2025 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Day 2 Finals 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
  • Prelims: Day 2
• Ups/Mids/Downs

Finals Heat Sheet

We have arrived to the first real finals session of the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Championships, and all of tonight’s races are shaping up to be exciting, including the overall team race.

Based on our projections, without diving, Michigan could finish the day just 10 points ahead of Ohio State. This meet was decided by half-a-point last year, and we could see another incredibly close race, especially with the addition of diving to Indiana’s totals, though Ohio State put more divers in the ‘A’ final than IU did.

The meet opens with the women’s 500 freestyle, where the top five seeds are separated by barely over a second. Indiana senior Anna Peplowski is the top seed at 4:37.24, and Ching Gan from Indiana comes in seeded 5th at 4:38.58.

The 200 IM is shaping up to be even more exciting with Wisconsin 5th year Phoebe Bacon tying with Oho State Freshman Sienna Angove for first seed. They both swam 1:54.81 in the prelims, which was an add for Bacon and a best time for Angove. Bacon is also the only swimmer in the final not from Ohio State or Michigan.

Just half-a-second separated the 50 free ‘A’ final with Kristina Paegle taking the top seed for Indiana at 21.63.

The women’s 1-Meter Diving event will be the last individual event, and Purdue freshman Avery Worobel is the top seed. In the team race, Ohio State is going to pick up huge points on Michigan with two divers in the ‘A’ final and one in the ‘B’. Michigan only has one diver in scoring position. Indiana has the most divers who can score, with one in the ‘A’ final and three in the ‘B’.

Finally, the meet will end with the 200 freestyle relay. Michigan is the top seed in the event, and the favorites to win.

500 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• Big Ten Meet Record – 4:34.28, G Ryan (MICH) – 2017
• Big Ten Record – 4:34.09, Anna Peplowski (IU) – 2024
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:36.89
• Defending Champion: Katie Crom, Michigan – 4:37.24

Top Eight Finishers:

1. Anna Peplowski (IU)- 4:33.86 **New Meet and Conference Record**
2. Claire Tuggle (USC)- 4:35.43 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
3. Hannah Bellard(MICH)- 4:36.96
4. Mila Nikanorov (OSU)- 4:37.43
5. Ching Gan (IU)- 4:37.49
6. Genevieve Jorgenson (NEB)- 4:39.41
7. Eliot Kennedy (MINN)- 4:39.82
8. Rebecca Diaconescu (MICH)- 4:41.81

Anna Peplowski started the session out strong, setting a new meet and conference record in the women’s 500 freestyle. Her final time of 4:33.86 was almost a two tenth drop from her own previous conference record of 4:34.09 she went at last year’s NCAA Championships to finish 3rd overall in the event. It also broke the 8-year-old record of 4:34.28 set back in 2017 by G Ryan from Michigan.

Claire Tuggle came in 2nd at 4:35.43. This was a huge best time for Tuggle, who went a best time in the prelims of 4:37.66. She actually led the race for about a 200 in the middle, but suffered from her opening speed, and ended up dropping the lead to Peplowski at the 400 mark.

After the top two swimmers, the rest of the race was pretty close. The next three finishers were separated by about half-a-second. Hannah Bellard finished 3rd at 4:36.96 for Michigan. Mila Nikanorov came in 4th for Ohio State at 4:37.43, and Ching Gan touched 5th for Indiana just six-one-hundredths back at 4:37.49. These times were new personal bests for Gan and Nikanorov. Bellard has a best time of 4:34.77 from November.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

• 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 Eight Finishers:

1. Phoebe Bacon (WISC)- 1:53.12 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
2. Letitia Sim (MICH)- 1:54.64
3. Sienna Angove (OSU)- 1:55.06
4. Paige Hall (OSU)- 1:55.45
5. Krista Marlin (OSU)- 1:55.66
6. Stephanie Balduccini (MICH)- 1:55.69
7. Paige Delma (OSU)- 1:56.24
8. Devon Kitchel (MICH)- 1:56.81

Phoebe Bacon ran away with this event, taking the gold medal by 1.52 seconds over Michigan’s Letitia Sim. Her time of 1:53.12 was a four-one-hundredth drop from the 1:53.16 she went at the 2024 NCAA Championships where she finished 5th. Bacon led from start to finish, starting off with the fastest fly split in the field, and the 2nd fastest backstroke split. She was also the only swimmer to drop under 27 seconds on the freestyle leg, splitting 26.70.

• Bacon’s splits: 24.74/28.28/33.40/26.70

Letitia Sim came in 2nd at 1:54.64 to mark her first best time in four years, dropping more than a second from the 1:55.91 she went back in 2021. Sim was the only swimmer in the final to swim a 32 second 50 breaststroke, splitting 32.54. The next closest swimmer was Paige Delma, who finished 7th, at 33.30.

The rest of the final was made up of Michigan and Ohio State swimmers. OSU freshman Sienna Angove, who came in tied for the top seed in the 200 IM, finished 3rd at 1:55.06. Her prelims time of 1:54.81 was her new personal best, and she was just two tenths off that time tonight.

OSU also picked up 4th (Paige Hall– 1:55.45), 5th (Krista Marlin– 1:55.66), and 7th (Paige Delma– 1:56.24). Michigan’s other swimmers finished 6th (Stephanie Balduccini– 1:55.69) and 8th (Devon Kitchel– 1:56.81).

50 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• 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 Eight Finishers:

1. Kristina Paegle (IU)- 21.64
2. Brady Kendall (MICH)- 21.76
3. Lindsay Flynn (MICH)- 21.83
4. Hailey Tierney (WISC)- 22.01
5. Olivia Wanner (MINN)- 22.09
6. Caroline Famous (USC)- 22.17
7. Nyah Funderburke (OSU)- 22.25
8. Rachel Bockrath (OSU)- 22.37

Indiana won both of the ‘A’ finals they put swimmers in. Junior Kristina Paegle won the event for the Hoosiers in 21.64. This time was just off the 21.63 she went in prelims to qualify 1st, but it was still under her previous best of 21.76 from the Ohio State Invitational in 2023.

Michigan swimmers took 2nd and 3rd individually. Junior Brady Kendall went 21.76 for 2nd, about a tenth back from the 21.69 she went at NCAAs last year. Lindsay Flynn, a senior finished 3rd at 21.83 which was a six-one-hundredth drop from the 21.89 she went in January of this year.

Last year’s Big Ten Champion Teresa Ivan from OSU finished 10th in the ‘B’ final, finishing in 22.07. This was more than half-a-second off the 21.46 she went at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Michigan 5th year Claire Newman finished 9th in the event, breaking the 22 second mark for the first time ever to go 21.99.

1-METER DIVING- FINALS

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Lena Hentschel (OSU)- 328.75
2. Paola Pineda (OSU)- 320.25
3. Ella Roselli (IU)- 310.60
4. Avery Worobel (PUR)- 310.00
5. Daryn Wright (PUR)- 294.75
6. Kate Miller (USC)- 293.55
7. Bailee Sturgill (RUTG)- 286.50
8. Jenna Sonnenberg (PUR)- 223.55

Lena Hentschel defends her Big Ten title in the women’s 1-meter event, scoring 328.75 to come in 8 points ahead of teammate Paola Pineda‘s 320.25. These points were huge for Ohio State, and put them in the lead over Michigan going into the final event of the evening.

Indiana’s Ella Roselli finished 3rd at 310.60 to pick up those needed points for Indiana, moving them ahead of Wisconsin.

200 FREE RELAY- FINALS

• Big Ten Meet Record – 1:26.66, Indiana – 2024
• Big Ten Record – 1:25.80, Ohio State – 2023
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:28.42
• Defending Champions: Indiana – 1:26.66

Full Results:

1. Michigan- 1:26.13 **New Meet Record**
2. Indiana- 1:26.79 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
3. Ohio State- 1:27.67 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
4. USC- 1:27.73 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
5. Wisconsin- 1:28.08 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
6. Northwestern- 1:28.52
7. UCLA- 1:28.85
8. Minnesota- 1:29.44
9. Nebraska- 1:29.97
10. Purdue- 1:30.85
11. Illinois- 1:30.91
12. Penn State- 1:31.15
13. Iowa- 1:32.67
14. Rutgers- 1:35.20

This relay was rife with ‘drama’ last year, but ended up relatively straightforward at this year’s championships. Michigan finished in 1:26.13 to break the Big Ten meet record in the event and win by more than six tenths of a second.

The Wolverines started the relay in 2nd behind Indiana. This was thanks to Anna Peplowski‘s 21.85 as the lead off for the Hoosiers (a new best time for her). Brady Kendall led off the relay for Michigan, swimming 21.95 to hand them off in 2nd place.

Michigan quickly took over the lead thanks to Claire Newman‘s 21.44 in the 2nd position, and they stayed there for the remainder of the race. Stephanie Balduccini split 21.61 at 3rd and Lindsay Flynn went 21.11 as anchor.

Indiana dropped to 2nd after the 2nd 50, and then further back to 3rd after the 3rd 50. Mya Dewitt went 2nd, swimming 21.85, and Kacey McKenna went 4th, swimming 22.18. The Hoosier relay ended up having the fastest split in the event, however, helping pull them back into 2nd place overall. 50 free champion Kristina Paegle split 20.91 to be the only sub-21 split in the field and to help secure their 2nd place finish.

Ohio State came in 3rd, after getting of to a rough start, but their splits were incredibly consistent. Teresa Ivan led them off in 22.17, which put the Buckeyes in 5th after the first 50. Nyah Funderburke went 2nd at 21.94, which kept them where they were. Erin Little split 21.75, which was fast enough to move them into 2nd overall, but Rachel Bockrath was not able to match the 20-second split put up by Paegle, swimming 21.81 to ultimately finish in 3rd overall. This finish was enough to keep them in the overall point lead by nearly 50 points, and was a significant improvement from the DQ they received last year in this event.

Team Scores After Day 2

1. Ohio State- 480
2. Michigan- 431
3. Indiana- 378
4. Wisconsin- 301
5. USC- 292
6. Minnesota- 239
7. Purdue- 199
8. Northwestern- 182
9. Nebraska- 154
10. UCLA- 140
11. Rutgers- 139
12. Penn State- 110
13. Illinois- 105
14. Iowa- 84