2026 WOMEN’S BIG TEN SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Dates: Wednesday, February 18–Saturday, February 21
- Location: Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Defending champions: Ohio State women (1x)
- Live Results (also available on Meet Mobile: “2026 B1G Women’s Swim & Dive Championships”)
- Live Video ($): B1G+
- Championship Central
- SwimSwam’s Meet Preview
- Teams: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
The 2025 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships kick off tonight at Minnesota’s Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center with a brief opening session featuring just the 200 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay.
Michigan, the defending champion in both events, enters as the top seed with a 1.70-second advantage in the 200 medley relay and a 1.96-second edge in the 800 freestyle relay.
The Swimulator paints a clear picture that the Michigan Wolverines are the heavy favorites on paper to win their first team conference title since 2018, while Southern California, Ohio State, Indiana, and Wisconsin are all bunched together over 200 points back with only 61 points separating the four teams.
Southern California senior Minna Abraham, the team’s top scorer at the meet last year and a key relay piece who holds the Big Ten record in the 200 free, withdrew earlier this week for “personal reasons.” A runner-up in both the 100 and 200 free last year, her absence leaves a significant hole in USC’s lineup and likely shifts the race for second and third into a battle between OSU, IU, and Wisconsin.
Stay tuned for live updates below.
WOMEN’S 200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY — TIMED FINALS
- NCAA Record: 1:31.10, Virginia – 2025 NCAA Championships
- Big Ten Championship Record: 1:33.47, Ohio State – 2024
- 2026 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:36.09
- 2026 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 1:36.57
Final Results:
- Michigan – 1:33.29
- Wisconsin – 1:34.78
- Ohio State – 1:35.17
- UCLA – 1:35.18
- Indiana – 1:35.53
- Minnesota – 1:36.14
- Northwestern – 1:36.75
- USC – 1:37.18
- Purdue – 1:37.37
- Penn State – 1:37.91
- Illinois – 1:38.44
- Iowa – 1:39.02
- Rutgers – 1:39.36
- Nebraska-Lincoln – 1:39.87
Michigan successfully defended their 200 medley relay title, as the quartet of Bella Sims (23.38), Letitia Sim (26.93), Brady Kendall (21.95), and Lexi Greenhawt posted a time of 1:33.29, a new meet record and just three-hundredths shy of their season-best 1:33.26, which currently ranks them equal fifth in the national standings.
Sims’ leadoff leg was exactly two tenths off the lifetime best 23.18 she produced leading off this relay at November’s CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge, where the Wolverines set their current season best. Kendall improved considerably on her 22.29 from November, while Greenhawt was substituted in for Leila Fack, who had split 21.53 at that meet. Sim was also quicker back in November, when she logged 26.26.
Wisconsin got off to an early lead courtesy of Maggie Wanezek‘s 23.19 leadoff leg, a personal best, clipping the 23.41 she clocked leading off the former school record-setting relay. The Badgers held a marginal 0.03 advantage over Michigan after Brooke Corrigan‘s 27.09 breaststroke leg, but the Wolverines’ back half was too much to overcome.
Hailey Tierney (23.09) and Abby Wanezek (21.41) closed things out for a time of 1:34.78, slicing three quarters of a second off the program record of 1:35.53 set at the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational in November and slotting into them 10th heading into next month’s NCAA Championships.
Indiana and UCLA had gotten out ahead of Ohio State after the backstroke leg, with IU’s Mya Dewitt logging 23.95 and UCLA’s Fay Lustria hitting 24.33, but the Buckeyes grabbed third at the 100-yard turn and never relinquished it. Delia Lloyd (24.72), Maria Ramos (26.16), Carrie Furbee (23.01), and Rachel Bockrath (21.28) finished with a season-best 1:35.17, edging UCLA by one one-hundredth for third while clocking the 13th-quickest time in the nation.
WOMEN’S 800-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY — TIMED FINALS
- NCAA Record: 6:44.13, Virginia – 2025 ACC Championships
Big Ten Championship Record: 6:52.04, Michigan – 2025- 2026 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 7:00.86
- 2026 NCAA ‘B’ Standard: 7:05.18
Final Results:
- Michigan – 6:48.02 *Big Ten Record*
- Indiana – 6:51.11
- Ohio State – 6:54.93
- USC – 6:57.59
- Wisconsin – 6:58.78
- Northwestern – 7:01.42
- Nebraska-Lincoln – 7:02.71
- Minnesota – 7:04.94
- UCLA – 7:06.17
- Purdue – 7:12.43
- Iowa – 7:12.78
- Illinois – 7:16.74
- Penn State – 7:16.93
- Rutgers – 7:24.57
The 800 free relay produced some quick times, though the race was far more clear-cut than the 200 medley relay, with the top three positions largely settled early on.
Michigan made it two-for-two on the night, sweeping the relays as the foursome of Bella Sims (1:41.15), Hannah Bellard (1:41.54), Stephanie Balduccini (1:42.14), and Christey Liang (1:43.19) led from start to finish, clocking a new Big Ten Record of 6:48.02.
Indiana held second throughout, with Liberty Clark (1:41.32), Alex Shackell (1:42.16), Mackenzie Hodges (1:44.16), and Grace Hoeper (1:43.47) finishing in 6:51.11.
Ohio State trailed USC and Wisconsin after the opening leg, with the Trojans’ Nicole Maier (1:43.47) and Abby Wanezek‘s 1:43.82 holding a slight edge over Erin Little‘s 1:43.87, but Sienna Angove (1:42.43) immediately vaulted them into third. Rachel Bockrath and Mila Nikanorov (1:45.63) handled the back half to bring the team home in 6:54.93.
Michigan’s winning time is the second-fastest in the nation so far this season, while Indiana ranks fourth and Ohio State sits seventh.
Sims’ relay lead-off clipped her season-best by two one-hundredths, and despite being only her sixth-fastest time ever, was just 0.37 off her 1:40.78 lifetime best from December 2022. Bellard’s split was over two seconds quicker than her 1:43.83 flat-start best from last month, while Liang was over a second quicker than her 1:44.34 flat-start best from this meet last year. Given that Balduccini has a 1:40.89 personal best, this relay could have even more room to drop at the big show.
Team Scores After Day 1:
- Michigan – 128 points
- Ohio State – 108 points
- Indiana & Wisconsin – 106 points
- N/A
- USC – 96 points
- Northwestern – 94 points
- Minnesota & UCLA – 92 points
- N/A
- Purdue – 74 points
- Nebraska-Lincoln – 72 points
- Illinois, Iowa, & Penn State – 62 points
- N/A
- N/A
- Rutgers – 54 points
Wisconsin setting program records in the first year without Phoebe Bacon and with a new coach is exciting to see!
Badgerfan
She really stepped up on that relay. Good things ahead for her.
Damn Michigan
Disappointed by Indiana’s medley. Was it really the best strategical decision to leave Alex Shackell off the 2 medley relay?
It may make since at ncaas because the other relays with her are likely top 5 teams. Not sure if the 200 medley cracks top 8 even with her. That breast split was brutal.
Maggie wanezek 1-0 Bella sims 🥀
Dumbest thing I’ve ever read
23.19 is faster than 23.38 tho right???
both were fast so idk why u need to bring Bella down
I was going to go but the 2 inches of snow in the last hour and a half and me being very west of the university has me changing my mind.
Smart – Stay safe, enjoy the meet via TV or computer and wish your team the best.
Excited to see Michigan’s 800 free relay. They could go really fast tonight
Or just so so fast
FAST