2017 BIG 12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25
- Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center- University of Texas
- Prelims 10 AM/ Finals 6 PM (Central Time)
- Defending Champs: Texas (20x) (results)
- Championship Central
- Live Results
The first individual races of the 2017 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas will take place this morning. Swimmers are gearing up to compete in the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free, while the women’s divers compete in the 1-meter. The action will kick of at 10:00 a.m. central time.
The men’s 500 free will feature a loaded Texas distance crew that includes defending NCAA champ Townley Haas and 2015 NCAA champ Clark Smith. In the 50 free, Texas sprint standouts Brett Ringgold and Tate Jackson will go head-to-head. On the women’s side, Texas All-American Madisyn Cox will take on the 200 IM.
WOMEN’S 500 FREE
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:36.30
- NCAA ‘B’ cut: 4:47.79
- Conference Record: Rachael Burnett (2013)- 4:38.40
- Joanna Evans (Texas)- 4:42.07
- Lauren Case (Texas)- 4:45.73
- Quinn Carrozza (Texas)- 4:45.95
- Emma Skelley (West Virginia)- 4:46.54
- Jenny Nusbaum (Kansas)- 4:49.84
- Keely Soellner (Iowa State)- 4:50.12
- Maggie D’Innocenzo (Texas)- 4:50.82
- Haley Ruegmer (Iowa State)- 4:50.97
Texas’ Joanna Evans took a comfortable lead through prelims, followed by teammates Lauren Case and Quinn Carrozza. The Longhorns will have 4 in the final, as Maggie D’Innocenzo picked up 7th in between Iowa State teammates Keely Soellner and Haley Ruegmer.
MEN’S 500 FREE
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:13.22
- NCAA ‘B’ cut: 4:24.99
- Conference Record: Michael Klueh (2008)- 4:11.41
- Clark Smith (Texas)- 4:16.31
- Jeff Newkirk (Texas)- 4:16.88
- Townley Haas (Texas)- 4:22.21
- Jonathan Roberts (Texas)- 4:24.34
- Sam Kline (Texas)- 4:24.71
- Dayne Odendaal (TCU)- 4:27.19
- Trayton Salandin (West Virginia)- 4:27.56
- Drew Damich (West Virginia)- 4:27.78
The Texas distance crewswept the top 5 spots for finals, led by a pair of 4:16s from Clark Smith and Jeff Newkirk. That was a new best time by 3 seconds for Newkirk, who came into the meet with a lifetime best 4:19.94 from the 2016 conference meet. Tonight’s final will bring a highly anticipated showdown between Smith and teammate Townley Haas after Haas picked up the 3rd seed this morning.
WOMEN’S 200 IM
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:55.35
- NCAA ‘B’ cut: 2:01.59
- Conference Record: Madisyn Cox (2016)- 1:54.31
- Madisyn Cox (Texas)- 1:55.71
- Nora McCullagh (Texas)- 1:59.47
- Devin Newton (TCU)- 2:01.15
- Morgan Bullock (West Virginia)- 2:01.46
- Elise Forzley (TCU)- 2:01.70
- Haley Downey (Kansas)- 2:02.96
- Alexandra Robertson (TCU)- 2:02.98
- Pia Pavlic (Kansas)- 2:02.99
Texas senior Madisyn Cox is in good position to take down her own Meet Record tonight. She cruised to the top spot in prelims in 1:55.71, but she’s already been as fast as 1:52 this season. Teammate Nora McCullagh was the only other swimmer under 2:00 this morning. The battle for a podium spot could get interesting tonight between TCU’s Devin Newton, West Virginia’s Morgan Bullock, and TCU’s Elise Forzley, who each touched in a season best time in the 2:01-range.
Just missing out on the final was Texas’ Jordan Surhoff, who tied for 9th in 2:03.12 with Kansas’ Madison Straight.
MEN’S 200 IM
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:42.15
- NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:49.09
- Conference Record: Will Licon (2015)- 1:41.67
- John Shebat (Texas)- 1:43.35
- Sam Stewart (Texas)- 1:45.15
- Will Licon (Texas)- 1:46.64
- Mason Tenney (Texas)- 1:46.93
- Josh Artmann (Texas)- 1:47.42
- Jared Butler (texas)- 1:48.54
- Carlos Hunnicutt (TCU)- 1:49.23
- Hayden Henry (Texas)- 1:49.24
Texas’ John Shebat knocked 2 seconds off his best time to lead prelims in a quick 1:43.35. Defending champ Will Licon took it easy this morning, qualifying 3rd behind teammate Sam Stewart, a sophomore transfer from Auburn.
WOMEN’S 50 FREE
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 21.80
- NCAA ‘B’ cut: 22.99
- Conference Record: Hee-Jin Chang (2009)- 21.87
- Rebecca Millard (Texas)- 22.07
- Claire Adams (Texas)- 22.46
- Laura Miksch (Iowa State)- 22.71
- Anelise Diener (Texas)- 22.72
- Remedy Rule (Texas)- 22.83
- Julia Nilton (West Virginia)- 22.95
- Jordan Wheeler (Texas)- 23.06
- Sam Sutton (Texas)- 23.13
The Longhorns loaded up the 50 free final, led by Rebecca Millard in 22.07. Iowa State’s Laura Miksch and West Virginia’s Julia Nilton will look to keep the Longhorns from sweeping the podium after qualifying 3rd and 6th respectively.
MEN’S 50 FREE
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 19.09
- NCAA ‘B’ cut: 20.19
- Conference Record: Ian Crocker (2004)- 19.18
- Joseph Schooling (Texas)- 19.18
- Jack Conger (Texas)- 19.20
- Tate Jackson (Texas)- 19.62
- Merwane Elmerini (West Virginia)- 19.75
- Brett Ringgold (Texas)- 19.78
- PJ Dunne (Texas)- 19.84
- Jeremy Nichols (Texas)- 19.86
- Will Glass (Texas)- 20.19
Texas’ Joseph Schooling and Jack Conger put on a show this morning, finifhing within 2 hundredths of each other. Schooling was slightly faster with a blistering 19.18, lowering his previous best 19.70 from 2016 Big 12s. Conger also dipped under his previous best 19.43, touching at 19.20 this morning. Teammates Tate Jackson and Brett Ringgold are 2 of the best sprinters in the nation, so tonight’s medal race should be a fun one.
Is that shebat or conger on the header
Conger
Conger is more muscular. ?
I am not sure in 2017 a 19.18 is considered blistering anymore. Heck it is not even the NCAA A cut. I would have set the line for blistering to be under 19.0.
Would have been 11th in the nation regardless of college or not last year. And it ties him with Chadwick for 6th in the NCAA so it’s still pretty solid
FYI, in the big 12 all 8 finals swimmers “make the podium.”
This conference is very weak. It’s a Texas intrasquad meet.
I would have thought with Feigen the conference record would be faster
His best short course was “only” 18.8. 19.1 at conference seems reasonable.
What’s listed as conference record in this article seems to actually be the meet record listed in results.
Conger just can’t seem to beat Schooling. To add insult, Schooling just made the NCAA “B” cut by .01 and Conger missed it by .01.
You’re right about insult to injury, but you’re off by a second. Both are handily under the B cut
Prelims for this conference is hardly worth looking at. None of the big guys are going to try in the morning then when it comes to finals will be lucky to see any of them bust out blistering times. NCAA’s need to hurry up I cant wait
Let’s just take a moment to think about what Eddie Reese can do. I mean how did he turn Conger, who joined Texas as a mid distance freestyler/backstroker into one of the best butterflyers and 200 freestylers in the country that can also drop a 19.2 in a 50 free? And he splits 18s on relays too! Also, Newkirk is on fire.
Pretty sure Conger had something to do with it, too.
I think Eddie is the best. No doubt about it. But your logic here is lacking. Although he was more famous for going 4:13 in the 500, Conger also went :19 in HS. And he set the private school national record going :42-high in the 100. In sum, he had PLENTY of speed when he arrived at TX.