UNI’s swimming and diving team competed in Chicago at the MVC Showcase on Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22. The other teams competing were UIC, Indiana State and Illinois State. UIC played host to the other three schools. UNI ended up getting third place, but there were some relays and individuals who stood out.

The meet began on Friday with the 400-yard medley relay. UNI’s team of Amber Finke, Sydney Aird, Scout Bergwell and Faith Larsen finished in second place, just under three seconds behind Indiana State. Olivia Chambers and Kassidy Lovig both made finals in the 400-yard individual medley, placing in third and seventh respectively. The Panthers also had two swimmers make it in the finals of the 200-yard freestyle. Hallory Domnick finished in third, and Amber Finke in seventh.

The fourth event of the day saw UNI get its first victory, as Larsen placed first in the 50-yard freestyle. On the diving side of things, Taylor Hogan and Hannah Taylor made the finals in the three-meter dive. Hogan finished in sixth, and Taylor in eighth. 

Bergwell and Abby McCorkle were in the 100-yard butterfly. Bergwell finishing third and McCorkle at seventh. The 100-yard backstroke was a good one for UNI, having two swimmers finish in the top five. Finke placed second, and Helena Heuberger finished in fifth. The 100-yard breaststroke had Aird finishing fifth, and Ema Lavigne seventh. 

The last individual event of the day was the 1000-yard freestyle. Chambers finished in fourth and Domnick in seventh. The final event of the day was the 200-yard freestyle relay. UNI’s relay of Larsen, Abby Lear, Clare Christensen and Taylor Short took second place.

The second day got started up with the 200-yard medley relay. The relay of Finke, Aird, McCorkle and Larsen took third. In the 500-yard freestyle, Chambers and Domnick finished one after the other, with Chambers in fifth and Domnick in sixth. The 200-yard breaststroke had Aird in fifth place, and Lavigne in eighth. Finke got the second first place finish of the meet for UNI, as she won the 200-yard backstroke. After that, it was time for the last diving event, the one-meter dive. Erica Peters took second place, and Maddie Moran finished fifth. It was back to swimming, and Larsen got herself another first place finish, this time in the 100-yard freestyle. It was a very successful weekend for Larsen.

The 200-yard freestyle butterfly saw Bergwell finish fifth, and Domnick at sixth. The 200-yard individual medley saw Finke nearly take another victory, but she would end up getting second, Lavigne finishing in seventh. The final event of the entire meet was the 400-yard freestyle relay. UNI’s relay of Morgan Meyer, Natalia Verastegui, Domnick and Larsen, finished in third.

UNI will get in the pool next when they travel to South Dakota on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.