2023 WOMEN’S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, February 15 – Saturday, February 18, 2023
- Canham Natatorium, Ann Arbor, MI
- Defending Champions:
- Women: Ohio State (3x)
- Live Results
- Live Video
- Championship Central
- Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
- Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Fan Guide
The final day of the 2023 Women’s Big Ten Championships is here! This morning’s prelims session will feature heats of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. Platform diving prelims will take place following the conclusion of swimming. There will also be timed finals of the 1650 free today, which will begin in the afternoon. The fastest heat of the 1650 will be swum with finals.
Let’s take a look at the team standings as we head into the final day of the meet:
TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 3
- Ohio State – 934
- Indiana – 848.5
- Michigan – 773
- Wisconsin – 649
- Minnesota – 529.5
- Northwestern – 464.5
- Penn State – 375
- Rutgers – 318.5
- Purdue – 311
- Nebraska – 299
- Iowa – 163
- Illinois – 155
Ohio State enters today in the driver’s seat, having expanded their lead to 85.5 points over second-place Indiana. That puts Ohio State in a favorable position to win their fourth-straight women’s Big Ten title, though it’s not a guarantee. The Buckeyes could all but seal the title up this morning though if they outperform Indiana by enough in prelims.
Indiana’s Brearna Crawford and Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon will have the opportunity to defend their Big Ten titles from last year today. Bacon won the 200 back last year, while Crawford won the 200 breast.
Maggie MacNeil and Olivia Carter, two former Michigan Wolverines, are not back this year, so we’re guaranteed to see new champions in those events. After her blistering 46.5 anchor on the 400 medley relay earlier in the meet, Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer looks like the prime candidate to win the 100 free, while is quite a bit more open. Based off the psych sheet it looks like we may get a repeat of the women’s 400 IM final last night, where Ohio State’s Felicia Pasadyn and Minnesota’s Megan Van Berkom competed in a thrilling race.
200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS
- Big Ten Meet Record: 1:48.47, Beata Nelson (2019)
- Canham Pool Record: 1:51.45, Kate Zubkova (2009)
- 2022 Champion: Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 1:51.23
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:50.50
- 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:53.97
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 1:52.46
- Felicia Pasadyn (Ohio State) – 1:53.39
- Mackenzie McConagha (Wisconsin) – 1:53.92
- Morgan Kraus (Ohio State) – 1:54.37
- Mya DeWitt (Indiana) – 1:54.64
- Tristan Harrison (Ohio State) – 1:54.91
- Justine Murdock (Northwestern) – 1:54.97
- Paula Rivero (Minnesota) – 1:55.17
Defending champion Phoebe Bacon no-showed the event this morning. We’re working on learning the reason for Bacon’s absence and will update we receive word from the Wisconsin coaching staff. Bacon finished third in the 100 back final last night.
200 free champion Anna Peplowski led prelims by a sizable margin this morning, clocking a 1:52.46. That time comes in just off Peplowski’s season and lifetime best of 1:52.00. Peplowski also took second in the 100 back last night.
Ohio State’s Felicia Pasadyn came in second this morning, swimming a season best 1:53.39. Pasadyn won the 400 IM last night in a thriller. She notably will also be racing in the 200 fly later in the session, marking a difficult double for the fifth year.
It was a great event for Ohio State all the way around, seeing the Buckeyes put three swimmers into the ‘A’ final.
100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
- Big Ten Meet Record: 46.57, Maggie MacNeil (2020)
Canham Pool Record: 47.71, Siobhan Haughey (2016)- 2022 Champion: Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 47.10
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 47.18
- 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 48.44
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Amy Fulmer (Ohio State) – 47.23 (Pool Record)
- Katherine Zenick (Ohio State) – 47.37
- Lindsay Flynn (Michigan) – 47.87
- Teresa Ivan (Ohio State) – 48.23
- Kristina Paegle (Indiana) – 48.45
- Ashley Turak (Indiana) – 48.67
- Ashley Strouse (Northwestern) – 48.70
- Christey Liang (Michigan) – 48.79
The Canham Natatorium pool record, which was held by Siobhan Haughey at 47.71, went down twice in consecutive heats this morning in the 100 free. Initially, Ohio State’s Katherine Zenick, the 100 fly champion from last night, broke the record with a 47.37 in the second-to-last heat. Zenick’s reign as the pool record holder only lasted about a minute-and-a-half, however, as teammate Amy Fulmer won the final heat with a 47.23, undercutting Zenick’s mark and establishing a new pool record. Haughey’s record had stood since 2016.
Michigan’s Lindsay Flynn was the only other swimmer in the field this morning to dip under 48 seconds, clocking a 47.87 for third. The Wolverines managed to get a second swimmer into the ‘A’ final, with Christey Liang, a freshman, swimming a48.79 for eighth.
Importantly, Indiana also put two swimmers into the ‘A’ final tonight, with Kristina Paegle and Ashley Turak coming in fifth and sixth respectively.
200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS
- Big Ten Meet Record: 2:04.03, Lilly King (2017)
- Canham Pool Record: 2:05.58, Lilly King (2016)
- 2022 Champion: Brearna Crawford (Indiana) – 2:06.86
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:06.18
- 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 2:09.15
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Josie Panitz (Ohio State) – 2:07.38
- Noelle Peplowski (Indiana) – 2:08.42
- Letitia Sim (Michigan) – 2:09.45
- Elizabeth Moore (Wisconsin) – 2:09.56
- Brearna Crawford (Indiana) – 2:10.05
- Mac Looze (Indiana) – 2:10.50
- Hannah Brunzell (Northwestern) – 2:10.99
- Hannah Bach (Ohio State) – 2:11.43
Ohio State’s Josie Panitz, runner-up in the 100 breast last night, clocked the top time of the morning by a full second with a 2:07.38. The performance took well over a second off Panitz’ season best in the event.
The Buckeyes also saw 100 breast champion Hannah Bach make it back to the ‘A’ final, swimming a 2:11.43 for eighth place.
This event was huge for Indiana, who need to find places to beat out Ohio State if they’re going to stand a chance at catching them in the team standings. Noelle Peplowski came in second this morning, swimming a 2:08.42. That time is notably almost three seconds off her personal and season best of 2:05.52, which is the top time in the conference this season by a wide margin.
Indiana’s Brearna Crawford, the defending champion in the event, swam a 2:10.05 for fifth this morning. Crawford won with a 2:06.86 last year, so we’ll be looking for a faster swim from her tonight. Mac Looze also made it back for the Hoosiers, coming in sixth with a 2:10.50.
Michigan put another swimmer into an ‘A’ final, seeing Letitia Sim take third this morning in 2:09.45, just off her season best of 2:09.14.
200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS
- Big Ten Meet Record: 1:51.83, Olivia Carter (2022)
- Canham Pool Record: 1:54.13, Tanja Kyllainen (2013)
- 2022 Champion: Olivia Carter (Michigan) – 1:51.83
- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:52.86
- 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:56.14
TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:
- Katie Crom (Michigan) – 1:55.52
- Felicia Pasadyn (Ohio State) – 1:55.68
- Megan Van Berkom (Minnesota) – 1:56.27
- Miriam Guevara (Northwestern) – 1:56.46
- Mallory Jump (Wisconsin) – 1:56.49
- Shannon Stott (Nebraska) – 1:57.29
- Katie Forrester (Indiana) – 1:57.52
- Sofia Chichaikina (Rutgers) – 1:57.75
Katie Crom won a tight race against Felicia Pasadyn in the final heat of the 200 fly this morning. Crom established a huge new personal best in the event and gave Michigan a very real shot at defending their title in the event. Michigan alum Olivia Carter won the event in 1:51.83 last year, setting a new meet record.
Crom will have Pasadyn to contend with again tonight, however, she’ll have a slight advantage as Pasadyn is also racing in the 200 back final at the beginning of the session.
Minnesota’s Megan Van Berkom will also surely be in the mix after finishing third this morning in 1:56.27, which is nearly a second slower than her season best.
Nebraska and Rutgers picked up ‘A’ finalists in the event as well with Shannon Stott and Sofia Chichaikina respectively.
