2020 Big 12 Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2020 BIG 12 SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 26th to Saturday, February 29th | Prelims 10:00 am | Finals 6:00 pm
• Where: Aquatic Center at Mylan Park, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: University of Texas Men (40x), University of Texas Women (8x) – results
• Live Streaming Links: Thursday finals / Friday finals / Saturday finals
• Championship Central: Here
• Detailed Timeline: Here
• Psych Sheets: Here
• Live Results: Here

SCORES AFTER DAY 3

WOMEN

1. Texas – 712
2. Kansas – 573
3. TCU – 338
4. West Virginia – 303
5. Iowa State – 262

MEN

1. Texas – 764
2. West Virginia – 581
3. Texas Christian – 436

The 3rd night of the 2020 Big 12 Championships is underway tonight, featuring finals of the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back, as well as men’s and women’s 3 meter diving. The Texas Longhorns have built up big leads through the first 2 days of competition.

Texas senior Claire Adams was electric in the 100 back this morning, breaking the meet record. Teammate Julia Cook comes into tonight as the 2nd seed after swimming a lifetime best time this morning. Texas freshman Kelly Pash is looking for her 2nd title of the meet, coming in as the top seed for the 400 IM tonight. Defending champion Evie Pfeifer will give Pash a battle, however. Another Texas freshman, Bridget Semenuk, is also chasing her 2nd title of the meet. Semenuk was the fastest in the field in the 200 free this morning, after winning the 50 free last night.

Kansas had a strong showing in the 100 breast, with sophomore Kate Steward leading the way. Steward is the top seed heading into tonight, and was the runner-up in the 200 IM last night. Kansas’ Elziabeth Amato-Hanner is the top seed in the 100 fly tonight.

The Longhorn men’s fly power will be on display tonight, with Maxime Rooney, Sam Pomajevich, and Alvin Jiang vying for the 100 fly title. Freshman Jake Foster is looking for his first Big 12 tonight, coming into the session as the top seed in the 400 IM. Drew Kibler, one of the top 200 freestylers in NCAA history, is looking for gold in the 200 free.

WOMEN’S 3 METER DIVING – FINALS

Podium:

1. Jiayu Chen (KANS) – 384.60
2. Alison Gibson (TEX) – 381.60
3. Paola Pineda (TEX) – 338.90

The finals session opened up with the final of women’s 3 meter diving. Kansas picked up its first win of the meet with freshman Jiayu Chen narrowly edging Texas star Alison Gibson by 3 points. Texas still came out on top in the event from a team score standpoint, taking 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 52.34
• NCAA “A”: 50.92
• NCAA “B”: 53.76

Podium:

1. Emily Reese (TEX) – 53.49
2. Greta Olsen (KANS) – 53.90
3. Morgan Bullock (WVU) – 53.92

The women’s 100 fly gave us our first women’s podium with 3 different teams represented. Texas pulled the win out, with junior Emily Reese taking half a second off her prelims time. Reese has a personal best of 52.79. Kansas picked up another 2nd place finish, with Greta Olsen swimming a personal best of 53.90. Morgan Bullock came in 3rd tonight, coming in off her personal best of 53.09.

Kansas had a strong showing in the event, accumulating 59 points, compared to 32 for Texas.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 45.90
• NCAA “A”: 45.05
• NCAA “B”: 47.43

Podium:

1. Alvin Jiang (TEX) – 45.11
2. Maxime Rooney (TEX) – 45.21
3. Sam Pomajevich (TEX) – 46.23

We had another texas sweep in the 100 fly, with Alvin Jiang claiming his first Big 12 title. Jiang, who transferred to texas from UNC this season, swam a 45.11 to touch out teammate Maxime Rooney. Jiang has been as fast as 44.93 this season. Rooney, who also transferred to Texas from Florida this season, was also just off his personal best of 44.83.

Sam Pomajevich bounced back from an off swim in the 500 last night, nearly swimming a personal best in the 100 fly tonight. Pomajevich’s 46.23 tonight comes in narrowly off his best mark of 46.20.

TCU came in 4th with Piotr Sadlowksi, a freshman, swimming a personal best of 46.58.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 4:10.00
• NCAA “A”: 4:03.62
• NCAA “B”: 4:17.30

Podium:

1. Evie Pfeifer (TEX) – 4:06.47
2. Kelly Pash (TEX) – 4:07.71
3. Dannie Dilsaver (KANS) – 4:18.12

Evie Pfeifer defended her title in the 400 IM, swimming a 4:06.47. Pfeifer wasn’t far off her personal best of 4:05.32. She pulled ahead of teammate Kelly Pash on the breast leg, where she split 1:10.83 to Pash’s 1:12.53. Pash made up a little ground on freestyle, but was unable to overcome the deficit. The time marked a huge best time for Pash, whose previous best was 4:10.79.

Dannie Dilsaver, a recent transfer from Cal, picked up 3rd with a 4:18.12. She was well of her personal best of 4;12.46, but led the way for the Jayhawks.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 3:43.42
• NCAA “A”: 3:39.16
• NCAA “B”: 3:51.46

Podium:

1. Jake Foster (TEX) – 3:43.92
2. Andrew Koustik (TEX) – 3:46.40
3. Braden Vines (TEX) – 3:51.40

Freshman Jake Foster picked up his first Big 12 title, swimming a 3:43.92. Foster has been as fast as 3:40.71 this season. He was excellent on the breast leg, swimming 1:03.44. Foster led another podium sweep for the Longhorns. Andrew Koustik got out to a fast start, splitting 49.63 on the fly leg.

West Virginia sophomore Josh Harlan swam a 3:52.71 for 4th. Harlan has a personal best of 3:50.23, which he swam back in 2018. TCU outscored the Mountaineers, however, taking 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 1:45.12
• NCAA “A”: 1:42.98
• NCAA “B”: 1:47.12

Podium:

1. Bridget Semenuk (TEX) – 1:45.66
2. Kyla Leibel (TEX) – 1:46.85
3. Jenny Nusbaum (KANS) – 1:47.35

Bridget Semenuk took her 2nd title of the meet, establishing a new personal best with her time of 1:45.66. Semenuk came into the meet with a best time of 1:45.86, which she swam in December at the Minnesota Invite. Semenuk led fellow freshman Kyla Leibel by over a second, swimming the fastest split in the field on all 4 50s. Leibel had swum a best time of 1:46.93, which she swam at prelims, and took another .08 seconds off the time tonight.

Jenny Nusbaum picked up an0ther 3rd place finish for Kansas, swimming a 1:47.35. Nusbaum has a personal best of 1:45.68, which she swam in 2019.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 1:34.21
• NCAA “A”: 1:32.05
• NCAA “B”: 1:36.32

Podium:

1. Drew Kibler (TEX) – 1:33.66
2. Daniel Krueger (TEX) – 1:34.58
3. Matthew Willenbring (TEX) – 1:35.32

Drew Kibler led a 1-2-3-4 charge by the Longhorns, swimming a 1:33.66. Kibler was well off his lifetime and season best of 1:30.83, which he swam at the 2019 Minnesota Invite. He used a strong back half of 48.48 to pull ahead of teammate Daniel Krueger tonight. Krueger wasn’t far off his personal best of 1:33.29, which he swam last March. Rasmus Pedersen and Joao Andrade came in 5th and 6th for TCU, swimming 1:36.60 and 1:38.26.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS

•  2019 Invite Time: 59.93
• NCAA “A”: 58.60
• NCAA “B”: 1:01.84

Podium:

1. Kate Steward (KANS) – 1:00.34
2. Lehr Thorson (ISU) – 1:01.02
3. Kennedy Lohman (TEX) – 1:01.18

Kate Steward picked up Kansas’ first swimming title of the meet, swimming a personal best 1:00.34. Steward entered the meet with a top mark of 1:00.80, which she swam at last year’s Big 12 Championships. She led the race from start to finish, building up a lead of well over half a second. Lehr Thorson picked up Iowa State’s highest finish of the meet so far, taking Silver with a personal best of 1:01.02. Thorson had just set her personal best in prelims, where she swam a 1:01.18.

Kennedy Lohman made the podium for Texas, swimming a 1:00.18. Lohman was well off her personal best of 59.25, which she swam at the 2018 Big 12 Championships.

Kansas picked up the most points in the event, scoring 44 points for their team total.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 52.52
• NCAA “A”: 51.67
• NCAA “B”: 54.27

Podium:

1. Caspar Corbaeu (TEX) – 52.55
2. Vitauts Silins (TCU) – 52.83
3. Fausto Huerta (WVU) – 53.63

In a battle of the freshman, Texas freshman Caspar Corbeau was victorious, holding off a late charge by TCU freshman Vitauts Silins on the last 25. Corbeau got out to the early lead, splitting 24.72 on the first 50, compared to 25.07 for Silins. Corbeau expanded the lead over the 3rd 25, but Silins then brought the race home in 13..31 on the last length, compared to 13.76 for Corbeau. The time marked a personal best for Silins, who had already swum a best time of 53.28 in prelims this morning. Corbeau was a little over a second off his personal best of 51.46, which he swam at the Minnesota Invite.

Defending Champion Charlie Scheinfeld (Texas) came in 4th tonight with a 54.65.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 52.46
• NCAA “A”: 50.93
• NCAA “B”: 53.94

Podium:

1. Claire Adams (TEX) – 51.10
2. Julia Cook (TEX) – 51.76
3. Dewi Blose (KANS) – 52.44

Texas duo Claire Adams and Julia Cook were both off their prelims swims. Cook’s prelims time of a 51.27 was a personal best. Adams managed to defend her title, however, and Cook came in 2nd for a 2nd year in a row. Adams swam a 50.68 in prelims, establishing a new meet record, and swam 50.51 leading off the 400 medley relay last night, establishing a personal best, Texas school record, and Big 12 conference record.

Kansas’ Dewi Blose swam a lifetime best of 52.44. The time puts the Kansas sophomore .02 seconds ahead of what it took to earn an invite to NCAAs last season. Kansas also picked up a 4th place finish with junior Manon Manning, who swam a personal best 52.84. Senior Jayhawk Elizabeth Amato-Hanner swam a 54.01 for 5th.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

• 2019 Invite Time: 46.06
• NCAA “A”: 44.95
• NCAA “B”: 47.77

Podium:

1. Alvin Jiang (TEX) – 44.95
2. Austin Katz (TEX) – 45.85
3. Hunter Armstrong (WVU) – 46.22

Alvin Jiang picked up his 2nd Big 12 title of the night, touching as the only swimmer in the field to break 45 seconds. The time marked a personal best for Jiang, his first time under 45 seconds, and a Big 12 meet record. Austin Katz came in 2nd, after reportedly dealing with food poisoning yesterday.

West Virginia freshman Hunter Armstrong swam a personal best of 46.22 to take 3rd. Armstrong entered the meet with a 46.93 best time, which he swam back in the Fall. Armstrong’s time is just off the 46.02 it took to earn an invite to NCAAs last season.

MEN’S 3 METER DIVING – FINALS

Podium:

1. Jordan Windle (TEX) – 553.15
2. Jacob Cornish (TEX) – 415.70
3. Grayson Campbell (TEX) – 406.40

Jordan Windle was absolutely dominant in the event, taking the Big 12 title by a jaw-dropping 137 points. Windle shattered the meet and Big 12 conference records with his performance. The previous record stood at 527.10 by Drew Livingston (Texas) from 2011. It was a podium sweep by Texas, with Jacob Cornish and Grayson Campbell rounding out the the top 3.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE RELAY – FINALS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:28.43
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:29.21

Podium:

1. Texas – 1:28.92
2. Kansas – 1:31.03
3. TCU – 1:31.16

Texas came away with their 4th relay title of the meet, clocking a 1:28.92 for their 2nd fastest time of the season. 50 free champion Bridget Semenuk led the squad off in 22.58, with Julia Cook following in 21.90. Claire Adams swam the 3rd leg in 22.06, and Kyla Leibel anchored in 22.38. Kelly pash split a field-leading 21.76 on Texas’ B relay, which swam a 1:29.95. Texas had already achieved the NCAA A cut in the event automatically qualifying them to swim this relay at NCAAs.

Kansas won a very tight race for 2nd with TCU, thanks in large part to a strong back half of 45.09 from Jenny Nusbaum (22.69) and Manon Manning (22.40). TCU had a huge boost from 2nd led Anna Munster, who split 22.18.

MEN’S 200 FREE RELAY – FINALS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:17.17
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:17.86

Podium:

1. Texas – 1:16.48
2. West Virginia – 1:19.76
3. TCU – 1:19.98

Texas took their 4th relay of the meet with a 1:16.48, coming in under the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 1:17.17. The Longhorns had an excellent back half of 37.76, thanks to splits of 18.98 and 18.78 from Drew kibler and Daniel Krueger repsectively. Matthew Willenbring led the team off in 19.67, with Maxime Rooney going 2nd with a 19.05. Texas ‘B’ relay of Luke Bowman (19.78), Jacob Huerta (19.77), Peter Larson (19.40), and Caspar Corbeau (19.34) teamed up for a 1:18.29.

West Virginia narrowly beat TCU for 2nd, thanks to anchor David Dixon edging out TCU anchor Reed Dittlinger. Dixon brought the Mountaineers home in 19,99, while Dittlinger posted a 20.21.