2017 Big 12 Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2017 BIG 12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center- University of Texas
• Prelims 10 AM/ Finals 6 PM (Central Time)
• Defending Champs: Texas (20x) (results)
• Championship Central
• Live Results

The final preliminary session of the 2017 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships will be this morning in Austin, Texas. Swimmers will compete in the preliminary heats of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. Texas’ Madisyn Cox is coming off a big night that saw her break the conference record in the 400 IM, and she’ll be looking to do the same in the 200 breast today.  Teammates Tasija Karosas (200 back), Rebecca Millard (100 free), and Remedy Rule (200 fly) could all be within striking distance of at least the meet records today as well.

The Longhorns also have plenty of big names competing on the men’s side.  Backstrokers Jonathan Roberts and John Shebat should be dueling it out in the 200 back, although breaststroke ace Will Licon is also slated to swim the 200 back today as an exhibition swim.  The 100 free will feature Olympian Townley Haas, who is opting for this event over the mile, and NCAA A-finalist Brett Ringgold.  The final individual event of the day will be the last conference meet showdown between Joe Schooling and Jack Conger, the fastest two men ever in the 200 fly.

While Texas does have the conference titles pretty well wrapped up, the battle for 2nd place isn’t quite as clear cut, and the West Virginia women will need some big swims this morning to help them pass Kansas tonight, while TCU will have to overcome a 124 point deficit if they want to overtake WVU on the men’s side.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:51.95
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:59.19
• Big 12 Record: Tasija Karosas (2015)- 1:50.49
• Conference Meet Record: Tasija Karosas  (2016) – 1:51.21

1. Claire Adams, Texas, 1:53.82
2. Tasija Karosas, Texas, 1:55.07
3. Kaitlin Harty, Texas, 1:56.15
4. Amelie Currat, West Virginia, 1:57.57
5. Quinn Carozza, Texas, 1:57.65
6. Elise Forzley, Texas Christian, 1:58.94
7. Pia Pavlic, Kansas, 1:59.38
8. Yulduz Kuchkarova, Kansas, 1:59.49

Longhorns Claire Adams and Tasija Karosas will be the middle of the pool this evening after posting the top two times this morning.  Karosas will be looking for backstroke sweep after taking 1st last night in the 100, but she’ll have to fend off Adams and Kaitlin Harty.  West Virginia’s Amelie Currat, Longhorn Quinn Carozza, and TCU’s Elise Forzley were all also under the NCAA ‘B’ cut this morning, while a pair of Kansas swimmers, Pia Pavlic and Yulduz Kuchkarova, rounded out the top eight from this morning.

MEN’S 200 BACK

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:39.87
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:46.39
• Big 12 Record: Aaron Piersol (2003), 1:39.16
• Conference Meet Record: Jack Conger (2015), 1:39.70

1. Jonathan Roberts, Texas, 1:43.40
2. Josh Artmann, Texas, 1:43.46
3. Jeff Newkirk, Texas, 1:45.28
4. Braxton Moore, Teas, 1:45.35
5. Radu Duican, Texas Christian, 1:45.98
6. Trayton Saladin, West Virginia, 1:46.32
7. John Shebat, Texas, 1:46.84
8. Luke Hene, West Virginia, 1:47.84

Texas junior Jonathan Roberts was the top seed from this morning, finishing just 0.06 seconds ahead of teammate Josh Artmann.  Another pair of Longhorns, Jeff Newkirk and Braxton Moore, finished within 0.07 seconds of each other for 3rd and 4th.  TCU freshman Radu Duican and West Virginia freshmen Trayton Saladin and Luke Hene all took solid chunks off their seed times to make it into tonight’s A-final as well.  John Shebat, a NCAA B-finalist in this event last year, cruised to a 1:46.84.

Not surprisingly, Will Licon did not end up swimming this event, presumably to focus on the 200 breast that’ll be coming up shortly.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 47.69
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 49.99
• Big 12 Record: Triin Aljand (2008) – 47.35
• Conference Meet Record: Julia Wilkinson (2010) – 47.74

1. Rebecca Millard, Texas, 48.11
2. Anelise Diener, Texas, 50.37
3. Nora McCullagh, Texas, 50.37
4. Laura Miksch, Iowa State, 50.51
5. Jordan Wheeler, Texas, 50.57
6. Carly Straight, Kansas, 50.67
7. Sam Sutton, Texas, 50.80
8. MaKayla Markey, Texas, 50.88

Thursday’s 50 free winner, Longhorn Rebecca Millard, will swim in lane four tonight after posting a time this morning that was over two seconds faster than any other swimmer, with a 48.11.  It got much tighter after that, as the next seven swimmer were all within 0.51 seconds of each other.  Leading that pack were two Longhorns, Anelise Diener and Nora McCullagh, who tied with a 50.37 each.  Iowa State’s Laura Miksch finished just ahead of Texas’s Jordan Wheeler, 50.51 to 50.57.  Kansas’s Carly Straight (50.67), and Texas’s Sam Sutton (50.80) and MaKayla Markey (50.88) rounded the rest of the top eight swimmers.

MEN’S 100 FREE

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 42.25
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 44.29
• Big 12 Record: Jimmy Feigen (2009) – 41.49
• Conference Meet Record: Dave Walters (2009) – 41.92

1. Jeremy Nichols, Texas, 42.91
2. Tate Jackson, Texas, 43.21
3. Brett Ringgold, Texas, 43.27
4. Townley Haas, Texas, 43.38
5. Merwane Elmerini, West Virginia, 43.98
6. Jacob Huerta, Texas, 44.00
7. PJ Dunne, Teas, 44.17
8. Ross Sullivan, 44.62

Texas sophomore Jeremy Nichols was the only man under 43 this morning.  His time of 42.91 is faster than what it took to make NCAA’s in this event each of the past few years, although nothing is guaranteed until the selection list comes out.  Three Texas teammates took the next few spots: Tate Jackson (43.21), Brett Ringgold (43.21) and Townley Haas (43.38).  West Virginia’s Merwane Elmerini beat his seed time by over half a second to take the 5th spot with a 43.98.  Texas swimmer Jacob Huerta (44.00) and PJ Dunne (44.17) and Texas Christian’s Ross Sullivan (44.62) secured the last three spots.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 2:07.33
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 2:15.99
• Big 12 Record: Laura Sogar (2012) – 2:05.04
• Conference Meet Record: Laura Sogar (2013) – 2:05.25

1. Madisyn Cox, Texas, 2:12.14
2. Emma Harris, Texas, 2:12.44
3. Haley Downey, Kansas, 2:15.71
4. Olivia Anderson, Texas, 2:15.82
5. Kasey Roberts, Iowa State, 2:16.17
6. Danica Delaquis, Iowa State, 2:16.67
7. Lydia Pocisk, Kansas, 2:16.93
8. Ahsley Dyke, Texas Christian, 2:17.51

With only 15 women competing, everyone will get a second swim in this event today.  But leading the pack will be Texas’s Madisyn Cox, who cruised to a 2:12.14 top time.  Just behind her was WVU’s Emma Harris, who knocked two a half seconds off her seed time to earn lane five tonight with a 2:12.44.  Haley Downey of Kansas and Olivia Anderson of Teas were both also under the NCAA ‘B’ cut.  A pair of Iowa State swimmers, Kasey Roberts and Danica Delaquis, and Lydia Pocisk (Kansas) and Ashley Dyke (TCU) all earned A-final swims tonight.

Notably, last night’s 100 breast winner, Jordan Surhoff had the slowest time, with a 2:32.00.  However, she took it out in a 1:01.66, suggesting that she may simply been working on her front-end speed, then taking the second half easy, with a second swim tonight already guaranteed.

MEN’S 200 BREAST

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:52.99
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:59.79
• Big 12 Record: Will Licon (2016) – 1:48.12
• Conference Meet Record: Will Licon (2016) – 1:50.47

1. Jared Butler, Texas, 1:56.56
2. Will Licon, Texas, 1:57.16
3. Hayden Henry, Texas, 1:57.97
4. Casey Melzer, Texas, 1:58.42
5. Sam Stewart, Texas, 1:59.16
6. Drew Riebel, West Virginia, 2:00.67
7. Imri Ganiel, Texas, 2:00.86
8. Austin Temple, Texas, 2:01.14

Seven Texas swimmers finished in the top eight this morning.  They were led by junior Jared Butler, who knocked over a second off his previous personal best to touch first in 1:56.56.  Will Licon, the fastest man ever in this event, will almost certainly be faster this evening, as he time of 1:57.16 from this morning is over nine seconds slower than his US Open mark.  Three more Longhorns — Hayden Henry, Casey Melzer, and Sam Stewart — took the next three spots.  Stewart typically swims backstroke, but swimming the 200 breast here suggests he’s really working on his IM’s.  That’s also the case for another Longhorn, Jonathan Roberts, who swam this as an exhibition event after doing the 200 back earlier today, but would have finished 6th if his swim counted.  Instead, Drew Riebel of West Virginia was the only non-Texas swimmer in the top 8, clocking in at 2:00.67.  A pair of Longhorns who have each swam this event at NCAA’s, Imri Ganiel and Austin Temple, took the last two spots.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:54.01
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:59.59
• Big 12 Record: Kathleen Hersey (2009) – 1:51.18
• Conference Meet Record: Cammile Adams (2011) – 1:53.66

1. Lauren Case, Texas, 1:56.33
2. Remedy Rule, 1:56.72
3. Morgan Carr, West Virginia, 1:57.86
4. Morgan Bullock, West Virginia, 1:58.78
5. Maggie D’Innocenzo, Texas, 1:58.81
6. Libby Walker, Kansas, 1:59.87
7. Mary Kate Luddy, Iowa State, 2:01.73
8. Bailey Flynn, Texas Christian, 2:02.33

Longhorns Lauren Case and Remedy Rule were the only two swimmers under the 1:57 mark (and last year’s NCAA invited time), and will occupy the middle two lanes this evening.  A pair of West Virginia swimmers, Morgan Carr and Morgan Bullock, both took solid chunks off their seed times, while Texas’s Maggie D’Innocenzo was also under the NCAA ‘B’ time.  Libby Walker of Kansas, Mary Kate Luddy of Iowa State, and Bailey Flynn of Texas Christian made up the rest of the top eight.

MEN’S 200 FLY

• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:41.86
• NCAA ‘B’ cut: 1:47.99
• Big 12 Record: Joseph Schooling (2016) – 1:37.97
• Conference Meet Record: Jack Conger (2016) – 1:40.57

1. Joseph Schooling, Texas, 1:41.58
2. Jack Conger, Texas, 1:42.19
3. Max Holter, Texas, 1:42.74
4. Will Glass, Texas, 1:43.52
5. Mason Tenney, Texas, 1:47.14
6. Matthew Spallas, Texas Christian, 1:48.03
7. Gabe Swardson, West Virginia, 1:48.10
8. Carlos Hunnicutt, Texas Christian, 1:48.33

No surprises here, as Schooling and Conger will face off tonight in lanes 4 and 5 after securing the top two times from this morning.  Another pair of Longhorns, Max Holter and Will Glass, took the next two spots.  Holter’s time of 1:42.74 is a new personal best and should be well under the NCAA qualifying time.  Glass is probably on the bubble currently with a 1:43.52, and should be looking to shave off a couple tenths this evening to be safe.  Mason Tenney was the fifth Longhorn in the top five with a 1:47.14, under the NCAA ‘B’ cut.  Three non-Texas swimmers, Matthew Spallas (TCU), Gabe Swardson (WVU), and Carlos Hunnicutt (TCU) touched within three-tenths of a second of each other for the final three spots in the top eight.

WOMEN’S PLATFORM DIVING

• Big 12 Record: Samantha Bromberg (2015) – 411.30
• Conference Meet Record: Samantha Bromberg (2015) – 411.30

MEN’S PLATFORM DIVING

• Big 12 Record: Drew Livingstone (2009) – 542.95
• Conference Meet Record: Drew Livingstone (2009) – 542.95