Mike Burt prefers to be an optimist, so he will take the approach that there’s no place for his NIU women’s swimming and diving team to go, but up.

Four-time Midwest independent regional champion Illinois State University swamped the Huskies by a 194-108 count Friday evening at Anderson Hall Pool in the season-opener for both squads. Although NIU was the underdog going in, Burt still wasn’t pleased.

“We did find a starting point, but truthfully, it’s not where I expected it to be. What we’ve done in practice indicates to me that we are capable of much more. If we can take what we do in practice and apply it to a meet, get some confidence, then we’ll be okay,” Burt added. “But tonight, I know we didn’t perform up to our capabilities.”

Stacey Hartzer gave NIU a blue-ribbon effort in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:40.70). Pam Jackson won both the 50 (:24.94) and 100-yard (:54.36) freestyle races. Hartzer also added a first in the 500-yard freestyle (5:16.62).