2019 Big 12 Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

BIG 12 – MEN AND WOMEN

The 2019 Big 12 Championships kicked off with time trials this morning, but the official competition begins tonight in Austin, Texas. Swimmers are set to compete in finals of the 200 medley relays and 800 free relays. We’ll also see men’s 1-meter diving action.

Most of the big-name Texas swimmers, both men and women, have already punched their NCAA tickets, but we may see some big times from some of the stars even without a full taper, and we’ve also seen some other swimmers blow up big here in the past, so tonight should serve as the introduction to an exciting week of racing, even if the team battles aren’t in doubt.

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

  1. Texas – 1:36.86
  2. Iowa State – 1:39.83
  3. Kansas – 1:40.05

The Longhorns had four solid splits as they won by almost three seconds over Iowa State. Claire Adams (24.25), Kennedy Lohman (27.44), Remedy Rule (23.47) and Grace Ariola (21.70) combined for a 1:36.86. That’s 0.67 slower than they were earlier in the season, but that could be a positive sign for their NCAA performance next month, as in previous years they’ve been known to peak more in February than in March.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

  1. Texas – 1:24.25
  2. WVU – 1:24.94
  3. TCU – 1:29.60

This one was a little closer than you might expect, as West Virginia finished within a second of the Longhorns. Texas has been experimenting with this relay lineup all season long, and tonight they opted to lead off with Ryan Harty, who put up a 21.30, followed by Charlie Scheinfeld split 23.82 on breast. John Shebat, who’s been the backstroker on the Longhorns’ medleys the past three season, went 20.32 on the fly leg, and Tate Jackson anchored in 18.81.

Texas’ 1:24.25 missed the Big 12 Meet Record of 1:24.23, set in 2009, by .02 seconds.

A 23.34 breast split by Jake Armstrong was the main reason that WVU kept it close. Angelo Russo led off in 21.87, Sam Neaveill split 20.72 on fly, and Merwane Elmerini anchored in 19.01.

Women’s 800 Free Relay

  1. Texas – 6:58.52
  2. Kansas – 7:10.74
  3. WVU – 7:16.20

The Longhorns got four consistent splits, as all their legs were within one second of each other, as they went 6:58.52 for 12-second win. Claire Adams led off in 1:44.48, followed by Evie Pfeifer (1:44.26), Remedy Rule (1:45.17), and Joanna Evans (1:44.61).

Kansas took 2nd, with Jenny Nusbaum going on the 1:45.68 lead off leg. The race for 3rd was the only close one of the night, as Giselle Gursoy split 1:47.94 to lead WVU over Iowa State by 1.19s.

Men’s 800 Free Relay

  1. Texas – 6:15.61
  2. TCU – 6:33.22
  3. WVU – 6:35.38

Again, when it’s hard to make much of the swims of the Longhorn men who’ve already qualified. Drew Kibler led off in 1:33.08, a bit off what he was earlier in the year. Austin Katz and Jeff Newkirk split 1:34.58 and 1:34.84 — they both can comfortably split 1:32s, and Townley Haas anchored in 1:33.11, a time which he may improve by four seconds next month. Notably, Tate Jackson did extend his range a bit by swimming on the B relay, where he split 1:34.83.

TCU beat WVU by just over two seconds, with TCU’s Joao Andrade having the fastest split by a non-Longhorn, with a 1:37.08.

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Zeke4Heisman
5 years ago

Texas broke the meet record in the Medley, I think they’ll be just fine come March…

Admin
Reply to  Zeke4Heisman
5 years ago

Err…I don’t think they did. They missed by 3 seconds.

Zeke4Heisman
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

Big 12 meet not conference record buddy……..

Admin
Reply to  Zeke4Heisman
5 years ago

They still missed it. By .02 seconds.

And I’m not your buddy, pal.

Zeke4Heisman
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

You said it was missed by 3 seconds

Admin
Reply to  Zeke4Heisman
5 years ago

You said it was a record. Guess we were both wrong.

Zeke4Heisman
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

Apologies on my part

Hook em
5 years ago

Once again showing Texas is the superior team. Never to be rivaled by any other team! 🤘🏻

Silent Observer
Reply to  Hook em
5 years ago

Cal, Indiana and NCState say hello.

{depending on the roster… Florida photobombs and waves from the bg}

Silent Observer
Reply to  Hook em
5 years ago

In their conference? Or all of the NCAAs?

The former is def true, 1000%

Wethorn
5 years ago

Texas!

Harambe
Reply to  Wethorn
5 years ago

….is back!

Swimmer
Reply to  Harambe
5 years ago

Would have finished 4th at ACCs. Relay woes continue to plague the horns. Come on divers!!

Silent Observer
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

Correct. At ACCs… Texas women would of been 7th, men 4th.

Looking at the BIG-10 & PAC-12 to see how everyone stacks up. Will be even more eye opening.

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

Who cares

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

NC State finishes 4th at ACCs. Relay woes continue to plague the Wolfpack.

Swimmer
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
5 years ago

Yep. Scored more relay points than any other team at ncaas last year. You definitely know what you are talking about

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

glad we have an expert here.

Troy
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

Texa dominates this meet, if their swimmers have cuts it doesnt make since to taper much at all. People that are close to cuts will swim well, the ones who have cuts for NCAAs will show up their

BreaststrokeBen
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

If Texas was in the ACC I assume their rest for conference would look different…

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  BreaststrokeBen
5 years ago

Probably not. It seems they would rather win NCAAs than anything else.

Win Cal won NCAAs not too long ago, they didn’t win PAC 12s. I highly doubt Cal cared they lost PAC 12s after winning NCAAs. The top teams like winning conference but it’s not the most important part of their season.

Bay City Tex
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
5 years ago

You are right. 5 seasons isn’t really that far ago.
Cal is due this year.

Horninco
Reply to  BreaststrokeBen
5 years ago

Not really. How would that change their goal of winning the national title.

If you have a national title contending team and yuh decide to taper for your conference and blow your chance to win NCAA’s then you deserve to get fired.

You think Nick Saban caught heat for not winning the SEC a few years back when he went on to win the CFP?

No

No

No.

And NO!

You guys are funny

spectatorn
Reply to  Horninco
5 years ago

We will never know with Big12 only have 2 other Men’s teams whom are tapered for this conference meet, but the times still no competitive (except WVU’s 200y Medley Relay got a B cut). It is not like Texas is in any danger of losing their conference title anytime soon. Thus, it is a trade off they don’t have to deal with.

Teams in other conferences may cut their conference meet close or settle for top 3 there, if they think they have a real shot at NCAA champion title (NCAA DI champion contender would still be very competitive at conference level without full taper). But except those rare few, winning conference titles do mean something for teams and swimmers.

Horninco
Reply to  Wethorn
5 years ago

FIGHT!

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