2015 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships: Conger & Schooling drop 44s in 100 fly at day 3 finals

2015 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 25 – Saturday, February 28
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center – University of Texas
• Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (Central Time)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results 

Day 3 of the 2015 Big 12 Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Austin, Texas, and all eyes will be on freshman Joseph Schooling and what he can do in the 100 fly. On Friday morning, he became just the 2nd Texas swimmer ever under 45 seconds in the race.

While his theatrics will be the obvious highlight, also keep an eye on how well Jack Conger handles the 100 fly/100 back double, as he will almost inevitably have a double of some kind at NCAA’s. He’s had some great swims this weekend, though since his American Record in the 200 fly on Wednesday in a time trial, he hasn’t been quite as explosive.

Women’s 400 IM – FINALS

The top two swimmers in the women’s 400 IM, Texas’ Madisyn Cox and Kansas’ Chelsie Miller, had very close times in prelims, where they were only three tenths apart.

In finals, though, both swimmers took the proverbial gloves off, and while the battle was equally as competitive, it was an entirely different race.

The two were neck-and-neck for the entire race, but it was a great closing 25 from the sophomore Cox that allowed her to take the win in an NCAA Automatic Qualifying Time, and new personal best, of 4:05.08.

Miller took 2nd in 4:05.67, which shattered her own school record by 2.3 seconds and effectively guarantees her spot in Greensboro in March as well.

Coming in 3rd, well behind those two, was Texas’ Kaitlin Pawlowicz in 4:14.87 – far short of her personal best in that event.

Men’s 400 IM – Finals

Sophomore Will Licon has been tearing it up for the Longhorns already this season, and his brilliant Big 12 meet continued with a 3:41.88 win in the 400 IM. That’s a new meet record, and an NCAA A cut, which Licon was just a tick off this morning.

That’s not quite Licon’s lifetime-best, but is a full five seconds faster than he was at this meet last year, boding very well for his NCAA prospects.

Also getting under the old meet record was junior John Martens, who went 3:42.82 for second place. That should also easily earn him an NCAA invite in the event.

West Virginia’s Nate Carr was the third member of a top trio that really checked out from the field. His 3:45.90 was a bit back from Martens, but topped fourth place by 7 seconds.

TCU swept the next 5 spots in the A final, led by freshman Carlos Hunnicut, who went 3:53.29.

Texas also had a pair of guys swimming exhibition, with freshman Jared Butler leading that crew in 3:49.57.

Women’s 100 Fly – Finals

The women’s 100 fly went the way of the Longhorns for the 5th time in the last 6 seasons at the Big 12 Championships, with a new face on top of the podium: sophomore Brynne Wong, who swam a 53.13 for the victory.

She beat out senior teammate Kelsey Leaneave, who was 53.50 for 2nd, but Wong is likely a little more rested for this meet, given that she still needs her NCAA qualification while Leneave is in good shape with her mid-season 52.4.

Based on history, it’s unlikely that anybody from this final swam a time that will put them into the NCAA Championships, but West Virginia’s Julie Ogden did top off a big season-drop at this meet with a 53.96 for 3rd.

That snuck her ahead of Texas’ Mimi Schneider, who was 4th in 54.06, while Kansas’ Pia Pavlic slid to 5th in 54.79.

Men’s 100 Fly – Finals

We’ve known for awhile that Texas has a downright scary butterfly group, but tonight’s 100 fly really showed off exactly what that crew can do. Sophomore Jack Conger and freshman Joseph Schooling dueled it out for the Big 12 title and both wound up breaking 45 seconds.

It was Conger that came out with the win, overcoming Schooling in the final 25. The sophomore was 44.78, just six tenths off the American record after going under the American 200 fly record in a time trial the day before the meet began.

Only .03 back was Schooling, the freshman from Florida who has starred for Singapore internationally. Schooling was 44.81, and looked on pace to swim even faster but for a 12.1 split on his last 25. With perhaps a little more rest coming before NCAAs, Schooling could also drop to 44-mid or better with an improved back half.

Those two stand up as the 2nd- and 3rd-best swims in Big 12 history, behind only meet record-holder and former Olympic star Ian Crocker‘s 44.72.

Senior Tripp Cooper was way farther behind than a 45.79 should ever be, and Texas swept the top 5 with Will Glass (46.01) and Kip Darmody (46.46).

West Virginia’s Andrew Marsh was the top non-Longhorn in 46.99.

Also notable: Texas’s Matt Ellis won the B final in 46.23, a time that would have been 5th overall in the A final.

Women’s 200 Free – Finals

Texas went 1-2 again in the women’s 200 free, getting a nice swim out of freshman Sammie Hashbarger. The rookie went 1:48.78 on a strong front half, leading early and hanging on for the win by seven tenths.

Her teammate Erin Yeager took second in 1:49.41, though she had to fight a little harder for her spot. TCU’s Mikayla Winkler was just a tenth back in 1:49.59.

Also getting under 1:50 were Kansas sophomore Sammie Schurig and Texas sophomore MaKayla Markey, at 1:49.75 and 1:49.78, respectively. Hashbarger was the only prelims swimmer to crack the barrier before 5 swimmers did it in the final.

Men’s 200 Free – Finals

A tight field saw first and fourth separated by just .6 seconds in the men’s 200 free, and the entire top 5 was made up of Longhorns.

Senior Clay Youngquist led the way, going 1:34.55 for the win. He was followed very closely by tough sophomore Clark Smith, who was actually tied with Youngquist for the lead at the halfway mark.

Freshman Jonathan Roberts dropped the field’s best closing split, a 23.8, en route to a third-place finish in 1:34.95 – a few more yards and he would have taken Smith and possibly even Youngquist.

Jake Ritter (1:35.18) and Sam Lewis (1:35.86) rounded out the Texas contingent, with West Virginia closing out the heat’s last three places. Ross Glegg was the fastest Mountaineer, cutting a good second from prelims to go 1:36.35.

Women’s 100 Breast – Finals

Senior Gretchen Jaques came up with probably the best swim of the night on the women’s side, winning the 100 breast in a new lifetime-best 58.71. Jaques blew out the field by well over two seconds, and built a full-second lead by the 50-turn.

Fellow Longhorn senior Skylar Smith was 1:01.17 for second, touching out Jenelle Zee of West Virginia (1:01.28).

Also in a tight battle for that #2 spot was Texas Longhorn Jordan Surhoff (1:01.35) and Iowa State’s strong freshman Kasey Roberts (1:01.38).

Men’s 100 Breast – Finals

Texas freshman Austin Temple picked up the first Big 12 title of his Longhorn career, going 52.71 to take the 100 breaststroke. In the rare event where Texas was actually outnumbered in the final heat, the Longhorns still managed to pull off the win as Temple sliced two tenths off his prelims time.

West Virginia’s Max Spencer took second, using a big back half to come from 5th to 2nd in 53.64. That was a touchout of the other Longhorn in the race, sophomore Imri Ganiel (53.68).

TCU’s Ford Story was 54.24 for the top Horned Frog finish in the event, and West Virginia nabbed 5th with Aidan Fumagalli‘s 55.49.

The race between those two programs for second is still pretty thick, with TCU leading by 50.

Women’s 100 Back – Finals

A close call early on in the 100 back ended with Texas maintaining their win streak as Tasija Karosas won a duel with fellow sophomore Yulduz Kuchkarova of Kansas.

Karosas led by two tenths at the 50-turn, but really pressed her advantage from there, outsplitting Kuchkarova by about eight tenths over the final 50. That led to a 52.49 win, while Kuchkarova finished second in 53.41.

Quite a ways back from those two was another Longhorn, Rebecca Baxley, at 54.36, and things dropped off even more from there to a 55.34 from Kansas Jayhawk Hannah Angell. Angell just touched out Bre Loeschke (55.41) of Iowa State for the fourth-place slot.

Those two programs are currently battling for second place overall, with Iowa State leading 379.5 to 334. Texas is well ahead with 714.5.

Men’s 100 Back – Finals

Just a few races after winning the 100 fly, sophomore Jack Conger was back to take the 100 back, going 45.68 to knock off the rest of the field.

That’s not Conger’s lifetime-best, but it is his best swim in the event since heading to college, with his PR standing at a 45.32 from back in 2012.

Conger pulled off the double by topping senior Kip Darmody‘s 46.14.

West Virginia’s Andrew Marsh, also pulling a double tonight with the 100 fly, went 46.34 to take third, actually leading the event at the 50 but not quite finding the endurance to hold off the Longhorns in the back half.

TCU’s Adam Szilagyi beat Texas freshman Brett Ringgold 47.52 to 47.77 for fourth place.

Women’s 200 Free Relay

Texas topped the 200 free relay in a season-best 1:29.05, getting three 22s and a 21 from their four legs. Senior Gretchen Jaques, fresh off her 100 breast win, was most impressive, blasting a 21.67 on the anchor leg for the Longhorns.

Sophomore Brynne Wong, who also won an individual event (the 200 free) earlier in the night, led off in 22.94. The middle two legs came from freshmen: Rebecca Millard (22.04) and Mimi Schneider (22.40) as Texas hit the NCAA A cut.

Iowa State was second, getting a 23.16 leadoff leg from senior Amanda Paulson to go 1:32.05. Also fast on that relay was junior Alex Flatness, who anchored in 22.81.

Kansas took third, going 1:32.21 and nearly running down the Cyclones; Yulduz Kuchkarova was 22.40 on her anchor leg. Following them were TCU (1:32.99) and West Virginia (133.09).

Also of note: Texas actually had a better leadoff leg on its B relay, where freshman Sam Sutton went 22.84. Also fast on that relay was sophomore MaKayla Markey, who split 22.53.

Men’s 200 Free Relay

Keeping their event sweep alive, the Texas men topped the 200 free relay in 1:17.82, a great time that would rank inside the top 10 nationally, but not too quick compared to the team’s mid-season rest time of 1:16.72.

This team got a 19.58 leadoff leg from freshman Brett Ringgold, probably the best split of the relay. With a flying start, Tripp Cooper was 19.31 swimming third, and the other two legs were just a tick behind – John Murray in 19.47 and Kip Darmody in 19.46.

Obviously, Texas is saving its best stuff for the national championships, but this is one race the Longhorns will have to show marked improvement to compete nationally, with NC State and Alabama absolutely blowing up in the ACC and SEC, respectively.

West Virginia was 1:18.50, with leadoff man Tim Squires going 19.65 and Andrew Marsh capping off a busy night with a 19.32 anchor leg.

TCU wound up third in 1:21.94, their best split coming courtesy of Garrett Hills at 20.27.

Team Scores

After three days of racing, Texas has a stranglehold on the points leads. But the races for second are staying interesting, with the TCU men leading by about 60 and the Iowa State women by just about 50.

Women

1. Texas – 745.5
2. Iowa State – 413.5
3. Kansas – 366
4. West Virginia – 315
5. TCU – 294

Men

1. Texas – 741
2. TCU – 505
3. West Virginia – 447