Both the men’s and women’s Wildcats opened their seasons strong.
The Northwestern swimming and diving team completed its first two dual meets of the 2024-25 season, sweeping Miami-Ohio and Cincinnati at home over the course of the last two weeks. The women’s team defeated Miami-Ohio 203-97 before beating Cincinnati 185.5-110.5, while the men’s team scored 203-97 and 188-111 wins against Miami-Ohio and Cincinnati respectively.
vs. Miami-Ohio
Northwestern was dominant on the women’s side, winning every single event besides the 100 and 200-yard backstroke races and the one-meter diving event. The two top female performers against the RedHawks were both newcomers, as freshman Sophie Martin and Princeton graduate transfer Nikki Venema both won two individual events apiece.
Martin won the 100-yard freestyle (49.32) and 100 breaststroke (1:00.54). The first-year from Australia had never raced in the short course yards format before, so both of her individual times were personal bests. Meanwhile, Venema won the 50 free (22.50) and 100 butterfly (54.32). Her 50 free time was just 0.27 seconds off her personal best of 22.23, set at the 2024 Ivy League Championships this February.
The Wildcats also had total control of the women’s relays, with the NU ‘A’ team winning the 200 medley relay by nearly a second and the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams taking No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the 400 free relay.
Meanwhile, the Wildcat men had an even greater margin of victory, wining every event besides the 50 free and 200 fly. The stars of the show were senior Tyler Lu, as well as sophomores Diego Nosack, Stuart Seymour and Adam Cohen. These four were the only swimmers on the men’s side to win multiple individual events.
Lu picked up victories in the 100 (54.53) and 200 breast (2:00.73), while also placing second in the 300 individual medley (2:54.79). The latter event was won by Nosack in a time of 2:52.63. The freshman also picked up a win in the 200 free (1:37.35), while swapping places with Lu to take second in the 200 breast (2:01.63). Nosack’s 200 free time tied his personal best in the event from November 2023.
Seymour was victorious in the 100 back (46.88) and 100 free (44.67), touching the wall just 0.06 seconds away from his personal best in the former event. Meanwhile, Cohen won the one-meter (317.05 points) and three-meter (354.05) diving events.
Northwestern also swept the relays on the men’s side, though the margin was closer than on the women’s side. The Wildcats won the 200 medley relay by 0.71 seconds, while they took the 400 free relay by 0.85 seconds.
vs. Cincinnati
The Wildcats’ first matchup against a high-major team was bit closer, but both teams got the job done once more, winning their respective meets by considerable margins.
Once again, Martin pulled off a two-event win day, claiming victories in the 200 breast (2:12.82) and 200 IM (1:59.82). She also placed second in the 100 breast (1:00.91), clocking a time that was slightly slower than what she put up against Miami-Ohio. Venema and junior Lindsay Ervin also pulled their weight on the women’s side with reverse finishes. Venema won the 50 free (22.79) and finished second in the 100 free (49.52), while Ervin got second in the 50 free (23.03) then won the 100 free (49.33) in a season-best time.
Northwestern split the relays with Cincinnati, with both races going down to the wire. The Wildcats won the 400 medley relay by just 0.2 seconds, with Ervin mounting a come-from-behind victory during the final 100 yards of the race. Meanwhile, the Bearcats won the 200 free relay by just 0.16 seconds. In that race, it was Joleigh Crye who ran down NU’s Amy Pan on the final lap for the win.
Crye also was the one of the two Cincinnati swimmers who spoiled the party for the Northwestern women individually. She won the 100 and 200 breast while her teammate Ellie Schrank won the 100 back — those two were the only Bearcats to win individual events.
Seymour and sophomore Cade Duncan and freshmen Joshua Staples and Kyle Ly led the charge for the men. Seymour touched first in the 100 fly (47.60) and 200 free (1:38.88), shedding nearly nine seconds off his best time in the latter event. Duncan won the 50 (20.66) and 100 free (44.16), while Staples swept the distance races with 500 free (4:24.60) and 1000 free (9:04.58) wins. Staples, like Martin, is also an international newcomer from Australia.
Ly won big in the diving events, claiming first-place finishes on the one-meter (328.43) and three-meter (384.30) — his score in the latter event also broke a school record.
The Wildcats swept the men’s relays, winning by over a second in the 400 medley and 200 free relays. Cincinnati was only able to pick up wins in the 100 and 200 back, the 200 breast and the 200 IM.
What’s Next?
Both Northwestern squads will face Duke in Durham in two weeks for a two-day meet going from November 8 to 9. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 15 on the women’s side, but their men are unranked.