2017 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2017 B1G WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 15th to Saturday, February 18th | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: Michigan Wolverines (results)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream via Big Ten Network
• Championship Central

Day 3 prelims will get underway this morning at the 2017 Women’s Big Ten Championships, fresh off a fast session last night. Multiple records were set, including three Championship Records in the 50 free, 500 free, and 400 medley relay.

The Indiana women were the victors in that 400 medley relay, setting the Conference Championship record by over a second in 3:28.89. They left last night with a lead in the points race at 393, followed by Wisconsin (378.5), Michigan (363), and Minnesota (361) in what will be a closely contested race to the end.

Michigan suffered a blow when defending champion Siobhan Haughey was disqualified in the 200 IM after touching first, costing them a full 32 points. The benefactor of that disqualification, Lilly King, will be the favourite in the 100 breaststroke this morning seeded two seconds ahead of her closest competitor. It’s worth noting that she split 56.53 on the 400 medley relay last night, giving her a reasonable shot at her American Record of 56.85 today. Haughey will headline the 200 free, and last night’s 50 free winner Zhesi Li carries the top seed into the women’s 100 fly.

On tap today is the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back, along with 3-meter diving. Tonight the 200 free relay will also be added to the schedule.

100 Fly Prelims

• B1G Record: 51.42, Zhesi Li, Ohio State, 2016                   
• B1G Meet: 51.61, Becca Weiland, Minnesota, 2013
• Pool:  51.43, Elaine Breeden, Stanford, 2010

1. Gia Dalesandro, Indiana, 51.79
2. Zhesi Li, Ohio State, 51.98
3. Dana Grindall, Wisconsin, 52.08
4. Vanessa Krause, Michigan, 52.46
5. Elizabeth Nelson, Wisconsin, 52.68
6. Danielle Nack, Minnesota, 52.91
7. Tevyn Waddell, Minnesota, 52.95
8. Christine Jensen, Indiana, 52.98

Indiana’s Gia Dalesandro led the women’s 100 fly prelims this morning in 51.79, followed by Zhesi Li of Ohio State who clocked 51.98 for 2nd. This should be a very close race tonight, as the two of them were not only close this morning, but were within 0.15 on their relay splits last night in the 400 medley (Dalesandro 51.15, Li 51.27).

Wisconsin’s Dana Grindall put up the 3rd fastest time of the morning in 52.08, dropping over a full second from her seed time. Michigan’s Vanessa Krause sits 4th after going 52.46 in the prelims, while Grindall’s Badger teammate Elizabeth Nelson is 5th at 52.68. Minnesota will have two representatives in the A-final from Danielle Nack and Tevyn Waddell, 6th and 7th overall respectively.

Dalesandro’s Hoosier teammate Christine Jensen rounds out the A-final at 52.98. Francesca Stoppa of Rutgers leads tonight’s B-final after going 53.17 this morning for 9th overall.

400 IM Prelims

• B1G Record: 4:01.41, Allysa Vavra, Indiana, 2012             
• B1G Meet: 4:01.41, Allysa Vavra, Indiana, 2012                      
• Pool: 4:00.90, Julia Smit, Stanford, 2010

1. Lindsey Clary, Ohio State, 4:06.63
2. Allyson McHugh, Penn State, 4:06.91
3. Yirong Bi, Michigan, 4:09.74
4. Kathrin Demler, Ohio State, 4:09.79
5. Danielle Valley, Wisconsin, 4:10.41
6. Meg Bailey, Ohio State, 4:10.71
7. Breanne Siwicki, Minnesota, 4:11.05
8. Samantha Lisy, Indiana, 4:11.69

Lindsey Clary will carry the top seed into tonight’s 400 IM final after clocking 4:06.63 this morning in prelims. She is one of three Buckeyes who qualified for the final, as she’ll be joined by Kathrin Demler and Meg Bailey, who qualified 4th and 6th overall respectively.

Penn State’s Allyson McHugh dropped over five seconds from her seed to go 4:06.91, the 2nd fastest time of the morning. Her and Clary were about three seconds clear of the rest of the field this morning. Demler (4:09.79) and Michigan’s Yirong Bi (4:09.74) were the only others under 4:10.

200 Free Prelims

• B1G Record: 1:42.93, Siobhan Haughey, Michigan, 2016         
• B1G Meet: 1:43.51, Siobhan Haughey, Michigan, 2016            
• Pool: 1:42.84, Allison Schmitt, Georgia, 2010

1. Siobhan Haughey, Michigan, 1:43.93
2. Kennedy Goss, Indiana, 1:43.99
3. Cierra Runge, Wisconsin, 1:44.57
4. Gabrielle DeLoof, Michigan, 1:44.87
5. G Ryan, Michigan, 1:44.94
6. Rebecca Postoll, Michigan, 1:45.44
7. Maria Heitmann, Indiana, 1:45.74
8. Kaersten Meitz, Purdue, 1:45.88

Michigan will occupy half of the 200 free A-final tonight after getting four swimmers qualified this morning, led by Siobhan Haughey in 1:43.93. Joining her will be Gabby DeLoof in 4th, G Ryan in 5th and Rebecca Postoll in 6th. This will give the Wolverines a big boost in the extremely tight points race.

Olympians Kennedy Goss (Indiana) and Cierra Runge (Wisconsin) are the two non-Wolverines in the top six, clocking times of 1:43.99 and 1:44.57 for 2nd and 3rd respectively. Goss won this race at the 2015 Championships as a freshman.

Brazilian Maria Heitmann of Indiana and Kaersten Meitz of Purdue round out tonight’s A-final, with 1:45.88 being the cut-off. Wisconsin’s Chase Kinney leads tonight’s B-final after a 9th place 1:45.91 this morning.

100 Breast Prelims

• B1G Record: 56.85, Lillia King, Indiana, 2016     
• B1G Meet: 57.35, Lillia King, Indiana, 2016               
• Pool: 58.06, Annie Chandler, Arizona, 2010

1. Lilly King, Indiana, 57.46 *Pool Record
2. Lindsey Horejsi, Minnesota, 58.96
3. Maria Carlson, Wisconsin, 59.30
4. Emma Sougstad, Iowa, 59.36
5. Kierra Smith, Minnesota, 59.57
6. Emily Kopas, Michigan, 59.79
7. Rachel Munson, Minnesota, 1:00.58
8. Cady Farlow, Purdue, 1:00.89

Defending champ Lilly King put up a pool record 57.46 this morning to cruise into finals as the top seed by 1.5 seconds. Minnesota’s Lindsey Horejsi was the only other swimmer to crack 59 seconds, putting up a 58.96 for the 2nd fastest time. Her teammates Kierra Smith (5th) and Rachel Munson (7th) also cracked the A-final to give the Gophers three in the championship heat which will help them out in the tight points race.

Wisconsin’s Maria Carlson (59.30) and Iowa’s Emma Sougstad (59.36) took 3rd and 4th overall. 6th place qualifier Emily Kopas set a new Michigan School Record in 59.79, eclipsing the old record by 0.01.

100 Back Prelims

• B1G Record: 51.05, Brooklynn Snodgrass, Indiana, 2014         
• B1G Meet: 51.51, Brooklynn Snodgrass, Indiana, 2015          
• Pool: 50.84, Gemma Spofforth, Florida, 2010

1. Elizabeth Nelson, Wisconsin, 52.11
2. Clara Smiddy, Michigan, 52.37
3. Tevyn Waddell, Minnesota, 52.41
4. Alexandra Rockett, Indiana, 52.67
5. Zoe Avestruz, Minnesota, 52.70
6. Jessica Unicomb, Wisconsin, 53.01
7. Gabrielle DeLoof, Michigan, 53.09
8. Gia Dalesandro, Indiana, 53.24

Wisconsin’s Elizabeth Nelson dropped a 52.11, nearly a second and a half under her seed time, to take the top seed heading into tonight’s A-final. Clara Smiddy of Michigan put up the second best time in 52.37, and top seed coming in Tevyn Waddell of Minnesota was 3rd in 52.41.

All four of the teams vying for the team title got two swimmers into the A-final, making the battle for spots tonight all the more intense. Indiana’s Alexandra Rockett takes the 4th seed, and her teammate Gia Dalesandro adds a second event to her schedule tonight with an 8th place finish in 53.24. Michigan’s Gabby DeLoof took 7th in 53.09, and her sister Catie DeLoof leads the B-final after qualifying 9th in 53.35. Both swims were PBs for the DeLoof sisters.