B1G Swim: Lilly King Smashes American, NCAA Records With 56.30 100 BR

2017 B1G WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 15th to Saturday, February 18th | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: Michigan Wolverines (results)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream via Big Ten Network
• Championship Central

The Big Ten Women’s Championships continue to bring the heat on a busy weekend in college swimming, with Lilly King breaking the first American record of the 2017 collegiate postseason. King went 56.30 to cut a half-second off her own American and NCAA 100 breast records.

The Indiana sophomore won the event by 2.6 seconds over a field full of top-shelf breaststrokers. In fact, second and third place in the Big Ten race (Minnesota’s Lindsey Horejsi and Kierra Smith) would rank #6 and #7 in the NCAA rankings, depending, of course, on swims at other conference meets around the country tonight. King currently leads the NCAA ranks by more than two seconds.

Last season, King became the first swimmer ever under 57 seconds, and now she threatens to become the first ever under 56. Here’s a look at her splits tonight compared to her splits at the NCAA Championships last year when she set the record:

King came back in under 30 seconds, the first time on record we can find a female swimmer coming back that fast in a 100 breaststroke. That also bodes well for King’s 200 breast, which takes place tomorrow.

Bear in mind, too, that King was 57.35 at Big Tens last year before dropping another half-second at NCAAs. If she can accomplish a similar feat in her sophomore season, King will challenge a 55-second 100 breaststroke swim.