Northern Illinois University Athletics

The 1983 NIU Sportswoman of the Year, Susan Henrichsen was a standout swimmer who set school records in the 50-yard breaststroke, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 100-yard individual medley and 200-yard individual medley.

As a freshman in 1979, Henrichsen set NIU recods in the 200 IM (2:20.09) and the 200 breaststroke (2:31.59) while being named to the Illinois All-State Team. In 1980, Henrichsen set new school records in five events, the 50 breaststroke (32.36), 100 breaststroke (1:09.23), 200 breaststroke (2:29.55), 100 IM (1:05.52) and 200 IM (2:17.64) before an emergency appendectomy prematurely ended her season. 

In 1981, Henrichsen came back and again earned a spot on the Illinois All-State Team while helping the NIU 400-yard medley relay set a new school-record (4:06.90). The following season, Henrichsen reset the NIU school record in all three breaststroke events, postings top times of 32.04 in the 50, 1:08.77 in the 100 and 2:28.52 in the 200. She also claimed the MAC Championship in the 100-yard breaststroke at the conference championship. 

Henrichsen repeated as MAC Champion in the 100 breaststroke in 1983 with a winning time of 1:08.92 and also helped NIU win both the 200 and 400-yard medley relays at the 1983 MAC Championships, posting a time of 1:49.30 in the 200 medley relay and 4:01.94 in the 400 medley relay, NIU’s first-ever wins in either event at the MAC Championship, as he helped the Huskies to a fourth-place conference finish.