BIG 12 – MEN AND WOMEN
- Wednesday, February 27 – Saturday, March 2
- Texas Swimming Center, Austin, TX (Central Time Zone)
- Defending Champion: Texas men (22x) & Texas women (6x) (results)
- Live results
- Championship Central
- Time Trials results
Day 2 of the 2019 Big 12 Championships will see men’s and women’s races of the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free. While the Longhorns are favored in all 6 individual swimming events on the day, after day 1’s relay results, there are opportunities for upsets. Look for Morgan Bullock of West Virginia in the 200 IM to make some noise, as well as her teammate Julia Nilton in the 50 free after a 23.48 fly split on the relay last night that was just .01 seconds short of Texas’ Remedy Rule.
The 1-meter diving prelims will also be held on Thursday, where Kansas’ Vicky Xu will make her first, and last, Big 12 appearance. Squared up against Texas junior Alison Gibson, who was 4th in the event at NCAAs last year, this might be the best event competition of the meet.
Note that many swimmers, especially Texas swimmers, will swim races as exhibitions. They are eligible for finals as non-scoring swimmers, but all scoring swimmers will be seeded ahead of them.
Women’s 500 Free – Prelims
- Meet Record – Joanna Evans, Texas, 2017 – 4:36.97
- Big 12 Record – Joanna Evans, Texas, 2017 – 4:35.05
- Estimated NCAA Invite Time – 4:40.59
Texas’ Remedy Rule slid into the top seed in the women’s 500 free in 4:43.68, which is 1.1 seconds short of her season-best time in the event. The top seed, Teaxs’ Joanna Evans, finished 2nd in 4:44.78, while Kansas’ Jenny Nusbaum qualified 3rd in 4:45.53.
Texas grabbed 5 spots in the A final, while Kansas has 2 and West Virginia has 1.
Top 3:
- Remedy Rule, Texas – 4:43.68
- Joanna Evans, Texas – 4:44.78
- Jenny Nusbaum, Kansas – 4:45.53
Men’s 500 Free – Prelims
- Meet Record – Clark Smith, Texas, 2017 – 4:08.42
- Big 12 Record – Clark Smith, Texas, 2017 – 4:08.42
- Estimated NCAA Invite Time – 4:15.44
In an otherwise sleepy prelims session, where most of the big stars were well-off their best times, Texas freshman Alex Zettle bucked the trend with a 4:14.27 to qualify 1st in the men’s 500 free on Thursday morning.
That takes his mid-season time of 4:15.59, which was squarely on the bubble, and moves him into ‘safe’ territory for NCAA qualifying. He was a 4:18 in high school.
The defending NCAA Champion Townley Haas swam a 4:17.82 to qualify 2nd. While his seed was a 4:08.60, that’s actually a time from last year; his season best was 4:20.
The top 9 finishers in prelims were all Texas Longhorns.
Top 3:
- Alex Zettle, Texas – 4:14.27
- Townley Haas, Texas – 4:17.82
- JohnThomas Larson, Texas – 4:19.76
Women’s 200 IM – Prelims
- Meet Record – Madisyn Cox, Texas, 2017 – 1:52.82
- Big 12 Record – Madisyn Cox, Texas, 2017 – 1:52.82
- Estimated NCAA Invite Time – 1:56.86
Texas’ Nora McCullagh was the top qualifier in prelims of the women’s 200 IM in 1:58.57. She’s still looking for an NCAA invite time in any event – she was 1:57 earlier this season, but last year at Big 12s swam a 1:56.9 in this same race.
She was followed by 2 fellow Longhorns, Brooke Hansen (2:00.34) and Ashley Pollok (2:00.41) before a pair of Jayhawks broke the burnt orange streak. Elizabeth Amato qualified 4th in 2:00.57, which was the top time from a non-Texas swimmer in prelims.
West Virginia and TCU are also represented in the A final. Morgan Bullock, who was the 4th seed coming in to the event, swam a 2:01.26 in prelims – 7 tenths slower than her season best – to qualify 6th.
Top 3:
- Nora McCullagh, Texas – 1:58.57
- Brooke Hansen, Texas – 2:00.34
- Ashley Pollok, Texas – 2:00.41
Men’s 200 IM – Prelims
- Meet Record – Will Licon, Texas, 2015 – 1:41.67
- Big 12 Record – Will Licon, Texas, 2016 – 1:40.04
- Estimated NCAA Invite Time – 1:43.88
Another freshman took the top prelims spot for the Texas men on Thursday. This time, it was Braden Vines, who qualified 1st in the 200 IM in 1:44.44. His classmate Matthew Willenbring qualified 2nd in 1:45.33. both swimmers are very good breastststrokers, but Vines’ split on that leg was especially noteworthy in 29.90, which is a very fast breaststroke split when accompanied by a 1:44-mid final time.
Some of the bigger Texas names, like John Shebat (1:45.94) and Ryan Harty (1:46.13) will move up in finals after the exhibition swimmers are removed.
Top 3:
- Braden Vines, Texas – 1:44.44
- Matthew Willenbring, Texaxs – 1:45.33
- Colter Carman, Texas – 1:45.47
Women’s 50 Free – Prelims
- Meet Record – Hee-Jin Chang, Texas, 2009 – 21.87
- Conference Record – Rebecca Millard, Texas, 2017/Grace Ariola, Texas, 2018 – 21.73
- Estimated NCAA Invite Time – 22.26
Texas freshmen Grace Ariola and Julia Cook qualified 1st and 2nd in the women’s 50 free prelims in 22.18 and 22.35, respectively. Ariola tied the school and conference record mid-season at 21.73, and indicated in a Thursday interview that she wasn’t rested at all for this meet.
For Cook, that’s right-on her season-best of 22.28, and she probably needs another tenth or tow to move into NCAA invite position in this event. West Virginia’s Julia Nilton became the first swimmer to break the Texas grip on the top 3 on Thursday, qualifying 3rd in 22.52. That’s a season-best and is just .01 seconds short of her lifetime best.
Top 3:
- Grace Ariola, Texas – 22.18
- Julia Cook, Texas – 22.35
- Julia Nilton, West Virginia – 22.52
Men’s 50 Free – Prelims
- Meet Record – Joseph Schooling, Texas, 2017 – 18.76
- Big 12 Record – Joseph Schooling, Texas, 2017 – 18.76
- Estimated NCAA Invite Time – 19.35
Texas’ Tate Jackson, who ranks 2nd in the country this season in the 50 free, qualified 1st for finals on Thursday with a 19.30. Elmerin Merwane of West Virginia was 2nd in 19.55, which cut a quarter-of-a-second off his previous season best in the race.
Texas freshman Daniel Krueger, who likely sealed up his NCAA invite in a Wednesday time trial in the 100 free, qualified 3rd in 19.58.
Texas head coach Eddie Reese’s grandson, Luke Bowman was 4th in prelims in 19.84.
Top 3:
- Tate Jackson, Texas – 19.30
- Merwane Elmerin, West Virginia – 19.55
- Daniel Krueger, Texas – 19.58
PANIC IN AUSTIN! Team scores after Day 1:
1. West Virginia University 124 2. University of Texas 117
3. Texas Christian University 66
Who’s minding those exhibition swims anyway?? Divers HELP!!! Big12 win streak on the line!!! No more in-meet workouts!!! Ahhhrrrrghhhh!
Team race at this meet should be a real barn burner again this year.
A three team conference meet is sort of silly – – but that’s what NCAA sports has contorted itself into as it chases money in football and basketball.
Haas to Eddie Reese last week, “hey Coach, can I Swim the 50 next week?”
Eddie : “ You will swim the 500 and like it”
Haas: “ please Coach, I’m a senior. Just once. “
Eddie: *death stare*
He’s probably gonna win the 500 again
Will be one of the best races of NCAA
Haas tapers like nobody’s business
I am confused by the live results page. It shows the American record as 1:31.31 by ricky berens, The US Open at 1:31.20 by simon burnett, and the NCAA record as 1:30.46 by townley haas. Shouldn’t they all be the townley haas record? I am probably just missing something though.
I mean, obviously they just haven’t updated them….but it’s weird how they picked up that NCAA Record but didn’t count it as the US Open or American Record.
They are just waiting for Dean to break them all before they update.
There is something weird about the sidearmstats pages where records don’t update for time trials. Notice in yesterday’s women’s 50 free time trial, the record is old Lara Jackson. In today’s prelims, it is Weitzeil. It seems this way across most all meets. Called a GLITCH – Gremlins Lurking In The Computer Hardware.