Rutgers swimming and diving defeats Nebraska in huge Big Ten win

College, Featured, Rutgers University, Swimming

January 29, 2023

The Rutgers University swimming and diving team returned to the pool on Saturday against the University of Nebraska Huskers in a Big Ten matchup that saw the Scarlet Knights win 211-141.

Sofia Maksimova and Sofia Chichaikina had five first-place finishes, including three relays and two individual races.

Starting with the one-meter dive, Rutgers divers Giulia Vittorioso took first place with 280.05 points, and Holly Prasanto took second place with 273.45 points. Nebraska's Kelsey Clairmont took third with 256.65. The Scarlet Knights also took fourth, fifth and seventh place.

The 200-yard medley relay started the swimming portion of the meet. Rutgers swimmers Alice Scarabelli, Rachel Kimmel, Maksimova and Chichaikina took first place with a time of 1:39.32.

Shannon Stott won the 500-yard freestyle for Nebraska with a time of 4:45.26, and Madison Murtaugh took second for Rutgers with a time of 4:45.72.

Berkeley Livingston won the 200-yard individual medley for the Huskers with a time of 2:03.05. Kimmel followed closely behind with a time of 2:03.27.

The Huskers took another first place in the 200-yard breaststroke, with Maia Hall as the winner with a time of 2:14.79. Tina Celik took second for Rutgers with a time of 2:14.83.

The Scarlet Knights bounced back after Valeria Egorova took first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.62. Scarabelli took second with a time of 1:58.03, and Martyna Piesko took third with a time of 1:59.52, giving Rutgers a 1-3 sweep of the event.

The 100-yard freestyle yard followed with Maksimova winning with a time of 49.63. Giulia Ghidini took second with a time of 51.09.

Chichaikina took the win in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.68, and Stott took second for the Huskers.

The 200-yard freestyle relay followed, and Rutgers once again had the win. Maksimova, Scarabelli, Piesko and Chichaikina won with a time of 1:31.65. Nebraska took second with a time of 1:33.76.

The divers returned to the pool for the three-meter dive. Vittorioso took the win again with a score of 304.88. Savana Trueb took second with a score of 273.60. Clairmont took third once again, and Rutgers finished with divers taking fourth, fifth and sixth.

The 400-yard medley relay was the first event for the swimmers upon returning from diving. Egorova, Kimmel, Piesko and Julia Bartoszewicz won for Rutgers with a time of 3:40.46. Nebraska took second and third, respectively.

Genevieve Jorgenson took first in the 1650-yard freestyle for the Huskers with a time of 16:33.70. Murtaugh took second for the Scarlet Knights with a time of 16:51.35.

Maksimova took first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.45, and Chichaikina took second with 22.90. Emily Haimes and Caitlin Cairns took third and fourth for the Huskers.

the 100-yard backstroke followed, with Egorova taking first with a time of 53.87. Scarabelli took second with a time of 54.45, and Madesyn Ronquillio took third for Nebraska with a time of 56.12.

Kimmel grabbed another win in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:01.32. Jojo Randby took second for Nebraska with a time of 1:01.66, followed by Celik taking third.

Piesko took the win in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.51, just out-touching Maksimova, who swam a 54.71 for second place. Cairns took third place for the Huskers with a time of 54.75.

The 200-yard freestyle followed with a win from Chichaikina with a time of 1:47.90. Stott grabbed the second-place finish, and Alexa Kucera took third for Nebraska.

The second to last event was the 400-yard individual medley. Livingston took the win with a time of 4:21.45, Jorgenson took second with a time of 4:22.86 and Sarah Barton took third to complete the 1-3 sweep of the event.

The final event was the 400-yard freestyle relay. Rutgers took the win again, featuring Maksinova, Chichaikina, Piesko and Scarabelli with a time of 3:21.50. Nebraska took second with a time of 3:25.25.