2015 B1G Women’s Championships: Minnesota outlasts Indiana, Finals Day 4 Real Time Recap

It will be a battle between the Hoosiers of Indiana and the Gophers of Minnesota for the title in the final session of the Big Ten Championships. Outside of the team race, here are some storylines to watch:

Ivy Martin of Wisconsin has a chance to win her third individual Big Ten title in tonights 100 freestyle, She was 47.58 in the morning session, good for a Big Ten record and the number one overall seed by almost a full second.

Clara Smiddy and Brooklyn Snodgrass will battle it out in the 200 backstroke tonight. Smiddy is again seeded ahead of the returning Big Ten champion, and will look to beat Snodgrass after sitting in a similar position last night. Smiddy was seeded ahead of Snodgrass for the 100 backstroke final, but Snodgrass scored the win. It marked Snodgrass’ 3rd straight 100 backstroke title.

2015 Women’s Big Ten Championships

• When: Wednesday, February 18th to Saturday, February 21st | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm
• Where: McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, OH (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Minnesota Gophers (3x)
• Live Results 
• Live Video
• Championship Central: here

The team scores heading into the final session are as follows:

1. No. 19 Minnesota | 421.5
2. No. 13 Indiana | 374
3. No. 15 Michigan | 331.5
4. No. 21 Wisconsin | 299
5. No. 16 Purdue | 261
6. No. 23 Ohio State | 250
7. Penn State | 224
8. Iowa |153
9. Northwestern | 106
10. Nebraska | 105
11. Rutgers | 92
12. Illinois | 60
13. Michigan State | 57

Women’s 1650

Becky Stoughton gave Iowa its first win of the championships with a 15:57.43 performance in the mile. Stoughton has had an up and down career at Iowa, but absolutely smashed her school record of 16:03.42 en route to her six second win over Ohio State’s Lindsey Clary, who finished in 16:03.75.

Minnesota’s standout freshman Brooke Zeiger was third with a 16:03.94, followed by teammate Samantha Harding in 16.06.71. Indiana’s Haley Lips finished fifth in 16:06.85, and Gillian Ryan was seventh for Michigan in 16.09.78, having swam a 15:54.31 previously this season.

Wisconsin’s Danielle Valley was eighth in 16:10.33.

Women’s 200 back

Snodgrass topped Smiddy for the second time at these championships, and it’s safe to say she still has a hold on the Big Ten backstroke field. Snodgrass won her third straight Big Ten 100 back last night, and added her third straight backstroke win as well.

Snodgrass won the event convincingly with a 1:50.60, good for an A cut and a win of over a second. Smiddy finished in 1:51.76. Snodgrass used a faster second 100, to out distance Smiddy, who was within .2 tenths of a second at the 100 mark.

Alexandria Day and Cynthia Pammett took third and fourth for Indiana in 1:54.17 and 1:54.79, respectively. Also in the A final from Indiana were Marie Chamberlain and Justine Ress, who finished seventh and eighth in 1:55.87 and 1:55.92, respectively.

Michigan’s Gabriel Deloof and Hannah Moore tied for fifth in 1:54.81 to round out the top eight.

Through the 200 backstroke, Indiana leads Minnesota 481-461.5 for the lead.

Women’s 100 free

Martin was racing the clock in this one, having set a Big Ten conference and meet record in the morning session and swimming an A cut. She hit the wall in 47.75, a slight gain from this morning, but enough to win comfortably over Michigan’s Ali Deloof, who finished in 48.32.

Aja Van Hout broke 49 for the Badgers as well. The senior finished in 48.60 for third. Lauren Votava finished fourth for the Gopers in 48.64. Ohio State freshman Zhesi Li was fifth for the Buckeyes in 48.73, followed by Alyson Ackman of Penn State and Kennedy Goss of Indiana in 49.87 and 48.88, respectively.

Rounding out the A final was Minnesota’s Rebecca Weiland in 48.99. Indiana holds a 501-490.5 lead over the Gophers in the team race.

Women’s 200 breast

Kierra Smith added another win to her Big Ten meet with her 2:05.69, which was good for a conference, meet, and pool record. The Minnesota junior’s win catapults the Gophers back out front of the Hoosiers by a 510.5 to 501 margin. Similar to Minnesota having no answer in the 200 backstroke, Indiana did not have a scoring breaststroker to match the scoring the scoring from Smith.

Emily Kopas of Michigan finished runner up in 2:09.58, and Melissa Rodriguez of Penn State rounded out the top three in 2:09.87.

Emily Fogle of Purdue finished fourth with a 2:10.26, and Taylor Vargo finished fifth in 2:10.38. Francesca Marr was sixth in 2:11.37. Maria Carlson was 2:11.37 for seventh, and Emma Sougstad rounded out the top eight with a 2:13.07.

Women’s 200 fly

Indiana’s Gia Dalesandro helped the Hoosiers cause considerably with her win the 200 fly in a convincing margin. Her 1:55.10 was good for over a second victory over Danielle Nack of Minnesota. Adding Bailey Pressley’s third place finish of 1:56.54 does not hurt Indiana, either.

Devin Ste. Marie added a fifth place finish for the Gophers in 1:57.06, which helped them maintain a two and a half point lead on Indiana, 541.5-539.

Rhiannon Sheets took fifth for Purdue in 1:56.82, and Dana Grindall took sixth in 1:57.97 for Wisconsin. Kathryn Rowe and Katelyn Sowinski took seventh and eighth for Penn State in 1:58.05 and 1:58.31, respectively.

Minnesota is seeded fifth in the 400 freestyle relay to Indiana’s third, although diving will play a major part, as the Gophers have the top two to seeds on the platforms.

Women’s platform diving finals

Jessica Parratto was seeded sixth for Indiana going into the finals, but put on a show to top Minnesota’s Yu Zhou and Jessica Ramberg, the top two seeds in the event. Parratto dove a 424.25, Zhou a 371.80, and Ramberg a 286.10, finishing seventh.

Parratto’s win gives Indiana a fighting chance, but it will take a miracle thanks to the scoring Minnesota got in the diving. The Gophers also scored a sixth place finish from Lexi Tenenbaum.

Women’s 400 free relay

Minnesota outlasted a hard charge from Indiana to win the Big Ten championship meet. The Gophers might not have won the relay, which went to the Ivy Martin led Wisconsin relay in 3:12.96, but they did take fourth to win the meet. The times from the final relay include: