2021 Big 12 Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2021 BIG 12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Swimming: Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27, 2021
• Diving: Monday, March 1 – Wednesday, March 3, 2021
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center – Austin, TX (Central Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Texas men (24x) & Texas women (8x) (results)
• Championship Central
• Live results

TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 3:

Women:

1. University of Texas – 585
2. University of Kansas – 426
3. Iowa State University – 311
4. West Virginia University – 286
5. Texas Christian University – 284

Men:

1. University of Texas – 640
2. West Virginia University – 425
3. Texas Christian University – 417

While Texas has a lead on both the men’s and women’s sides tonight, the biggest race at this point of Big 12s in the race for second at the men’s meet. West Virginia and TCU are only separated by 7 points.

Today’s prelims will feature the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly will 1650 running later on in the day. Tonight, action will wrap up with the finals and the 400 freestyle relay.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

• Big 12 Record: Tasija Karosas (Texas) – 1:49.91 (2017)
• Big 12 Meet Record: Tasija Karosas (Texas) – 1:51.11 (2017)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:50.50
• 2020 Champion: Julia Cook (Texas) – 1:51.62

Top 8:

1. Dewi Blose (Texas) – 1:57.66
2. Kaleigh Rice (TCU) – 1:58.24
3. Lauryn Parrish (Kansas) – 1:58.56
4. Manon Manning (Kansas) – 1:59.36
5. Sydney Silver (Texas) – 1:59.42
6. Ashleen O’Brien (TCU) – 1:59.86
7. Mackenzie Brave (Kansas) – 1:59.94
8. Paige Dressel (West Virginia) – 2:00.67

In the absence of last year’s champion, 2020 silver medalist in the 200 backstroke Dewi Blose earned the top spot in tonight’s final. She was a bit slower than she swam at last year’s meet when she hit a 1:54.61. Kaleigh Rice for TCU was close behind Blose with a 1:58.24 for second seed.

Dewi Blose will be joined by Kansas teammates Lauryn Parrish, Manon Manning, and Mackenzie Brave in the final which will give them half the heat.

Texas and West Virginia only got one woman each into the final as Sydney Silver (Texas) and Paige Dressel (West Virginia) earned 6th and 8th.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

• Big 12 Record: Claire Adams (Texas) – 47.32 (2018)
• Big 12 Meet Record: Claire Adams (Texas) – 47.46 (2018)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 47.18
• 2020 Champion: Claire Adams (Texas) 48.03

Top 8:

1. Julia Cook (Texas) – 49.41
2. Bridget Semenuk (Texas) – 49.45
3. Miranda Heckman (Texas) – 49.59
4. Grace Cooper (Texas) – 49.71
5. Kyla Leibel (Texas) – 50.05
6. Emily Haimes (West Virginia) – 50.16
7. Jacqueline McCutchan (West Virginia) – 50.35
8. Jordan Buechler (West Virginia) – 50.45

Neither Julia Cook and Bridget Semenuk hit their PB in the 100 freestyle prelims but they were both fast enough to earn the top 2 seeds. Cook and Semenuk were only 0.04 seconds apart this morning with Cook hitting a 49.41 and Semenuk a 49.45.

Texas filled in the rest of the top 5 with Miranda Heckman, Grace Cooper, and Kyla Leibel. Having 5 in the final here will make up a bit for the deficit that Texas will face from only swimming 1 woman in the 200 back.

TCU, Iowa State, and Kansas were shut out of the final as West Virginia took the 6th through 8th spots in the final.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

• Big 12 Record: Laura Sogar (Texas) – 2:05.04 (2012)
• Big 12 Meet Record: Laura Sogar (Texas) – 2:05.25 (2013)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:06.84
• 2020 Champion: Kate Steward (Kansas) – 2:10.68

Top 8:

1. Kate Steward (Kansas) – 2:11.50
2. Anna Elendt (Texas) – 2:11.63
3. Dannie Dilsaver (Kansas) – 2:14.53
4. Lehr Thorson (Iowa State) – 2:14.90
5. Holly Jansen (Texas) – 2:16.74
6. Bryn Ericksen (Iowa State) – 2:17.54
7. Emma Walker (Kansas) – 2:17.91
8. Martha Haas (Iowa State) – 2:18.48

Kansas’ Kate Steward was just off the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke titles, finishing in second in both. Steward will have another shot at winning an individual event as she looks to defend her 200 breaststroke title. Steward swam a 2:11.50 this morning, trailing her PB of  2:10.68 from Big 12s last year.

Steward’s biggest competition in the final will be Anna Elendt from Texas who swam a 2:11.64 this morning. Both Steward and Elednt were under the NCAA B cut but are still outside the A cut of 2:06.84.

Dannie Dilsaver and Emma Walker made it 3 Kansas women in the final, matched by Iowa State who will send Lehr Thorson, Bryn Ericksen, and Martha Haas 4th, 6th, and 8th, respectively.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

• Big 12 Record: Kathleen Hersey (Texas) – 1:51.18 (2009)
• Big 12 Meet Record: Camille Adams (Texas A&M) – 1:53.66 (2011)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:53.20
• 2020 Champion: Kelly Pash (Texas) – 1:54.56

Top 8:

1. Olivia Bray (Texas) – 1:54.78
2. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 1:55.64
3. Kelly Pash (Texas) – 1:58.75
4. Grace Ritch (Texas) – 2:01.27
5. Lucia Rizzo (Iowa State) – 2:01.78
6. Ellie Flanagan (Kansas) – 2:02.22
7. Megan Morris (TCU) – 2:02.89
8. Greta Olsen (Kansas) – 2:03.09

In the fourth and final event at this morning’s prelim session, Olivia Bray swam the quickest 200 butterfly, hitting a 1:54.78. That puts Bray under the 2020 invite time of 1:56.06 but still hovers over her entry time of 1:52.85.

Emma Sticklen got in right behind Bray for Texas, hitting a 1:55.64 which is also under the invite time from last year. 2020 Big 12 Champion Kelly Pash didn’t go fast enough to earn the top seed tonight but got in third with a 1:58.75.

Grace Ritch made it 1-4 for Texas in the prelims. Iowa State and TCU each got one into the final and Kansas will send two.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

• BIG 12 Record: John Shebat (Texas) – 1:36.42 (2019)
• BIG 12 Meet Record: Ryan Harty (Texas) – 1:38.61 (2019)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.87
• 2020 Champion: Austin Katz (Texas) – 1:39.17

Top 8:

1. Peter Larson (Texas) – 1:41.14
2. Carson Foster (Texas) – 1:43.13
3. Austin Katz (Texas) – 1:45.14
4. Kade Knoch (TCU) – 1:46.45
5. Ethan Harder (Texas) – 1:46.53
6. Justin Heimes (West Virginia) – 1:48.58
7. Nicholas Skinne (TCU) – 1:48.97
8. Philip Kay (West Virginia) – 1:53.02

Texas’ Peter Larson swam the fastest 200 backstroke of the meet this morning, hitting a 1:41.14 to get under his entry time of 1:41.72. That got him under the 2020 NCAA invite time of 1:41.29 but is still shy of the 1:39.16 ‘A’ cut for 2021.

Carson Foster followed Larson in the prelims, touching two seconds slower with a 1:43.13. Foster has a lifetime best of 1:40.07 in the event from 2019 and a season-best of 1:40.39. Foster has the potential to dip under the 1:40 mark tonight for the first time and potentially hit the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 1:39.16 tonight.

Foster will need to out-swim teammate Austin Katz who won the title last year with a 1:39.17. Katz swam a 1:45.14 this morning but has the potential to be faster tonight and contend for the victory.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

• BIG 12 Record: Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 41.26 (2020)
• BIG 12 Meet Record: Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 41.46 (2020)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.71
• 2020 Champion: Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 41.26

Top 8:

1. Chris Staka (Texas) – 42.36
2. Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 42.54
3. Luke Bowman (Texas) – 42.92
4. Drew Kibler (Texas) – 43.19
5. Jake Sannem (Texas) – 43.38
6. Noah Cumby (TCU) -43.74
7. Stefan Varga (TCU) – 44.35
8. Ryan van Wyk (West Virginia) -44.43

Daniel Krueger and Drew Kibler battled it out in the 100 freestyle at last year’s Big 12 Championships along with then-Texas senior Maxime Rooney. Ultimately, Krueger took the title with a Big 12 record of 41.26, Rooney was silver with a 42.06, and Kibler took bronze in a 42.49.

This year, Krueger and Kibler will both be back in the final but teammate Chris Staka will take the fast lane, having hit a 42.36 this morning for the top seed. Krueger followed with a 42.54 for second and Kibler was a 43.19 for fourth. Also in the mix was Texas’ Luke Bowman with a 42.92 for third.

Jake Sannem got the fifth seed for Texas, followed by Noah Cumby and Stefan Varga from TCU for 6th and 7th, respectively. West Virginia’s Ryan van Wyk rounded out the top 8 with a 44.43.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

• BIG 12 Record: Will Licon (Texas) – 1:47.91 (2017)
• BIG 12 Meet Record: Will Licon (Texas) – 1:49.89 (2017)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:52.61
• 2020 Champion: Caspar Corbeau (Texas) – 1:53.92

Top 8:

1. Caspar Corbeau (Texas)
2. Jake Foster (Texas)
3. Charlie Scheinf (Texas)
4. Vitaits Silins (TCU)
5. Paul DeGrado (Texas)
6. Halvor Borgstr (Texas)
7. Hugh McPherson (TCU)
8. Joe Schafer (West Virginia)

Caspar Corbeau will look to defend his 200 breaststroke title tonight, going in as the top seed. Corbeau was more than a second faster than Jake Foster‘s 1:55.93. Corbeau has been as fast as a 1:52.06 which is faster than this year’s NCAA auto-invite cut but has hit the time this season.

Corbeau and Foster will be joined in the final by teammate Charlie Scheinf who wasn’t far behind in the prelims, swimming a 1:56.25. Just 0.01 slower, Vitaits Silins from TCU was a 1:56.26 for fourth.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

• BIG 12 Record: Jack Conger (Texas) – 1:37.35 (2017)
• BIG 12 Meet Record: Jack Conger (Texas) – 1:39.17 (2017)
• 2020 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.76
• 2020 Champion: Sam Pomajevich (Texas) – 1:41.78

Top 8:

1. Andrew Koustik (Texas) – 1:43.10
2. Alvin Jiang (Texas) – 1:43.21
3. Zac van Zandt (Texas) – 1:44.26
4. Cole Crane (Texas) – 1:46.29
5. Coby Crrozza (Texas) – 1:46.65
6. Piotr Sadlowski (TCU) – 1:47.00
7. Sam Pomajevich (Texas) – 1:47.17
8. David Dixon (West Virginia) – 1:48.17

The Texas men set themselves up for a solid race tonight in the 200 butterfly final as Andrew Koustik, Alvin Jiang, and Zac van Zandt were separated by just over a second. With the titles up for grabs tonight, the trio will still have a bit of work to do to hit the NCAA ‘A’ cut.

Texas had another 3 swimmers in the top 8 of prelims as Cole Crane was a 1:46.29 for 4th, Coby Carrozza was a 1:46.65 for 5th, and Sam Pomajevich hit 1:47.17 for 7th.

Pomajevich was a bit off his performance last year with which he clinched the 200 fly gold in a 1:41.78.