2025 Women’s Big Ten Championships – Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2025 BIG TEN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Dates: Wednesday, February 19 – Saturday, February 22
• Location: McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, OH
• Teams: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
• Defending champions: Indiana (1x)
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• Live Video: B1G+
• Results: Day 1
• Recaps:
  • Finals: Day 1

Team Scores After Day 1:

1. Michigan- 128
2. Indiana- 108
3. Ohio State/USC- 106
4. —
5. Wisconsin- 104
6. Minnesota/Northwestern- 92
7. —
8. Nebraska- 72
9. Purdue- 74
10. Illinois- 72
11. Penn State- 64
12. Iowa/Rutgers- 56
13. —
14. UCLA- 48

THURSDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

The first full day of the 2025 Women’s Big Ten Championships is about to be underway in Columbus. As usual, this morning’s action will feature heats of the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free. Michigan got out to the start they needed last night, winning both relays. They’ll be looking to continue that momentum in this morning’s session.

Michigan comes into the first event of the day, the 500 free, in the best position of any team. They hold the top 2 times in the conference this season, with Hannah Bellard having been 4:34.77 and Rebecca Diaconescu having been 4:35.03. There’s then a 2-second gap between them and the next-fastest seed, Indiana’s Anna Peplowski, who holds a season best of 4:37.06. While that looks great for the Wolverines, Peplowski seems primed to drop quite a bit of time today after tying the Big Ten record in the 200 free last night with a  1:40.69. Wisconsin’s Abby Carlson has been right there as well, coming in with a season best of 4:37.62.

Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon comes in as the top seed in the 200 IM this morning. Bacon leads a tight field, but she also holds the fastest career best in this field by a significant margin. Bacon has been 1:55.37 this season, which puts her half a second ahead of Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini (1:55.82), but Bacon has a career best of 1:53.16 from last year’s NCAAs.

The 50 free ought to be a great race today as well. Indiana’s Kristina Paegle enters as the top seed with her season best of 21.81. She leads a tight field, however, as USC’s Vasilissa Buinaia is seeded 2nd with a 21.88, and Michigan’s Lindsay Flynn comes in with a 21.89. Of note, Flynn was the fastest in the field last night on the 200 medley relay, anchoring Michigan to victory in 21.03, while Paegle was 21.33, and Buinaia was 21.59.

500 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Big Ten Meet Record – 4:34.28, G Ryan (MICH) – 2016
• Big Ten Record – 4:34.09, Anna Peplowski (IU) – 2016
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:36.89
• Defending Champion: Katie Crom, Michigan – 4:37.24

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Anna Peplowski (IU) – 4:37.24
2. Claire Tuggle (USC) – 4:37.66
3. Hannah Bellard (MICH) – 4:38.15
4. Rebecca Diaconescu (MICH) – 4:38.22
5. Ching Gan (IU) – 4:38.58
6. Mila Nikanorov (OSU) – 4:40.23
7. Eliot Kennedy (MINN) – 4:41.14
8. Gena Jorgenson (NEB) – 4:41.27

After her 1:40.69 200 free leading off the 800 free relay last night, Indiana senior Anna Peplowski earned the top seed for tonight’s final in the 500 free. Peplowski clocked a 4:37.24 this morning, touching just off her season best of 4:37.06. Given the swim last night, we can expect Peplowski, along with a number of the swimmers in this ‘A” final, to swim faster tonight.

USC junior Claire Tuggle had a phenomenal swim this morning, ripping a 4:37.66.She blew away her season best with the swim, going under 4:40 for the first time this season. The performance also marks a career best for Tuggle, clipping her previous mark of 4:37.77 from last year’s NCAAs.

Top seed Hannah Bellard finished 3rd this morning with a 4:38.15. She’s been as fast as 4:34.77 this season, but this morning’s swim is actually her 2nd-fastest of her career. The other half of the Michigan duo, Rebecaa Diaconescu, came in 4th this morning with a 4:38.22.

Indiana saw Ching Gan have a great swim this morning, clocking a 4:38.58 to qualify 5th. Getting a 2nd swimmer into this ‘A’ final is big for the Hoosiers as far as scoring goes.

Minnesota’s Eliot Kennedy clocked a lifetime best of 4:41.14 to make her first Big Ten ‘A’ final of her career. Kennedy, who is primarily a miler, took half a second off her career best with the swim.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS

• Big Ten Meet Record – 1:51.66, Beata Nelson (WISC) – 2020
• Big Ten Record – 1:50.79, Beata Nelson (Wisconsin) – 2019
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:53.66
• Defending Champion: Phoebe Bacon, Wisconsin – 1:54.29

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Sienna Angove (OSU) – 1:54.81 (Tie)
2. Phoebe Bacon (WISC) – 1:54.81 (Tie)
3. Paige Hall (OSU) – 1:55.93
4. Letitia Sim (MICH) – 1:56.25
5. Stephanie Balduccini (MICH) – 1:56.39
6. Krista Marlin (OSU) – 1:56.60
7. Paige Delma (OSU) – 1:56.70
8. Devon Kitchel (MICH) – 1:56.85

We ended up with a very interesting ‘A’ final of the 200 IM for tonight. Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon is the only non Michigan or Ohio State swimmer in the field. Bacon, who is the defending champion in the event and was the top seed coming in, tied for 1st this morning with a season best of 1:54.81. Bacon holds the fastest career best in the field (1:53.16), which makes her the favorite heading into tonight.

Ohio State’s freshmen continue to be wildly impressive. Sienna Angove ripped a massive new career best to tie Bacon for 1st this morning with a 1:54.81. She leads a very strong IM group for the Buckeyes, which also saw Paige Hall, Krista Marlin, and Paige Delma make the ‘A’ final for tonight. Each of those 4 Ohio State swimmers posted season bests this morning.

Michigan’s Letitia Sim blew away her season best of 1:59.24, clocking a 1:56.25 to finish 4th this morning. That was a fantastic prelims swim for Sim, coming in just off her career best of 1:55.99, which she swam back in 2021. One of the top breaststrokers in the conference, Sim had a particularly noteworthy breast split this morning, clocking a 32.95 on that 50.

Coming in as the 2nd seed, Stephanie Balduccini gave Michigan their 2nd swimmer in tonight’s ‘A’ final, swimming a 1:56.39. Fellow Wolverine Devon Kitchel swam a season best of 1:56.85 to finish 8th this morning.

50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Big Ten Meet Record – 21.28, Zhesi Li (OSU) – 2018
• Big Ten Record – 21.17, Maggie MacNeil (MICH) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 21.58
• Defending Champion: Teresa Ivan, Ohio State – 21.74

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Kristina Paegle (IU) – 21.63
2. Brady Kendall (MICH) – 21.83
3. Lindsay Flynn (MICH) – 21.99
4. Nyah Funderburke (OSU) – 22.03
5. Livi Wanner (MINN) – 22.09 (Tie)
6. Hailey Tierney (WISC) – 22.09 (Tie)
7. Caroline Famous (USC) – 22.11
8. Rachel Bockrath (OSU) – 22.15

Top-seeded Kristina Paegle (IU) held her seeding this morning, clocking the top time of prelims by a comfortable margin. Paegle popped a new season best of 21.63, earning lane 4 for tonight’s final.

Michigan’s Brady Kendall swam a big season best of 21.83, securing the 2nd seed for tonight. Teammate Lindsay Flynn finished 3rd with a 21.99.

Ohio State’s Nyah Funderburke had a big swim this morning as well, taking half a second off her season best to clock a 22.03 and finish 4th overall.

Ohio State freshman Rachel Bockrath had a massive performance, dropping half a second from her season to best to finish 8th with a 22.15. Bockrath’s previous season best of 22.64 was also her career best in the event.

Livi Wanner gave Minnesota their 2nd ‘A’ finalist of the session, swimming a 22.09. Just a freshman, Wanner is leading the Golden Gophers sprint squad. Her swim this morning was a career best.