talent and spirit."
While the meet was ongoing in the pool, Palmer - a local product from Carson City - quietly put on a clinic in both diving events. Palmer opened with a 340.35 in the 1-meter dive to place first by nearly 60 points. In her final dive, the 3-meter, Palmer obliterated Nevada's school record with a score of 415.58. Palmer's 3-meter score broke Candice Minette's seven-year standing record of 396.95. Palmer has won all eight dives she has competed in this season. Freshman Wendy Espina-Esquivel placed third in both dives in her Lombardi Pool debut.
The Wolf Pack opened the meet strong, claiming a first and third place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Freshman Jaeger Turner, sophomore Arantxa Medina-Alegria, Kusserow and Baerens finished in 1:44.86 to win by less than three-tenths over the Spartan's top relay team. The time was Nevada's second-best of the season.
Nevada won the next two events to take a commanding lead early in the meet. Li - who advanced to the NCAA Championships in three events last season - won the 1,000-yard freestyle in a time of 10:20.43. Freshman Emma Payne, who joined Nevada over the winter break from Cherrybrook, Australia, placed runner-up in 10:39.49. Payne also provided Nevada's top finish in the 50 free (24.47) to place second.
Baerens followed with her first win of the meet, claiming the 200-yard freestyle in 1:51.68. Freshman Josefin Eriksen tallied a second place finish in 1:53.90.
San Jose State won the 100-yard backstroke, but the Wolf Pack responded by winning four of the next five events. Medina-Alegria won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.97) while sophomore Riley Hilbrandt placed third (1:06.98). Lauren Allen, competing for the final time at Lombardi, added a lifetime best score in the 100 breast. Kusserow, a native of Buehl, Germany, tallied her first win in the next event, claiming the 200 fly in 2:05.56. Junior Erin Fuss placed runner-up in 2:08.16.
Nevada led 91.5-58.5 at the midway point of the meet, and Baerens added to that margin with a victory in the 100 free following the first intermission. Baerens touched the wall in 51.49, marking Nevada's second-best time in the event this season. Eriksen and Turner placed second (2:04.15) and third (2:06.11) in the 200-yard backstroke before Li added to Nevada's advantage with a victory in the 200-yard breaststroke. Li won by nearly five seconds with a time of 2:18.85.
Nevada picked up two more first place finishes from its standouts Li and Kusserow. With a time of 56.99, Kusserow won the 100-yard butterfly by over a second. Li tallied her third win of the night, finishing the 200-yard IM in 2:04.76.
In the final event of the night, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Nevada capped a memorable meet with a first place finish. Payne, Kusserow, Turner and Baerens won by over four seconds with a time of 3:28.95.
"I'd like to thank everyone that came to the pool today," said Steketee. "We have great fans from across Reno, the athletic department and university. The fans provided a great atmosphere today."
The Wolf Pack will close the regular season Saturday, Jan. 31, at Boise State. The Pack and Broncos (3-1) will get underway at 10 a.m. (PT) at the West Family YMCA and Boise Aquatics Center in Boise, Idaho.
