2023 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

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
• Fan Guide

FRIDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

Welcome to day three of the 2023 Women’s Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships! This morning’s action will include prelims of the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. After the conclusion of swimming this morning, there will be prelims of 3-meter diving.

A tight team battle is brewing at the top as we head into the penultimate day of the meet, so performances this morning could really set the tone for tonight.

TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 2

1. Ohio State – 441
2. Indiana – 429.5
3. Michigan – 423.5
4. Wisconsin – 347
5. Minnesota – 297
6. Northwestern – 244
7. Penn State – 200
8. Rutgers – 188
9. Nebraska – 164
10. Purdue – 151
11. Iowa – 107
12. Illinois – 106

Unlike yesterday, there will be many defending champions in the pool. In fact, only one of the event winners from last year won’t be racing today. That swimmer is former Michigan Wolverine Maggie MacNeil, who won the 100 fly last year and is now a grad transfer at LSU. MacNeil notably won the 100 fly at the SEC Championships last night, setting a new SEC Record in the process.

Outside of that, Minnesota’s Megan Van Berkom won the 400 IM last year right in the middle of her breakout meet. She enters this morning as the top seed in the event as well. Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer won the 200 free last year in a very tight race with Indiana’s Anna Peplowski, both of whom will be racing today. Fulmer is the top seed this morning, coming off a blistering 46.53 anchor on OSU’s 400 medley relay last night.

Another Buckeye, Hannah Bach, is here to defend her title from last year in the 100 breast as well. Bach isn’t the top seed in the 100 breast this morning, instead coming in at #4. The top seed this morning is Indiana’s Noelle Peplowski.

The 100 back will see Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon attempt to defend her title too. Bacon comes in as the top seed this morning with a 51.40, which notably is under the pool record of 51.52.

100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• Meet Record – 49.42, Maggie MacNeil (2020)
• Pool Record – 49.57, Maggie MacNeil (2019)
• 2022 Champion – Maggie MacNeil (Michigan), 49.74
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 50.92
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 52.35

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Katherine Zenick (Ohio State) – 51.44
2. Morgan Kraus (Ohio State) – 51.75
3. Miriam Guevara (Northwestern) – 51.78
4. Mallory Jump (Wisconsin) – 52.14
5. Brady Kendall (Michigan) – 52.28
6. Tristan Harrison (Ohio State) – 52.31
7. Aislinn Walsh (Ohio State) – 52.50
8. Natalie Kan (Michigan) – 52.57

Ohio State got out to the start they needed with the team battle as tight as it is currently. The Buckeyes managed to get four swimmers into the ‘A’ final for tonight, led by Katherine Zenick and Morgan Kraus, who posted the top two times of the morning.

Ohio State dominated the second-to-last heat of prelims, going 1-2-3 with Kraus, Tristan Harrison, and Aislinn Walsh, all of whom would go on to qualify for the ‘A’ final.

Michigan also kept their momentum going from yesterday, earning two ‘A’ finalists, a ‘B’ finalist, and a ‘C’ finalist. Freshman Brady Kendall finished fifth this morning with a new lifetime best of 52.28. That marks Kendall’s second ‘A’ finals appearance at this meet, as she was also an ‘A’ finalist in the 50 free yesterday.

Ohio State also had a near-miss, with Catherine Russo finishing ninth this morning in 52.58. That means Russo will be in prime position to potentially win the ‘B’ final tonight. She finished just 0.01 seconds out of eighth this morning.

400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS

• Meet Record – 4:01.41, Allysa Vavra (2012)
• Pool Record – 4:03.64, Lindsay Clary (2016)
• 2022 Champion – Megan Van Berkom (Minnesota), 4:03.45
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:03.62
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 4:11.60

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Felicia Pasadyn (Ohio State) – 4:09.02
2. Megan Van Berkom (Minnesota) – 4:09.34
3. Jessica Eden (Ohio State) – 4:09.77
4. Mac Looze (Indiana) – 4:10.88
5. Kathryn Ackerman (Michigan) – 4:11.08
6. Mariah Denigan (Indiana) – 4:10.88
7. Callahan Dunn (Wisconsin) – 4:12.84
8. Kyra Sommerstad (Ohio State) – 4:13.16

Ohio State continues to roll this morning, earning three ‘A’ finalists in the 400 IM to go with their four ‘A’ finalists in the 100 fly. Felcia Pasadyn, a fifth year who transferred to Ohio State from Harvard, led the way this morning with a 4:09.02, dipping under 4:10 for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Meg Van Berkom, who won this event last year, came in second this morning with a 4:09.34. Notably, Van Berkom’s season best of 4:05.81 is still the top time in the conference by a wide margin.

Ohio State freshman Jessica Eden had a big swim to get into the ‘A’ final, ripping off a 4:09.77. That was under her season best by over four seconds, earning her a third-place finish this morning.

200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record – 1:41.57, Siobhan Haughey (2019)
• Pool Record – 1:43.51, Siobhan Haughey (2016)
• 2022 Champion – Amy Fulmer (Ohio State), 1:43.73
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:42.84
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 1:45.42

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 1:44.49
2. Amy Fulmer (Ohio State) – 1:44.59
3. Abby Carlson (Wisconsin) – 1:44.65
4. Ashley Strouse (Northwestern) – 1:45.90
5. Katie Crom (Michigan) – 1:45.95
6. Blair Stoneburg (Wisconsin) – 1:46.16
7. Shannon Stott (Nebraska) – 1:46.46
8. Catherine Meisner (Penn State) – 1:46.60

Indiana’s Ann Peplowski posted the top time of the morning, clocking a 1:44.49. Wisconsin’s Abby Carlson made it a race with Peplowski in the penultimate heat, but was touched out and ended up in third overall with a 1:44.65.

Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer, the defending champion in the event, won the final heat in 1:44.59, marking the second-fastest time of the morning. Fulmer won the 200 free last year in a tight race over Peplowski, and it looks like we’re set for a repeat of that race tonight, with both swimmers right in the middle of the pool.

100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record – 55.88, Lilly King (2019)
• Pool Record – 57.35, Lilly King (2016)
• 2022 Champion – Hannah Bach (Ohio State), 57.61
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 58.10
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 59.87

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Hannah Bach (Ohio State) – 58.32
2. Josie Panitz (Ohio State) – 58.67
3. Noelle Peplowski (Indiana) – 59.41
4. Letitia Sim (Michigan) – 59.90
5. Hannah Brunzell (Northwestern) – 59.90
6. Jojo Randby (Nebraska) – 1:00.10
7. Elizabeth Moore (Wisconsin) – 1:00.45
8. Hazal Ozkan (Wisconsin) – 1:00.55

Ohio State was back in action in prelims of the 100 breast this morning, with Hannah Bach and Josie Panitz each dipping under 59 seconds for the first time this season. Bach is the defending champion in this event, having won in 57.61 last year.

Indiana’s Noelle Peplowski, the top seed coming into this morning, took third in 59.41.

Letitia Sim, Michigan’s only swimmer in the event, managed to make it back to the ‘A’ final, tying for fourth with Northwestern’s Hannah Brunzell at 59.90.

IU was first out as well, with Brearna Crawford finishing ninth this morning with a 1:00.79.

100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record – 49.70, Beata Nelson (2020)
• Pool Record – 51.10, Maggie MacNeil (2020)
• 2022 Champion – Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin), 51.58
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 50.89
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time – 52.46

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Nyah Funderburke (Ohio State) – 51.44
2. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 51.58
3. Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 52.34
4. Miriam Guevara (Northwestern) – 52.40
5. Morgan Kraus (Ohio State) – 52.57
6. Tristan Harrison (Ohio State) – 52.77
7. Paula Rivero (Minnesota) – 52.78
8. Mackenzie McConagha (Wisconsin) – 52.87

After not making the Big Tens team for Ohio State last year, Nyah Funderburke now finds herself as the top seed for tonight’s final. Funderburke swam a 51.44 this morning, marking a new personal best by 0.11 seconds. She beat defending Big Ten Champion Phoebe Bacon in the final heat, touching her out. bacon was second overall this morning with a 51.58, which is coincidentally the exact time she went to win the event last year.

Indiana’s Anna Peplowski was third this morning with a 52.34 after already having taken the top seed in the 200 free. Peplowski led off the 400 medley relay in a 51.62 last night, so look for her to be live in the final tonight.

Similarly, Northwestern’s Miriam Geuvara made it back for the ‘A’ of the 100 back after already qualifying for the ‘A’ final in the 100 fly earlier. Ohio State’s Morgan Kraus and Tristan Harrison are both in the same boat as well, having qualified for the ‘A’ final in the 100 back as well as the 100 fly.