Northwestern’s Hannah Brunzell Scratches 200 IM ‘C’ Final On Day 2 of Big Tens

2023 WOMEN’S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Northwestern senior Hannah Brunzell is the lone scratch out of tonight’s finals session at the Big Ten Women’s Championships in Ann Arbor, as she has withdrawn from the ‘C’ final of the 200 individual medley.

Brunzell placed 23rd in the prelims in a time of 2:01.10, dipping under her season-best of 2:01.32 set at the Purdue Invitational in November.

Brunzell’s scratch will move Nebraska junior Gabby Donahue into the ‘C’ final after she placed 25th in the heats in a time of 2:01.47. That marked a new personal best for Donahue, whose previous mark of 2:01.98 had been on the books since the FHSAA 4A State Championships in November 2019.

Donahue’s highest finish at the 2021 Big Tens as a freshman was 32nd in both the 100 back and 200 IM, and last season, she raced as an exhibition swimmer, so this will be the first time she races at night individually at the conference championships.

Brunzell owns a personal best time of 1:58.39, set at the 2020 Big Tens where she placed 17th, and she was also 16th in 2021 and 17th last season.

A native of Sweden, Brunzell’s focus will now shift towards the breaststroke events, as she has been an ‘A’ finalist in both the 100 and 200-yard events in each of her first three seasons with the Wildcats.

She will also certainly be a key fixture on Northwestern’s 400 medley relay tonight, as she is now the team’s top breaststroke option due to the injury of Jasmine Nocentini.

In This Story

0
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

Read More »