Panther swimming and diving tops Illinois State in road dual

Friday, January 16

Normal, Ill.

3 p.m. / 9 a.m.

University of Northern Iowa

202

151

Illinois State

Photo by: UNI Athletics

Panther swimming and diving tops Illinois State in road dual

1/17/2026 2:57:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

FINAL RESULTS

UNI defeats Redbirds in final dual of the season, 202-151.

NORMAL, Ill. --- The UNI swimming and diving team secured their second dual win of the season against the Illinois State Redbirds this weekend, topping the Redbirds by winning score of 202-151. The Panthers also tied the Horton Pool record in the 50-yard freestyle and set a new pool record in the 200-freestyle relay.

Competition started off on Friday with the 400-yard medley relay that saw Elyse Brayton, Aspen Cole, Nikki Walters and Averie Bilskemper take third with a time of 3:49.81. Morgan Raether, Neriah Giedrys, Hannah Nedder and Josie Parton followed close behind in fourth at 3:52.07.

Action continued with the 400-yard individual medley, where Sam Oeltjen claimed top prize in the event with a winning time of 4:31.97, as Abigail Barkhurst was close behind in second at 4:35.10 and Molly Johnson in fourth (4:44.35).

Morgan Meyer notched first in the 200-yard freestyle at 1:51.18, while Jennifer Barajas came in fifth with a time of 1:57.04, and Kirsten Tarran was closely behind in sixth (1:58.60). The 50-yard freestyle saw Abby Lear come out in front with a winning time of 23.45, tying the Horton Pool record, with Charlotte Sander right behind in second at 23.71. Raether rounded out the placements, coming in at sixth in the event (24.31).

Walters was the top-placing Panther in the 200-yard butterfly, coming in at third with a time of 2:10.31, as Crystal Benjamin and Natalie Harris followed in fourth and fifth at 2:11.27 and 2:12.05. The 100-yard backstroke saw Rather claim second with a time of 56.47 as Brayton took third (56.81) and Meyer in fifth (57.03).

Cole came out on top in the 100-yard breaststroke swimming a winning time of 1:04.25 her first collegiate victory in the event, and moved her to seventh in the top ten all-time for UNI. Sydney Aird would go on to take third in the event at 1:06.42, Giedrys would come in fourth (1:06.46) and Bilskemper in seventh (1:09.52). The Panthers swept the podium in the 1,000-yard freestyle with Barkhurst coming out on top at 10:38.98, Cassidy Miklos in second (10:40.98), and Tarran in third (10:45.70).

To close out the first night of competition was the 200-yard freestyle relay that saw the UNI quartet of Sander, Meyer, Bilskemper, and Lear come out on top with a time of 1:32.99, setting the 200-freestyle relay mark in Horton Pool. Sander's 50 free split (23.45) also ties the Horton Pool record. The quad of Nedder, Brayton, Rolow, and Giedrys would follow shortly behind in fourth place (1:38.00).

Saturday's competition started off with the 200-yard medley relay that saw Brayton, Giedrys, Walters, and Lear take first with a time of 1:43.90 as Raether, Cole, Nedder, and Sander took third (1:45.19). Oeltjen took second in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:09.26, with Barkhurst in third (5:09.77) and Miklos in fifth (5:12.62).

Cole took second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:21.73, jumping her to sixth on the top ten all-time list with a career best time. Aird followed in third (2:24.34) and Giedrys in fourth (2:26.96) in the event. Raether showed out in the 200-yard back taking top prize with a winning time of 2:01.19, as Brayton and Rolow took fifth (2:05.76) and sixth (2:06.46).

100-yard freestyle action saw a Panther sweep as Meyer took first (51.44), Lear second (51.55) and Bilskemper third (52.40). Nedder notched third in the 100-yard butterfly at 57.55, while Walters took fifth (57.78), Oeltjen in sixth (58.82) and Benjamin in seventh (1:00.65). Harris saw success in the 200-yard individual medley as she took first in the event (2:07.13) with Cole in third (2:09.01) and Brayton in fifth at 2:11.53.

Capping off the meet was the 400-yard freestyle relay in which the quad of Meyer, Raether, Sander, and Bilskemper took second place with a time of 3:27.58 as Parton, Rolow, Barajas, and Johnson secured fourth at 3:35.59.

Over in the diving well, Friday's three-meter action saw Avery Hogan come out on top for the Panthers with a score of 262.65 as Erica Peters followed behind in second at 252.08. Addison Bausman took fifth (236.48), Trista Thompson sixth (218.78), and Eva Coonrad in seventh (217.43). Saturday's one-meter action saw a Panther sweep on the podium with Peters, Thompson, and Hogan taking top spots with scores of 258.23, 251.10, and 243.90. Bausman also finished in fifth (227.85) and Coonrad in seventh (192.90).

UP NEXT
The Panthers head to the Coyote Invitational on Jan. 30-31 in Vermillion, South Dakota at the USD Wellness Center. Competition is slated to begin on Friday evening at 6 p.m. CT with action continuing Saturday morning and afternoon at 10 a.m. CT and 4 p.m. CT.

UNI swimming and diving action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Swimming and Diving), X (@uniswimdive) and on Instagram (@uniswimdive). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.