2016 Big 12 Championships Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2016 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Championships

• Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27
• Texas Swimming Center, Austin, TX (Central Time Zone)
• Prelims 10AM / Finals 6 PM
• Defending Champion: Texas men (19x) & Texas women (4x) (results)
• Live results
• Championship Central
• Women’s Fan Guide and Men’s Fan Guide
• Video recap – Day 3

Women’s 3-Meter Diving – Final

1. Meghan Houston, Texas, 345.60
2. Elyse Brouillet, ISU, 322.25
3. Kristina Hoffmann, Texas, 315.80

Three seniors graced the podium in the women’s 3-meter diving. The Longhorns’ Meghan Houston won the event with 345.60, performing much better in finals than she had in prelims, where she scored fourth. Elyse Brouillet of Iowa State, who had been eighth and seventh over the last two years, moved up to finish with the silver medal this year and a final score of 322.25. UT’s Kristina Hoffmann, sixth last year, took third with 315.80 points.

Women’s 400 IM – Final

1. Madisyn Cox, Texas, 4:04.67
2. Chelsie Miller, Kansas, 4:09.28
3. Nora McCullagh, Texas, 4:12.55

Texas junior Madisyn Cox successfully defended her 2015 title with a matching set for 2016. She was faster this year by about 4/10, and thus established a new meet record with her 4:04.67. She had set it last year with 4:05.08. Chelsie Miller of Kansas, runner-up to Cox in 2015 with 4:05.67, was 4.6 seconds back this time with 4:09.28. Miller won the event in 2014, going 4:07.97, and earning Kansas its first conference title in the 400 IM. Texas freshman Nora McCullagh rounded out the podium in 4:12.55, 1.4 seconds faster than she had been in prelims.

TCU freshman Alexandra Robertson won the consolation final in 4:22.63.

Iowa State had moved 30 points ahead of Kansas at the end of the women’s diving, but the Jayhawks put three in the championship final of the women’s 400 IM and narrowed the ISU lead to 4 points.

Men’s 400 IM – Final

1. Jonathan Roberts, Texas, 3:41.54
2. Will Licon, Texas, 3:42.98
3. Nate Carr, West Virginia, 3:45.88

Texas sophomore Jonathan Roberts won the men’s 400 IM and in so doing, lowered teammate Will Licon’s meet record in the event to 3:41.54. Roberts beat defending Big 12 and NCAA champion Licon with a strong effort over the first half of the race. He was up by 3 seconds by the time they hit the back-to-breast wall, and despite being outsplit by 3 seconds in the breast, hung on to come home a second faster for the 3:41.54-to-3:42.98 victory.

Nate Carr of West Virginia spoiled the Longhorns’ plans for a sweep of the podium with a 3:45.88 swim for third place. Carr’s strong back half kept him ahead of Texas senior John Martens, who placed fourth in 3:47.31.

West Virginia teammates Drew Damich (3:58.70) and James Koval (3:59.02) scored the top two spots in the consolation final.

Women’s 100 Fly – Final

1. Mimi Schneider, Texas, 52.65
2. Pia Pavlic, Kansas, 53.80
3. Haley Bishop, Kansas, 53.81

Texas sophomore Mimi Schneider was a little off her morning time but still outswam the field by over a body length as she won the women’s 100 fly with 52.65. Kansas teammates junior Pia Pavlic and freshman Haley Bishop came to the wall at the same time, or so it seemed; in the end Pavlic touched out Bishop by .01 to grab the silver medal with 53.80.

Savanna Townsend of ISU won the consolation final in 55.45.

Men’s 100 Fly – Final

1. Joseph Schooling, Texas, 44.62
2. Jack Conger, Texas, 45.28
3. Will Glass, Texas, 46.01

The Longhorns filled six of the eight lanes in the championship final and came to the wall 1-2-3-4-6-7. Sophomore Joseph Schooling led the way with a meet and conference record time of 44.62, .19 faster than his runner-up time from 2015 and .16 better than teammate Jack Conger’s winning time from last year. Conger, a junior, placed second in 45.28, ahead of teammates Will Glass (46.01) and Brett Ringgold (46.47).

Texas senior John Murray took the consolation final with a time of 46.96.

Women’s 200 Free – Final

1. Quinn Carrozza, Texas, 1:44.99
2. Joanna Evans, Texas, 1:46.95
3. Breonna Barker, Kansas, 1:49.27

Freshmen teammates Quinn Carrozza and Joanna Evans went 1-2 for the Longhorns with 1:44.99 and 1:46.95, respectively. They were both out quickly but Carrozza paced herself to a 1.6-second lead by the 150. Carroza increased her lead by a half-second over the final 50 and wound up winning by 2.

Kansas’ Breonna Barker just barely held off her fast-charging teammate Haley Molden, who took eighth in this event last year. Barker was up by about 4/10 at the halfway mark but Molden put together a strong second half and came with .02 of third place, finishing with 1:49.29. Their teammate Sammie Schurig won the consolation final with 1:50.62.

West Virginia loaded up the consolation of the women’s 200 free and closed the gap with Iowa State to within 18.5 points after this event. The race for second-third-fourth in the women’s meet is getting exciting.

Men’s 200 Free – Final

1. Townley Haas, Texas, 1:33.19
2. Jeff Newkirk, Texas, 1:35.09
3. Ross Glegg, West Virginia, 1:37.03

Although Texas junior PJ Dunne swam the top time in prelims, he ceded his place in the final and made way for freshmen Townley Haas (1:33.19) and Jeff Newkirk (1:35.09) to sweep the top two spots. Haas went a lifetime-best by .19 and earned a NCAA “A” cut with his win. Newkirk also beat his personal best, which was the 1:35.44 he swam in prelims.

West Virginia’s Ross Glegg, sixth in this event last year, earned the bronze with 1:37.03. As such he edged Texas senior Sam Lewis (1:38.11) and a pair of TCU freshmen, Leonardo Sanchez (1:38.22) and Tommy Thach (1:38.49). TCU made up ground on West Virginia with this final, and now stands within 27 points of WVU in the race for second behind Texas.

Women’s 100 Breast – Final

1. Olivia Anderson, Texas, 1:00.06
2. Jordan Surhoff, Texas, 1:01.13
3. Bethany Leap, Texas, 1:01.70

The Longhorn women swept the podium in the 100 breaststroke, with freshman Olivia Anderson leading the way. She was followed by junior Jordan Surhoff (1:01.13) and sophomore Bethany Leap (1:01.70). Anderson and Leap were significantly faster in the evening than they had been in the morning. Surhoff finished fourth in each of the last two years, while Leap was a consolation finalist in 2015.

Men’s 100 Breast – Final

1. John Story, Texas Christian, 53.24
2. Austin Temple, Texas, 54.01
3. Max Spencer, West Virginia, 54.49

TCU senior John “Ford” Story held on to his top-seeded position after prelims to earn the win in the men’s 100 breaststroke; Story clocked a 53.24, the only sub-54 in the field. Story was fourth last year and runner-up in 2014. Defending champion, sophomore Austin Temple of Texas, was second this time around with a time of 54.01. West Virginia’s Max Spencer led a trio of Mountaineers in the next three spots: Spencer took third with 54.49, while teammates Aidan Fumagalli (55.22) and Jake Iotte (55.52) placed fourth and fifth.

West Virginia now leads TCU by only 7 points in the battle for second place.

Women’s 100 Back – Final

1. Tasija Karosas, Texas, 51.40
2. Yulduz Kuchkarova, Kansas, 53.60
3. Rebecca Baxley, Texas, 54.64

Texas junior Tasija Karosas crushed the field and set a new meet and conference record, winning the women’s 100 back with 51.40. It was also her lifetime best, from 2015 NCAAs by .36. Yulduz Kuchkarova of Kansas, who has been runner-up in this event for each of the last two years, notched a 53.60 for another silver medal. Texas junior Rebecca Baxley went 54.64 for third, giving the Big 12 the exact same finish it had last year in this event.

Marissa Engel of Iowa State won the consolation final with 55.27.

Kansas has moved away from Iowa State and West Virginia in the team contest; the Jayhawks are now firmly in second behind Texas. ISU has a 23.5-point lead over WVU for third, while TCU is 53 points behind WVU.

Men’s 100 Back – Final

1. Andrew Marsh, West Virginia, 45.41
2. John Shebat, Texas, 46.08
3. Jack Conger, Texas, 46.71

West Virginia senior Andrew Marsh crushed his previous personal best to win the men’s 100 back in a NCAA “A” standard time of 45.41. Marsh finished third in this contest a year ago with 46.34 and seventh in 2014 with 48.62. Marsh took down Hill Taylor’s 2009 meet record of 45.65 in the process.

Defending champion Jack Conger of Texas placed third with 46.71, behind teammate, freshman John Shebat, who clocked a 46.08 for second place.

Men’s 3-Meter Diving – Final

1. Mark Anderson, Texas, 475.65
2. Cory Bowersox, Texas, 460.35
3. Sean O’Brien, Texas, 412.35

Junior Mark Anderson led Texas on a 1-2-3 sweep of the men’s 3-meter boards, scoring 475.65 points. Behind him were senior Cory Bowersox (460.35) and junior Sean O’Brien (412.35).

Women’s 200 Free Relay – Final

1. Texas, 1:28.69
2. Kansas, 1:32.67
3. Iowa State, 1:32.86

Sophomores Schneider (22.67) and Rebecca Millard (21.67), and freshmen Brooke Hansen (22.09) and Remedi Rule (22.26) clocked a rapid 1:28.69 to earn Texas a gold in the 200 free relay. Kansas placed second with 1:32.67, just ahead of Iowa State (1:32.86).

Men’s 200 Free Relay – Final

1. Texas, 1:17.10
2. West Virginia, 1:18.73
3. Texas Christian, 1:21.80

Texas won the men’s 200 free as well, coming to the wall in 1:17.10 with Schooling (19.70), Murray (19.22), Tate Jackson (19.25), and Ringgold (18.93).

West Virginia came in second with 1:18.73, ahead of Texas Christian’s 1:21.80.