2014 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Martin’s 50 Highlights Morning

• Dates: Wednesday, February 19th – Saturday, February 22nd; Prelims 11AM/Finals 6:30PM
• Location: University Aquatic Center, University of Minnesota  (Central Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Minnesota (2x) (results)
• Live Results: Available here 
  
• Live Video (If available): Available here
  
• Championship Central

After they split the relays on the opening night, Indiana and Minnesota continued to separate themselves from the rest of the conference this morning, placing a combined 13 swims in the top eight over three events (the rest of the conference combined for 11).  Individually, meanwhile, Ivy Martin stole the show this morning with her Big Ten Conference record of 21.58 in the 50 free.

500 Free

Minnesota took the top two overall seeds in the 500 free, with Samantha Harding (4:38.05) and Kiera Janzen (4:39.77) both turning in season best times to lock up the middle of the pool tonight.  Janzen was the runner-up here a year ago, nearly catching eventual champion and conference record holder Lindsey Vrooman of Indiana over the final 100 yards.  Vrooman (4:41.16) is the fourth seed heading into tonight, so the two will be right next to each other to face off again.

Alexandra Norris of Ohio State cracked the 4:40 barrier for the first time in her career, finishing third in 4:39.85.

A pair of Nittany Lions and Hoosiers make up the rest of the A-final, with Penn State teammates Katel Sowinski and Alyson Ackman tying for fifth in 4:42.87, and Indiana swimmers Haley Lips (7th, 4:44.31) and Stephanie Marchuk (8th, 4:45.00) rounding out the heat.

200 IM

Michigan?  Michigan!  The Wolverines took the top two spots in the 200 IM, with Marni Oldershaw and Courtney Beidler turning in lifetime best times this morning.  Oldershaw is the first overall seed, touching in 1:57.23, just in front of Beidler, who finished in 1:57.59.  The Wolverines have continued to improve since the program was combined under Mike Bottom beginning last season, and with one of the nation’s best recruiting classes, the future looks bright in Ann Arbor.

Minnesota and Indiana each put two swimmers up, including the defending champion Tori Simenec of the Golden Gophers (4th, 1:58.16).  Teammate Kierra Smith used the fastest breaststroke split in the field to sneak into the 8th spot in 1:58.98.  Dorin Szekeres (3rd, 1:57.87) and Bronwyn Pasloski (7th, 1:58.75) are the two Hoosier representatives.

Ashley Vance of Ohio State (5th, 1:58.35) and Gabi Shishkoff of Penn State (6th, 1:58.74) round out the top eight.

50 Free

Wisconsin’s Ivy Martin continues to be the individual star of this meet through the second session. She swam a 21.58 in the women’s 50 free to take the top seed into finals, mark an NCAA Automatic Qualifying Time, and break her own conference record of 21.84 set last year.