Dive On In

It's a cold and snowy day in the Champaign-Urbana metro, so let's trade that parka for a bathing suit and talk about the Women's Swim Team. Tomorrow they travel to the oasis that is Minnesota to compete in the Big Ten Tournament. Last year at the tournament, senior Babie Viney became the first Illini to take home a conference championship since 1982, capturing the 100 meter freestyle title. She's looking to repeat this year and help the Illini beat their 9th place finish at last year's championship. The Illini are a very experienced squad, sending eight seniors and 18 overall veteran athletes to the championships.

Illinois will be up against strong competition from many teams in the conference. Michigan is the traditional powerhouse with fourteen titles and a good chance to make this year number fifteen. The Wolverines boast five all-conference swimmers and Swimmer of the Year Kaitlyn Brady. Penn St. is the defending champion and is looking to make a strong showing this year behind the returning 400 Individual Medley Champion Kaitlin O'Brien. Purdue is looking to the diving competition for points with All-American Amanda Miller as the favorite in the platform diving competition.

For another perspective, the Daily Illini has a nice piece today on how the team feels swimming affects their lives and how the popularity of the sport is growing. The article has some great quotes that further prove the positive effect sport has on athletes beyond just physical fitness.

Illini Prepare to Hit Road for Big Ten Championships (Fighting Illini.com)

Big Ten Championships Preview (Big Ten)

Swimmers Explain How They Came to the Sport (Daily Illini)