2016 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2016 WOMEN’S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 17th to Saturday, February 20th | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm
• Where: Canham Natatorium, Ann Arbor, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Minnesota Gophers (4x) (results)
• Meet Preview
• Live Results
• Streaming: Big Ten Network ($)
• Championship Central: here

Day 2 saw the Michigan Wolverines surge to the front of the pack, but it’s still early enough in the 4-day meet for more major moves to take place in the team standings.  Here is how things look through Day 2, including diving:

400 IM – PRELIMS

Ohio State nabbed the morning’s first top seed, with Lindsey Clary staking her claim on the 400 IM event. Clary’s time this morning was a 4:07.05, right in line with her previous season-best headed into this meet, which stood at 4:07.95.  Clary finished as the runner-up in this event at last year’s B1G’s so the junior is no doubt ready to take the event as her own. She even notched a new OSU school record with her morning performance.

But, Clary will indeed need to fend off the defending conference champion, Brooke Zeiger, from Minnesota, who has the chance to give the Gophers their first big individual swimming points of the meet. Zeiger was well behind Clary’s time this morning, finishing in a mark of 4:09.98, but look for that effort to drop significantly when side-by-side with Clary. Zeiger’s B1G winning time from last year was a stellar 4:03.28, although she added time come the NCAA finals, clocking a 4:05.27 for 6th place overall……as just a freshman.

Zeiger will be joined by teammate Breanne Siwicki, who made a huge jump from her 16th place finish last year to make tonight’s final. 4:12.86 was her time this morning, so if the junior wants to make a run at a possible 1-2 Gopher finish, she’ll need hack off some major time tonight to fend off the hungry Wolverines and hustling Hoosiers.

One of those Wolverines in the mix for gold tonight is new Michigan swimmer Yirong (Rose) Bi, who skyrocketed to a 2nd place finish last night in the women’s 500 freestyle. Only having been on the Michigan roster since last month, Bi’s sole 400 IM time was the 4:18.01 she clocked in the dual against Michigan State. Seeing how she registered a mark of 4:10.91 already this morning, Bi is another wild card for a possible podium spot tonight, given her relatively unknown yards potential in this event. Veteran senior Marni Oldershaw is the 2nd swimmer from the maize and blue to make the final with Bi.

All top 8 finishers comfortably cleared the B cut of 4:19.39, but just the top 3 raced beneath last year’s NCAA D1 invite time of 4:12.31. Look for that total to change drastically after tonight’s final.

Top 8:

1. Lindsey Clary, Ohio State – 4:07.05
2. Brooke Zeiger, Minnesota – 4:09.98
3. Yirong (Rose) Bi, Michigan – 4:10.91
4. Regan Cook, Indiana – 4:12.41
5. Nika Petric, Purdue – 4:12.75
6. Marni Oldershaw, Michigan – 4:12.84
7. Breanne Siwicki, Minnesota – 4:12.86
8. Samantha Lisy, Indiana – 4:13.00

100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

Ohio State sophomore Zhesi (Liz) Li made a statement last night by winning the women’s 50 free in the only sub-22 time of the field (21.80) and she looks hungry to double up on that victory by claiming the top seed in the women’s 100 fly. Li wasted no time making a statement swim with a new pool record of 51.72 this morning, signifying the only competitor to dip beneath the 52-second threshold in prelims. Li’s time already falls within the NCAA’s top 10 for this season (as of this publishing), scores as a new Ohio State record and the Chinese native shows no signs of stopping.

Last year’s 2nd and 3rd place B1G finishers find themselves in the same positions, at least headed into tonight’s finals. Indiana’s Gia Dalesandro and Wisconsin’s Dana Grindall scored times of 52.08 and 52.61, respectively, so chase after Li tonight. Dalesandro has been as fast as 51.75 back in 2014, so the potential is certainly there to match speed with Li. As for Grindall, 52.31 is her fastest recorded time, so the junior will need to step things up to maximize point her Badgers’ point potential in the race.

Nebraska’s Taryn Collura snatched up the 6th seed in a time of 53.63, making this her 2nd final in two days.  Collura finished 7th in last night’s 50 freestyle. Rutgers gets a girl in the final as well, with Francesca Stoppa‘s 53.83.

No A times for the prelims this morning, although Li’s time sits just .16 of a second off of the 51.56 cut. As with the 400 IM, the top 3 women this morning all cleared last year’s invite time of 52.79.

Top 8:

1. Zhesi (Liz) Li, Ohio State – 51.72
2. Gia Dalesandro, Indiana – 52.08
3. Dana Grindall, Wisconsin – 52.61
4. Danielle Nack, Minnesota – 53.19
5. Meagan Lim, Purdue – 53.41
6. Taryn Collura, Nebraska – 53.63
7. Christine Jensen, Indiana – 53.76
8. Francesca Stoppa, Rutgers – 53.83

200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

Indiana’s Kennedy Goss did an about-face from her relatively lackluster performance in the 500 yesterday to nab the 2nd seed in today’s 200 free event. Goss and teammate, this year’s 500 free B1G Champion Haley Lips, were neck and neck splits-wise, even though they were in separate heats.  For their efforts, Lips sits at the top of the finals pack with her time of 1:44.36 (a new pool record) and Goss is right behind in 1:44.84.

Last year in this event, Goss got the edge, claiming the conference title in a time of 1:44.15 to Lips’ runner-up finish of 1:44.68, so Lips already out-did her performance from 2015. But, breakout swimmer Siobhan Haughey looks to rain on the Lips/Goss parade, lurking right behind in 3rd with her mark of 1:44.94. Haughey has been on the move in multiple events, including last night’s 200 IM where she earned a new B1G conference record with her win. Her 200 free time this morning writes a new program record into the Michigan history books.

Haughey’s teammate Gillian Ryan and Penn State’s Alyson Ackman return to the 200 freestyle final, trying to better their respective 5th and 3rd place finishes from last year.

Rocketing to a new level of speed to make the final this year are Michigan’s Gabby DeLoof and Minnesota’s Lauren Votava. Both girls swam this event at the 2015 edition of the meet, but finished well out of the A-Final in 20th and 18th. For DeLoof, her time this morning marks the first time the junior has been sub-1:47, so the Wolverine may just use that accomplishment as extra fuel to surge to a top-3 spot.

In a testament to how close the top racers are in this event, all but Ryan and DeLoof cleared last year’s NCAA invite time of 1:45.95.

Top 8:

1. Haley Lips, Indiana – 1:44.36
2. Kennedy Goss, Indiana – 1:44.84
3. Siobhan Haughey, Michigan – 1:44.94
4. Alyson Ackman, Penn State – 1:45.30
5. Alexa Davis, Purdue – 1:45.35
6. Lauren Votava, Minnesota – 1:45.93
7. Gillian Ryan, Michigan – 1:46.30
8. Gabby DeLoof, Michigan – 1:46.42

100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

The Indiana Hoosiers are simply getting it done this morning, as another duo goes 1-2. This time, it’s the formidable freshmen Lilly King and Miranda Tucker who score the session’s fastest 100 breaststroke times, with Tucker first breaking her school’s record in 59.37 out of heat 6.

Flash forward to the 8th and final heat and King then blows that newly-minted record right out of the water, registering the first NCAA A cut of the morning, a stunning 58.38 to manhandle the field. That’s King’s fastest yards time in her young career and clocked a new pool record in the process.  In fact, King’s 58.38 would have won second place at last year’s NCAA Championships by just .06 of a second.

King’s eye-popping 58.38 time now sits as the 2nd-fastest in the NCAA this season, only behind defending NCAA champion Sarah Haase who holds an insanely fast 58.27.

This morning’s 3rd and 4th place finishers also traveled into sub-minute territory, with Iowa’s Emma Sougstad clocking a new Hawkeye school record of 59.50. That mark wiped over .4 of a second off of her career-best of 59.96 from when Sougstad was a sophomore last year. Right behind is Purdue’s Emily Fogle in 59.61, although the senior has been as quick as 58.88 so far this season.

The top 7 finishers all cleared last year’s invite time of 1:00.74

Top 8:

1. Lilly King, Indiana – 58.38
2. Miranda Tucker, Indiana – 59.37
3. Emma Sougstad, Iowa – 59.50
4. Emily Fogle, Purdue – 59.61
5. Rachel Munson, Minnesota – 1:00.40
6. Taylor Vargo, Ohio State – 1:00.46
7. Emily Kopas, Michigan – 1:00.65
8. Byanca Rodriguez, Penn State – 1:01.36

100 BACKSTROKE- PRELIMS

So the Michigan women know how to swim backstroke, as evidenced by the 4 Wolverines making it back to tonight’s A-Final. Ali DeLoof leads the way with her stunning 51.56 outing, a mark that registers as a new Michigan school record. Her mark was just .06 of a second off the pool record and .05 off of the NCAA A cut of 51.51. This is the 1st time DeLoof has dipped beneath 52-seconds (though the NCAA database holds a converted LCM time from U.S. Nationals of 51.86). The senior has certainly chosen the right moment to exponentially improve, and possibly land herself on top of the B1G podium.

She will be joined by teammates Clara Smiddy and sister Gabby DeLoof, who earned times of 52.24 and 53.66, respectively. Smiddy was last year’s conference runner-up in a time of 51.83, so look for the sophomore to step things up tonight. For Gabby DeLoof, her 53.66 result was a personal best by about two tenths, but this race would mean a double up on her 200 freestyle final. Zoe Mattingly is the 4th Wolverine in the mix, sitting in 7th with her time of 53.76.

With last year’s NCAA invite time sitting at 52.97, just the top 3 finishers would sit above that 2015 line.

Top 8:

1. Ali DeLoof, Michigan – 51.56
2. Clara Smiddy, Michigan – 52.24
3. Marie Chamberlain, Indiana – 52.54
4. Halime Zulal Zeren, Ohio State – 53.45
5. Jessica Unicomb, Wisconsin – 53.48
6. Gabby DeLoof, Michigan – 53.66
7. Zoe Mattingly, Michigan – 53,76
8. Joanna Wu, Rutgers – 53.87