McLean County Times

Illinois State University's swim and dive team will travel to Champaign, Illinois, for the House of Paign Invite this Friday. The event, held at Arc Pool, begins at 5 p.m. on Friday and continues at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The Redbirds are coming off a recent meet against UIC in Chicago, where they were defeated but managed to secure two event wins. Freshman Ava Ostendorf won both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard breaststroke events. In total, Illinois State achieved 11 podium finishes during the meet.

At the House of Paign Invite, Illinois State will compete against Southern Illinois and Illinois over two days. In last season's tri-meet in Carbondale, the Redbirds lost to both teams but recorded three top-five finishes in various events.

This trip marks the eighth time Illinois State has competed in Champaign and their first visit since 2022. During that previous meet, senior Ella Turken finished third in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.36 seconds. Lauren Wisdom, who is now part of the team's coaching staff, also placed on the podium in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:36.44.

According to Illinois State University Athletics, "GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos, and more."