2024 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2024 WOMEN’S BIG TEN SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Feb. 21-24, 2024
• Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center
  • West Lafayette, Indiana
• Defending champions:
  • Women: Ohio State (4x)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Live stream (B1G+)
• Live results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap

Day 3 Prelims Heat Sheet

Four-time defending champion Ohio State is clinging to an 11-point lead over Michigan after two days of action thanks to a momentum-shifting 400 medley relay disqualification by Indiana on Thursday night.

Friday morning’s slate includes prelims of the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 backstroke along with 3-meter diving. Stay tuned with live updates on the busy session below:

Team Scores After Day 2

1. Ohio State – 444
2. Michigan – 433
3. Indiana – 426
4. Wisconsin – 381.5
5. Minnesota – 286.5
6. Purdue – 199
7. Nebraska – 170
8. Penn State – 153
9. Iowa – 152
10. Northwestern – 148
11. Rutgers – 123
12. Illinois – 86

100 Butterfly – Prelims

• NCAA record: 48.25, Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 2024
• Big Ten record: 48.89, Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 2021
• Meet record: 49.42, Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 2020
• Pool record: 50.09, Maggie MacNeil (Michigan) – 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 50.69
• Time to qualify for 2023 NCAAs: 52.20

Top 8:

1. Natalie Kan (Michigan) – 51.97
2. Morgan Kraus (Ohio State) – 52.00
3. Kit Kat Zenick (Ohio State) – 52.00
4. Brady Kendall (Michigan) – 52.04
5. Tristan Harrison (Ohio State) – 52.70
6. Catherine Russo (Ohio State) – 52.93
7. Anna Boemer (Michigan) – 53.05
8. Claire Reinke (Minnesota) – 53.23

The 100 fly final tonight figures to be a close battle as the top four swimmers were separated by just .07 seconds this morning.

Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan dominated this race, combining to claim seven of the eight A-final spots up for grabs.

Leading the way was Wolverines junior Natalie Kan, the only swimmer to break the 52-second mark at 51.97. Right behind her were a pair of Buckeyes, fifth-year Morgan Kraus and senior Kit Kat Zenick, who tied at 52.00. Zenick won this event last year in 51.48 before going on to clock a personal-best 50.84 at NCAAs. Kraus is the reigning runner-up finisher with a lifetime best of 51.58.

Michigan sophomore Brady Kendall was just a blink behind them with a personal-best 52.04, shaving a couple tenths off her previous-best 52.27 from last February. She placed 6th as a freshman last year in 52.46.

Another Ohio State pair, senior Tristan Harrison (52.70) and senior Catherine Russo (52.93), joined the sub-53 club to put four Buckeyes in this A-final. Michigan freshman Anna Boemer made it three Wolverines in the A-final with her 7th-place showing in 53.05. And Minnesota freshman Claire Reinke (53.23) eked past Indiana sophomore Chiok Sze Yeo (53.24) by just a hundredth of a second to clinch the last lane for tonight’s A-final.

400 IM – Prelims

• NCAA record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (Stanford) – 2018
• Big Ten record: 4:01.35, Calypso Sheridan (Northwestern) – 2019
• Meet record: 4:01.41, Allysa Vavra – 2012
• Pool record: 4:00.90, Julia Smit – 2010
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:03.62
• Time to qualify for 2023 NCAAs: 4:11.36

Top 8:

1. Anna Freed (Indiana) – 4:08.37
2. Megan Van Berkom (Minnesota) – 4:09.17
3. Cal Dunn (Wisconsin) – 4:10.30
4. Kathryn Ackerman (Michigan) – 4:10.45
5. Jessica Eden (Ohio State) – 4:11.52
6. Krista Marlin (Ohio State) – 4:11.62
7. Mia Rankin (Ohio State) – 4:11.65
8. Kyra Sommerstad (Ohio State) – 4:11.98

Indiana senior Anna Freed blazed a huge lifetime best of 4:08.37 to unexpectedly pace prelims this morning ahead of top-seeded Minnesota senior Megan Van Berkom (4:09.17).

Freed knocked more than two seconds off her previous-best 4:10.94 from earlier this month. Before this month, her best time stood at 4:12.94 from November — meaning she dropped more than four seconds in about four months.

Van Berkom was the only other swimmer in the field under 4:10, and she’s likely got a lot more left in the tank based off her season-best 4:04.36 from November.

Wisconsin senior Cal Dunn took almost a second off her lifetime best with a 4:10.30 for 3rd place in prelims. Her previous best was 4:11.15 from November.

Michigan senior Kathryn Ackerman was close behind Dunn in a season-best time of 4:10.45. She has been as fast as 4:06.95 a few years ago at the 2021 NCAA Championships.

Ohio State may currently lack top-end talent in this event, but the Buckeyes flexed their depth by securing the final four spots in this A-final courtesy of sophomore Jessica Eden (4:11.52), sophomore Krista Marlin (4:11.62), junior Mia Rankin (4:11.65), and senior Kyra Sommerstad (4:11.98). Last year, Sommerstad placed 3rd in 4:10.34 while Eden placed 4th in 4:10.85.

200 Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin – 2015
• Big Ten record: 1:40.69, Siobhan Haughey – 2018
• Meet record: 1:41.57, Siobhan Haughey – 2019
• Pool record: 1:42.49, Siobhan Haughey – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:42.84
• Time to qualify for 2023 NCAAs: 1:45.31

Top 8:

1. Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 1:43.90
2. Abby Carlson (Wisconsin) – 1:44.09
3. Stephanie Balduccini (Michigan) – 1:44.85
4. Amy Fulmer (Ohio State) – 1:45.00
5. Ayla Spitz (Northwestern) – 1:45.04
6. Kristin Paegle (Indiana) – 1:45.49
7. Katie Crom (Michigan) – 1:45.61
8. Ella Ristic (Indiana) – 1:46.19

Top-seeded Indiana junior Anna Peplowski led the 200 free heats with a time of 1:43.90. She has been almost two seconds faster this season with her personal-best 1:42.04 from Wednesday night’s 800 free relay leadoff.

Wisconsin junior Abby Carlson was right behind Peplowski with a season-best mark of 1:44.09. Her best time is 1:43.88 from her relay leadoff on Wednesday’s 800 free relay.

Michigan freshman Stephanie Balduccini (1:44.85) snuck past Ohio State fifth-year Amy Fulmer (1:45.00) and Northwestern fifth-year Ayla Spitz (1:45.04) for the third seed.

The Hoosiers put three swimmers in the A-final with sophomore Kristina Paegle qualifying 6th in 1:45.59 and senior Ella Ristic earning the last spot in 1:46.19. Michigan sophomore Katie Crom joined Balduccini in the A-final with a 1:45.61.

100 Breaststroke – Prelims

• NCAA record: 55.73, Lilly King (Indiana) – 2019
• Big Ten record: 55.73, Lilly King (Indiana) – 2019
• Meet record: 55.88, Lilly King – 2019
• Pool record: 56.30, Lilly King – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 58.02
• Time to qualify for 2023 NCAAs: 59.73

Top 8:

1. Josie Panitz (Ohio State) – 58.36
2. Hannah Bach (Ohio State) – 58.54
3. Brearna Crawford (Indiana) – 59.64
4. Hazal Ozkan (Wisconsin) – 1:00.56
5. Tina Celik (Rutgers) – 1:00.95
6. Claire Donan (Michigan) – 1:00.95
7. Maia Hall (Nebraska) – 1:01.11
8. Reese Dehen (Ohio State) – 1:01.12

In a rematch of last year’s thrilling matchup, Ohio State teammates Josie Panitz (58.36) and Hannah Bach (58.54) are set to go at it again in the 100 breast final tonight. Bach won last year in 58.19, just a tenth ahead of Panitz. She has been even faster this season at 57.78 from November.

Panitz owns a personal-best 57.88 from NCAAs last year, where she placed 4th. Bach’s best time is 57.32 from the 2022 NCAAs, where she placed 6th.

Indiana junior Brearna Crawford was the only other swimmer under the one-minute mark in prelims at 59.64. She has broken the one-minute barrier a few times before, but not since 2022.

Wisconsin sophomore Hazal Ozkan qualified 4th in 1:00.56, less than half a second ahead of Rutgers junior Tina Celik (1:00.95) and Michigan senior Claire Donan (1:00.95). Celik, a native of Slovenia, shaved a couple tenths off her previous-best 1:01.19 from last February.

100 Backstroke – Prelims

• NCAA record: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2023
• Big Ten record: 49.18, Beata Nelson – 2019
• Meet record: 49.70, Beata Nelson – 2020
• Pool record: 50.84, Gemma Spofforth – 2010
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 50.88
• Time to qualify for 2023 NCAAs: 52.36

Top 8:

1. Kacey McKenna (Indiana) – 51.53
2. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 51.54
3. Nyah Funderburke (Ohio State) – 51.66
4. Morgan Kraus (Ohio State) – 52.31
5. Tristan Harrison (Ohio State) – 52.37
6. Mya Dewitt (Indiana) – 52.46
7. Casey Chung (Michigan) – 52.58
8. River Rodriguez (Minnesota) – 52.93

If prelims was any indication, tonight’s 100 back final should be a fun three-way showdown between Indiana junior Kacey McKenna (51.53), Wisconsin senior Phoebe Bacon (51.54), and defending champion Nyah Funderburke (51.66) of Ohio State. They were the only swimmers under 52 seconds this morning.

Bacon owns the top time in the Big Ten this season at 51.32, just a hundredth ahead of McKenna’s season-best 51.33.

Buckeyes fifth-year Morgan Kraus (52.31) and senior Tristan Harrison (52.37) joined Funderburke in the A-final. Harrison also made the A-final in the 100 fly (52.70 for 5th place) at the beginning of the session, completing a successful double this morning.

Indiana sophomore Mya Dewitt (52.46), Michigan senior Casey Chung (52.58), and Minnesota senior River Rodriguez (52.93) rounded out the top-eight finishers headed to tonight’s A-final.

3-Meter Diving – Prelims

• Meet record: 436.7, Sarah Bacon – 2022
• Pool record: 415.5, Kelci Bryant
• NCAA ‘A’ qualifying score: 280

Top 8:

1. Anne Fowler (Indiana) – 337.35
2. Sophia McAfee (Purdue) – 326.3
3. Viviana Del Angel (Minnesota) – 323.95
4. Skyler Liu (Indiana) – 316.9
5. Elna Widerstrom (Minnesota) – 309.1
6. Janie Boyle (Ohio State) – 308.4
7. Daryn Wright (Purdue) – 307.75
8. Lily Witte (Indiana) – 306.5