The UNI swimming and diving team defeated the Illinois State Redbirds in an intense dual meet hosted by the Panthers on Jan. 13 and 14. The Panthers won nine out of the 19 events showcased during the dual. The team also celebrated senior night, recognizing the eight seniors who will be graduating this semester. 

The two-day event kicked off with the three-meter springboard competition. Taylor Hogan scored her season-best with a 277.58 to achieve a second-place finish while Erica Peters finished third with a 246.68 and Maddie Moran finished in fourth with a 236.63. 

The 400-yard medley relay was won by the team of Amber Finke, Sydney Aird, Scout Bergwell and Faith Larsen of the Panthers with a time of 3:50.53. The 400-yard individual medley was won by Olivia Chambers with a 4:37.47. Bergwell was the champion of the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:08.28.

Finke won the 100-yard backstroke competition to give UNI an additional edge over the Redbirds. Hallory Domnick swam the ninth fastest time in the 1,000-yard freestyle in UNI history by recording an impressive time of 10:35.08. Larsen, Finke, Abby Lear and Clare Christensen ended the night with a win for the Panthers in the 200-yard freestyle relay, recording a 1:36.10.

The second day of action kicked off with the one-meter dive, with Hogan posting her season-best score of 262.73, ensuring her second place finish. Fourth place also went to the Panthers, as Erica Peters scored a 229.20.

The team of Finke, Aird, Bergwell and Larsen achieved victory in the 200-yard medley relay in a close finish with a time of 1:46.18. UNI represented the top two finishers in the 500-yard freestyle as Domnick got first place with a time of 5:07.92 and Chambers got second with a time of 5:12.19. 

The 200-yard backstroke event was won by Finke with a time of 2:01.99 who also placed second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:10.31. Bergwell won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.69. The meet concluded with the team of Larsen, Taylor Short, Natalia Verastegui and Domnick getting second place in the 400-yard freestyle relay. 

With the Panthers coming off of a great victory, they turn their attention to Jan. 21, where they will travel to Ames, Iowa to face the Iowa State Cyclones and the West Virginia Mountaineers at 11 a.m.