2020 Women’s B1G Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2020 WOMEN’S B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Swimming & Diving
• When: Wednesday, February 19th to Saturday, February 22nd | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm (6pm Saturday)
• Where: Campus Recreation & Wellness Center, Iowa City, Iowa (Central Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Indiana University Hoosiers (1x) (results)
• Live Results
• Streaming: Big Ten Network
• Championship Central: here
• Fan Guide
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times
• NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Day 1 Results
• Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

The first prelims session of the 2020 B1G Championships is underway this morning, featuring the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free. After an exciting night of relays, let’s get into some individual racing. Kathrin Demler is the top seed in the 500 free, coming in with a season best of 4:37.22. Michigan’s distance duo of Sierra Schmidt and Kaitlynn Sims sit just behind Demler heading into today. Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson is the top seed in the 200 IM by over 4 seconds. Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil is the top seed by a signifcant margin in the 50 free, coming in at 21.60. However, Ohio State’s Freya Rayner split an incredible 21.05 on the medley relay last night, and if she can recapture that magic from a flat start, Rayner could give Macneil a run for her money.

500 FREE – PRELIMS:

• B1G Record: G Ryan – 4:34.28
• Meet Record: G Ryan – 4:34.40
• Pool Record: Mackenzie Padington – 4:37.01
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:36.30
• Defending Champion: Chantal Nack – 4:36.55

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Kaitlynn Sims (MICH) – 4:39.14
2. Molly Kowal (OSU) – 4:39.27
3. Cassy Jernberg (IU) – 4:39.50
4. Kathrin Demler (OSU) – 4:40.40
5. Maria Heitmann (IU) – 4:40.91
6. Sierra Schmidt (MICH) – 4:41.21
7. Veronica Tafuto (OSU) – 4:41.58
8. Autumn Haebig (NEB)  -4:43.13

Michigan freshman Kaitlynn Sims took the first of the circle seeded heats in 4:39.14, establishing the top spot in prelims, and holding on to that top spot through the last 2 heats. Sims swam a very consistent race, splitting low-to-mid 28s through the swim. Molly Kowal of Ohio State swam a nearly identical race to Sims, coming in just .13 seconds behind, and IU’s Cassy Jernberg also swam a very similar race for 3rd. The Buckeyes got 3 swimmers into the A final, Michigan and IU each got 2 apiece. Nebraska’s Autumn haebig swam a season best by a second to pick up the 8th spot this morning, bumping out Iowa’s Allyssa Fluitt, who ended in 9th with a 4:43.13.

Notably, IU’s Josie Grote was seeded with a 4:41.08, but clocked a 4:44.10 this morning for a 10th place finish. Ohio State’s Georgia White posted a massive season best this morning to make the C final. White entered the meet with a season best of 4:55.92, and swam a 4:46.95 to qualify 21st.

200 IM – PRELIMS:

• B1G Record: Beata Nelson – 1:50.79
• Meet Record: Beata Nelson – 1:52.27
• Pool Record: Emma Reaney – 1:55.18
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:53.66
• Defending Champion: Beata Nelson – 1:52.27

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Beata Nelson (WISC) – 1:52.60
2. Calypso Sheridan (NU) – 1:54.39
3. Mac Looze (IU) – 1:56.47
4. Lillie Hosack (WISC) – 1:56.53
5. Josephine Panitz (OSU) – 1:57.34
6. Victoria Kwan (MICH) – 1:57.58
7. Hanna Gresser (OSU) – 1:57.72
8. Kristen Romano (OSU)/Olivia Carter (MICH) – 1:57.79 *Swim-off required*

Calypso Sheridan blew away the penultimate heat to break the pool record of 1:55.18. Top seed and favorite for the NCAA title, Beata Nelson, then came up in the next heat and blew away everyone, clocking a 1:52.60 to shatter the 2-minute-old pool record. Nelson holds the meet record from last year with a 1:52.27. IU’s Mac Looze picked up the 3rd spot for tonight, throwing down a blistering breast split of 32.90, marking the only sub-33 split in the field.

Wisconsin’s Lillie Hosack Decimated her season best of 2:03.01, picking up the #4 spot this morning with a 1:56..53. Ohio State potentially picked up another 3 A finalists, although Kristen Romano will have to swim-off against Michigan’s Olivia Carter for that 8th spot.

50 FREE – PRELIMS:

• B1G Record: Zhesi Li – 21.28
• Meet Record: Zhesi Li – 21.28
• Pool Record: Rebecca Thompson – 22.04
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 21.66
• Defending Champion: Maggie MacNeil – 21.65

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Maggie MacNeil (MICH) – 21.51
2. Freya Rayner (OSU) – 21.89
3. Cora Dupre (IU) – 21.90
4. Daria Pyshnenko (MICH) – 21.97
5. Miranda Tucker (MICH) – 22.35
6. Taylor Petrak (OSU) – 22.37
7. Elinah Phillip (RUT) – 22.48
8. Maddie Cooke (PSU) – 22.51

Maggie MacNeil maintained her top seed, bettering her season best by .09 seconds. She broke the pool record with her swim, a pool record which the top 4 swimmers in the field were under. Freya Rayner took an impressive .66 seconds off her season best to post a 2189 for 2nd. IU freshman Cora Dupre swam a lifetime best 21.90 to break 22 seconds for the first in her career. Daria Pyshnenko also broke 22 seconds for the first time ever to take the 4th seed for tonight.

Rutgers got their first A finalist of the meet in, when freshman Elinah Phillip  clocked a lifetime best 22.48 for 7th.