2019 Women’s B1G Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2019 WOMEN’S B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 20th to Saturday, February 23rd | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm (6pm Saturday)
• Where: Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center, Bloomington, IN (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Michigan Wolverines (3x) (results)
• Live Results
• Streaming: Big Ten Network
• Championship Central: here

The final day of the 2019 Women’s B1G Championships will feature just four swimming events this morning with the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly on tap.

Beata Nelson, Lilly King, and Vanessa Krause will be seeking successful title defenses over the three 200s, while 2018 runner-up Siobhan Haughey is the favorite coming into the 100 free.

Women’s 200 Back Prelims

• B1G Meet Record: 1:49.59, Beata Nelson (WISC), 2018

1. Beata Nelson, WISC, 1:50.81
2. Chantal Nack, MINN, 1:53.19
3. Vera Koprivova, RUT, 1:53.62
4. Chloe Hicks, MICH, 1:53.89
5. Kristen Romano, OSU, 1:54.49
6. Tevyn Waddell, MINN, 1:54.50
7. Jacklyn Simpson, PUR, 1:54.61
8. Tereza Grusova, RUT, 1:54.70

Wisconsin junior Beata Nelson dominated the 200 back prelims with the top time by over two seconds in 1:50.81, breaking the Pool Record. This stands up as the sixth fastest swim of her career, and she is now in line to win a third individual gold tonight after winning the 200 IM and 100 back earlier.

Chantal Nack of Minnesota qualified 2nd overall in 1:53.19, not far off her lifetime best of 1:52.76, and fellow senior Vera Koprivova of Rutgers continues her impressive meet with the 3rd fastest time of the morning in 1:53.62. Koprivova swam a big PB last night to take 3rd in the 100 back, and will aim to dip below her best of 1:52.42 set in December tonight.

Women’s 100 Free Prelims

• B1G Meet Record: 47.43, Zhesi Li (OSU), 2018

1. Catie Deloof, MICH, 47.58
2. Siobhan Haughey, MICH, 47.65
3. Daria Pyshnenko, MICH, 48.71
4. Lillie Hosack, WISC, 48.82
5. Freya Rayner, OSU, 48.86
6. Morgan Scott, IU, 48.91
7. Taylor Petrak, OSU, 49.09
8. Zoe Avestruz, MINN, 49.18

The Michigan Wolverines took the top three spots in the 100 free this morning, led by senior Catie Deloof who established a new personal best time in 47.58. This is just her second time getting under 48 after clocking 47.76 earlier this season at the UGA Invite. Deloof has two runner-up finishes so far at the competition in the 50 and 200 free, but has never won an individual Big Ten title.

Fellow senior Siobhan Haughey qualified 2nd in 47.65, and should have a lot more in the tank tonight having been a best of 46.72 in December. She’ll be looking to regain the title she won in her freshman year in 2016.

The third Wolverine was sophomore Daria Pyshnenko, who was .01 off her best time from the 2018 Big Tens in 48.71. Wisconsin freshman Lillie Hosack (48.82) and Ohio State sophomore Freya Rayner (48.86) were the others under 49, with Hosack’s swim a new best time by nearly a full second.

Women’s 200 Breast Prelims

• B1G Meet Record: 2:04.03, Lilly King (IU), 2017

1. Lilly King, IU, 2:06.99
2. Laura Morley, IU, 2:08.16
3. Miranda Tucker, MICH, 2:08.59
4. Calypso Sheridan, NU,  2:08.61
5. Noelle Peplowski, IU, 2:09.10
6. Lindsey Kozelsky, MINN, 2:09.59
7. Jamie Zhen Yeung, MICH, 2:09.69
8. Bailey Andison, IU, 2:10.80

After having no swimmers earn a second swim in the 200 back, Indiana put four swimmers through to the ‘A’ final of the 200 breast, led by three-time defending champion Lilly King. King cruised through her heat, doing what we’ve seen her do sometimes in the past by sprinting the last 50. Her final split was 30.39, giving her the top seed in 2:06.99 after her opening 100 of 1:03.09 was just the 11th fastest in the field.

Her teammate Laura Morley dipped under her best time of 2:08.25 in 2:08.16 for the #2 seed, followed by Michigan’s Miranda Tucker (2:08.59) and Northwestern’s Calypso Sheridan (2:08.61). Last season, Morley finished 8th in 2:11.55.

2018 4th place finisher Rachel Munson of Minnesota notably missed the ‘A’ final with the 9th fastest time of 2:11.67.

Women’s 200 Fly Prelims

• B1G Meet Record: 1:53.44, Vanessa Krause (MICH), 2018

1. Vanessa Krause, MICH, 1:55.76
2. Kathrin Demler, OSU, 1:56.03
3. Francesca Stoppa, RUT, 1:56.26
4. Sierra Schmidt, MICH, 1:57.10
5. Victoria Kwan, MICH, 1:57.24
6. Isabelle Murray, NEB, 1:57.28
7. Shelby Koontz, IU / Madison Hart, PSU, 1:57.44
8. –

Defending champion Vanessa Krause of Michigan won the final heat of the morning to take the top seed heading into tonight’s 200 fly final, finishing in a time of 1:55.76.

Kathrin Demler of Ohio State had the 2nd fastest swim of her career for the 2nd seed in 1:56.03, and last year’s 4th place finisher Francesca Stoppa of Rutgers was close behind for 3rd overall in 1:56.26.

POINTS RACE

Indiana came into today leading Michigan by 111 points (938.5-827.5), but scoring out this morning’s results as if they were finals the Wolverines make up 48 of those points. Obviously this doesn’t include tonight’s diving, the 1650, or the 400 free relay.