2018 Big 12 Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2018 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

It’s day 3 at the Big 12 Championships, and two-time defending NCAA champion Townley Haas is set to swim the 200 free.

We should also see Olympic champ Joseph Schooling in the 100 fly and the Texas women will send rising star Claire Adams into action in the women’s 100 back.

Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates of all the action from Austin.

Women’s 100 Fly Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 51.19
NCAA B Cut: 54.49
2017 Invite Time: 52.52

Top 8:

  1. Rule, TX – 52.43
  2. Case, TX – 52.82
  3. Bullock, WVU – 53.35
  4. Reese, TX – 53.65
  5. Edwards, TX – 54.01
  6. Roemer, TCU – 54.12
  7. Miranda, WVU – 54.43
  8. Currat, WVU – 54.65

Remedy Rule knocked out a solid 52.43 to lead prelims narrowly over teammate Lauren Case. Rule should probably be into NCAAs with her 52.2 from midseason. She sits 31st nationwide, pending results of the Pac-12 meet. (39 or 40 swimmers made NCAAs per event on the women’s side last year). Case will probably have to turn up the heat at finals to earn an NCAA invite in this event, though she’s in better shape to earn an invite through the 200 fly.

West Virginia put three into the final, including Morgan Bullock, who sits third overall in 53.35, the second-fastest time in school history.

Men’s 100 Fly Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 45.49
NCAA B Cut: 48.29
2017 Invite Time: 46.10

Top 8:

  1. Schooling, TX – 45.13
  2. Jackson, TX – 47.02
  3. Ringgold, TX – 47.14
  4. Pomajevich, TX / Holter TX – 47.42
  5. Neaveill, WVU – 47.58
  6. Tenney, TX – 48.27
  7. Russo, WVU – 48.31

Joseph Schooling cruised to a 45.13 this morning, and outstanding time for a prelims swim and a good sign heading into the NCAA season. Schooling will have his work cut out for him to match his own Big 12 history though: he was 44.06 at this meet last year, 44.62 in 2016 and 44.81 as a freshman in 2015.

He’s followed by a pair of sprint freestylers-turned flyers, with Tate Jackson going 47.02 and Brett Ringgold 47.14. Freshman star Sam Pomajevich was just 47.42, but has a chance to challenge his midseason 46.3 in the finals tonight after tying with Max Holter for fourth.

Women’s 400 IM Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 4:04.70
NCAA B Cut: 4:19.39
2017 Invite Time: 4:10.86

Top 8:

  1. Pfeifer, TX – 4:13.50
  2. Wolters, TX – 4:18.25
  3. Ruegemer, ISU – 4:19.48
  4. Pollok, TX – 4:19.92
  5. Downey, KS – 4:20.80
  6. Luddy, ISU – 4:21.78
  7. Rice, TCU – 4:23.05
  8. Flanagan, KS – 4:23.26

Texas Longhorn freshman Evie Pfeifer did what she had to in the morning, nabbing the #1 seed with a 4:13.50 in the 400 IM. That’s well off her season-best, but with a good ten-second cushion to make the final, Pfeifer didn’t have to do anything more than she did. Her season-best of 4:08.4 should safely put her into NCAAs, but her teammate Maxine Wolters will have to make a solid drop tonight to fight for an NCAA invite in this event.

Iowa State notched two A finalists, led by Haley Ruegemer, who sits just four tenths off the school record at 4:19.48.

Men’s 400 IM Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 3:39.95
NCAA B Cut: 3:54.49
2017 Invite Time: 3:44.92

Top 8:

  1. Roberts, TX – 3:46.70
  2. Stewart, TX – 3:49.46
  3. Larson, TX – 3:50.89
  4. Hunnicut, TCU – 3:52.45
  5. Carr, WVU – 3:52.70
  6. Harty, TX – 3:54.98
  7. Dixon, WVU – 3:55.41
  8. Odendaal, TCU – 3:56.44

Texas took the top three spots in the men’s 400 IM, with Jonathan Roberts putting together a strong 3:46 to lead the way. He’ll be followed by Sam Stewart and JohnThomas Larson, both of whom should be in the 3:40s tonight.

TCU and West Virginia each earned a pair of finals spots. Carlos Hunnicut dropped five seconds off his seed to take fourth for TCU.

Women’s 200 Free Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 1:43.30
NCAA B Cut: 1:47.99
2017 Invite Time: 1:45.44

Top 8:

  1. Carrozza, TX – 1:45.07
  2. McCullagh, TX – 1:47.40
  3. Nusbaum, KS – 1:47.93
  4. Gursoy, WVU – 1:48.08
  5. Parrish, KS – 1:48.44
  6. Shiller, TX – 1:48.66
  7. Luo, ISU – 1:48.98
  8. Kenchel, TCU – 1:49.42

Texas’s Quinn Carrozza was within a second of her best in leading prelims of the 200 free by a wide margin. Carrozza has been 1:44.11 this year and went 1:45.07 this morning. The closest to her was teamamte Nora McCullagh at 1:47.40.

Kansas’s duo of Jenny Nusbaum and Lauryn Parrish will be in the mix with that next tier tonight, with West Virginia’s Giselle Gursoy in between the two.

Men’s 200 Free Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 1:32.54
NCAA B Cut: 1:37.99
2017 Invite Time: 1:34.20

Top 8:

  1. Newkirk, TX – 1:34.73
  2. Kline, TX – 1:35.22
  3. Haas, TX – 1:35.60
  4. Huerta, TX – 1:36.14
  5. Neri, TX – 1:37.38
  6. Bowman, TX – 1:37.60
  7. Kelly, WVU – 1:38.13
  8. Damich, WVU – 1:38.66

It’s been Texas’ bread-and-butter event for awhile now, so it’s no surprise the Longhorns took the top 6 spots in the 200 free. Two-time defending NCAA champ Townley Haas was only third, but usually doesn’t break out until his taper, and has no real reason to rest for Big 12s.

Jeff Newkirk is the top qualifier, with Sam Kline just behind. Jacob Huerta was 1:36.14 and keep an eye on fifth-place Parker Neri after the freshman dropped five seconds from prelims to finals yesterday in winning the 500 free.

Women’s 100 Breast Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 58.85
NCAA B Cut: 1:02.49
2017 Invite Time: 1:00.34

Top 8:

  1. Lohman, TX – 59.33
  2. Downey, KS – 1:01.48
  3. Anderson, TX – 1:01.64
  4. Harris, WVU – 1:01.73
  5. Newton, TCU – 1:02.34
  6. Hansen, TX – 1:02.57
  7. Delaquis, ISU – 1:02.72
  8. Haas, ISU – 1:03.25

Big-time Arizona transfer Kennedy Lohman dipped below a minute for the first time as a Longhorn, going 59.33 to all but lock herself into an NCAA berth. That’s a lifetime-best by half a second, beating what she went as a Wildcat last season.

Coming off of a solid 400 IM earlier in the session, Kansas’ Haley Downey showed her toughness, cutting a second and a half from seed to go 1:01.48 in the 100 breast. That breaks a school record by half a second.

Texas will also have Olivia Anderson in the final, just behind Downey, and West Virginia’s Emma Harris is half a second off a school record herself, sitting fourth.

Men’s 100 Breast Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 51.74
NCAA B Cut: 55.39
2017 Invite Time: 52.62

Top 8:

  1. Armstrong, WVU – 52.11
  2. Disibio, WVU – 52.75
  3. Temple, TX – 53.42
  4. Melzer, TX – 53.50
  5. Butler, TX – 53.77
  6. Cheng, TX – 54.07
  7. Riebel, WVU – 54.43
  8. Anya, TX – 54.55

West Virginia had a stellar showing in the men’s breaststroke, putting three into the top 8 including the top two spots. Both Jake Armstrong and Tristen Disibio were under the old school record, becoming the first 52-second men in WVU history.

Those looking for good news about Texas’s medley relays might want to look away. The Texas breaststrokers had some decent drops, but nothing in the ballpark of replacing the graduated Will Licon on the team’s medley relays. The Horns were led by Austin Temple at 53.42. Temple was 52.3 three years ago, but hasn’t broken 53 since then. Casey Melzer and Jared Butler both dropped a tenth from seed and Arthur Cheng had a nice half-second drop down to 54.0.

Women’s 100 Back Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 51.16
NCAA B Cut: 55.09
2017 Invite Time: 52.65

Top 8:

  1. Adams, TX – 51.38
  2. Harty, TX – 53.98
  3. Currat, WVU – 54.20
  4. Amato, KS – 54.51
  5. Edwards, TX – 54.60
  6. Manning, KS – 54.81
  7. Emswiler, ISU – 54.82
  8. Ibrahim, TCU – 54.82

Claire Adams hit a season-best en route to a runaway top seed in the 100 back. Her 51.38 tops her seed by four hundredths. She’s now within a half-second of a lifetime-best, and a few tenths off the 51.19 she went at this meet last year.

Kaitlin Harty wasn’t far off her season-best, either, sitting second. West Virginia’s Amelie Currat was 54.20, inching closer to the school record of 53.8. Meanwhile Kansas’ Elizabeth Amato was 54.51. Swimming the second half of a 100 fly/100 back double, Victoria Edwards was 54.60 – she’s going to need a drop in one of these events or the 200 fly to earn an NCAA bid.

Men’s 100 Back Prelims

NCAA A Cut: 45.25
NCAA B Cut: 48.49
2017 Invite Time: 46.28

Top 8:

  1. Shebat, TX – 45.92
  2. Katz, TX – 46.58
  3. Artmann, TX – 48.00
  4. Hartke, WVU – 49.09
  5. Hene, WVU – 49.17
  6. Russo, WVU – 49.31
  7. Elmerin, WVU – 49.75
  8. Nezami, TCU – 50.07

John Shebat has been absent for over a month for the Longhorns, but made a triumphant return this morning with a 45.92 top qualifying spot in the 100 back. Shebat appeared the heir apparent to win both NCAA backstroke crowns after the graduation of Ryan Murphy, but his absence this winter has thrown that into doubt. But that swim should give him a punching chance at an NCAA invite, and isn’t far off what he went at this meet last year (45.72).

Freshman Austin Katz was 46.58, a bit off his mid-season best, but with room to move up and challenge Shebat tonight.

West Virginia stacked five guys into the final, all between 49.0 and 49.7.

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Right Dude Here
6 years ago

Well, Shebat’s back.

Sir Swimsalot
Reply to  Right Dude Here
6 years ago

That’s a good prelims swim. So many factors though. Is he rested? Did he cruise the prelims? Honestly there’s no way to tell anymore.

Right Dude Here
Reply to  Sir Swimsalot
6 years ago

Sure we don’t know how optimal his training has been, but that swim definitely proves he hasn’t lost it, as some people have feared.

Silent Observer
Reply to  Right Dude Here
6 years ago

I wouldn’t say he is the “heir apparent to win both NCAA backstroke crowns” with a 45.9

Just look across the country at ACCs and you will find some faster times… NCState SO Coleman Stewart for example. 44.8 in prelims 100 BK

hambone
6 years ago

Almost always the least interesting conference championship meet, not competitive and times are blah. Texas gets a little advantage every year going into NCAAs not having to break stride for this meet.

Swimmer
Reply to  hambone
6 years ago

Haas would be in the B final and Jackson would barely make the C final if they were in the ACC.

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  hambone
6 years ago

Both Texas and Cal don’t care about their conference meets. They only care about performing their best at NCAAs. It was 1-2 years ago where Cal didn’t even win PAC 12s. No one breaks stride for their conference meet is their main focus is NCAAs.

JJJ
6 years ago

At this point Texas is either going to crush it at NCs or flop historically.
I’m assuming Haas and Schooling are not rested at all. If the same is true for Tate Jackson and Brett Ringgold, their top guys are actually looking quite good. One very good sign for Texas is they’ve had a pretty impressive showing thus far from guys like Neri and Larson. Also Temple has a fairly decent split on the 400 medley last night. Curious to see what he can do in the breastroke today. They need him under 52 on the relay if they want to even stand a remote chance of winning it at NCs.

Just Keep Swimmin'
Reply to  JJJ
6 years ago

Jackson fully rested and tapered – and nailed it. Said he feels amazing at this meet.

Right Dude Here
6 years ago

45.1 for Schooling.

A time that we know is pedestrian for him.
A time that none of us could come close to lol

Distance Swimmer
Reply to  Right Dude Here
6 years ago

After yesterday’s 50, I don’t anticipate a big time drop tonight, I see a 44.8 from him tonight, 44.59 at best I think.

Buona
Reply to  Distance Swimmer
6 years ago

Schooling swam incredibly fast in Big 12 last year. 18.76 in 50 free, 44.06 in 100 fly. It will be nice to see him dip below 44 tonight.

Blackflag82
Reply to  Buona
6 years ago

Last year he was under-training and his times between Big 12 and NCAA’s showed it (small time drops from in season to taper means not much a taper could have done rest-wise). Based on these times, it seems like he might have a better base this year. I doubt we’ll see anything under 44.5 tonight but I think there’s a fair chance we’ll see him dip into the 43.5 range at NCAAs

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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