2023 Big 12 Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2023 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25, 2023
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center, Austin, TX
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Texas (10x)
  • Men: Texas (26x)
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 1

1. University of Texas – 80
2. West Virginia University – 66
3. Iowa State University / Texas Christian University – 62
5. University of Kansas – 58

MEN’S TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 1

1. University of Texas – 139
2. Texas Christian University – 116
3. West Virginia University – 75

WOMEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 4:24.06, Katie Ledecky (STAN) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Record: 4:35.02, Evie Pfeifer (TEX) – 2021 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 4:36.35, Evie Pfeifer (TEX) – 2021
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:35.76
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 4:43.08

Top 8:

1. Erica Sullivan (Texas) – 4:36.70
2. Olivia Bray (Texas) – 4:37.31
3. Abby Pfeifer (Texas) – 4:44.47
4. Olivia McMurray (Texas) – 4:44.69
5. Jordan Edwards (TCU) – 4:50.01
6. Abby Reardon (WVU) – 4:50.31
7. Brinley Horras (ISU) – 4:53.00
8. Miranda Kirtley (WVU) – 4:53.01

The Longhorns swept the top four spots, led by Erica Sullivan, who nearly broke the meet record with a 4:36.70. Sullivan won this event for the second-straight year, and today she was nearly three seconds faster than she was last year.

Olivia Bray hit a 3+ second lifetime best to take 2nd in 4:37.31. Those were the only two swimmers under last year’s NCAA invite. Abby Pfeifer (4:44.47) just beat out Olivia McMurray (4:44.69), who was nearly two seconds faster tonight than last year.

TCU’s Jordan Edwards (4:50.01) got her hand on the wall just ahead of WVU’s Abby Reardon (4:50.31). ISU’s Brinley Horras won an even narrower race in the battle for 7th, touching out WVU’s Miranda Kirtley 4:53.00 to 4:53.01.

Men’s 500 Freestyle – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 4:06.32, Kieran Smith (FLOR) – 2020 SEC Championships
• Big 12 Record: 4:08.19, Townley Haas (TEX) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 4:11.11, Clark Smith (TEX) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:11.40
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 4:14.96

Top 8:

1. David Johnston (Texas) – 4:12.82
2. Coby Carrozza (Texas) – 4:14.12
3. Luke Hobson (Texas) – 4:14.27
4. Milan Fabian (TCU) – 4:19.04
5. Alec Enyeart (Texas) – 4:22.87
6. Roanoke Shirk (WVU) – 4:26.78
7. William Mullen (WVU) – 4:27.06
8. Max Nielsen (WVU) – 4:29.48

David Johnston picked up a win in this event with a 4:12.82 tonight after finishing 3rd with a 4:14.99 last year. Last year’s winner, Coby Carrozza, took 2nd tonight with a 4:14.12, followed by Luke Hobson (4:14.27). Johnston and Hobson were already well under NCAA invite times, while Carrozza punched his ticket last night leading off the 800 free relay. Fellow Longhorn Alec Enyeart also has secured a NCAA invite, and ended up 5th tonight with a 4:22.87.

In terms of NCAA qualifying, the biggest swim of the night may have come from the B-final, where Texas fifth year Alex Zettle hit a season-best 4:14.28. Taking into account a couple other swims at other meets tonight, that looks to move him to #23 in the nation this season. Even with Pac-12s and last chance meets forthcoming, that should be enough to secure a NCAA invite, especially as it seems unlikely that two of the top five swimmers in the event this season, Leon Marchand and Carson Foster, will swim this at NCAAs. Teammate Jackson Huckabay dropped a big best this morning with a 4:16.31, but faded tonight to a 4:20.23, which means he’s ranked roughly 35th in this even right now.

TCU’s Milan Fabian finished 4th in the A-final with a 4:19.04, while a trio of West Virginia swimmers, Roanoke Shirk (4:26.78), William Mullen (4:27.06) and Max Nielsen (4:29.48) rounded out the top eight.

Women’s 200 IM – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 1:50.08, Alex Walsh (UVA) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Record: 1:52.58, Madisyn Cox (TEX) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 1:52.82, Madisyn Cox (TEX) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:53.66
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:56.85

Top 8:

1. Kelly Pash (Texas) – 1:53.94
2. Emma Sticklen (Texas) – 1:57.88
3. Dakota Luther (Texas) – 1:59.50
4. Lucia Rizzo (Iowa State) – 1:59.73
5. Jacqueline McCutchan (WVU) – 2:00.15
6. Trinity Kay (Iowa State) – 2:00.38
7. Channing Hanley (Texas) – 2:02.24

Kelly Pash was just off of her season-best time of 1:53.81, which ranks her 6th in the nation this season, with a 1:53.94 tonight. Emma Sticklen, who currently holds the #9 time in the nation with a 1:54.70, finished 2nd tonight at 1:57.88.

Fellow Longhorn Dakota Luther held off Iowa State’s Lucia Rizzo on the final leg to take 3rd, 1:59.50 to 1:59.73. Tonight was Rizzo’s first time under 2:00; her previous best of 2:00.13 came from the 2021 Big 12 Championship .

Men’s 200 IM – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 1:37.69, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Record: 1:39.63, John Shebat (TEX) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 1:41.32, Carson Foster (TEX) – 2021
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:41.22
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:43.36

Top 8:

1. Carson Foster (Texas) – 1:40.42
2. Jake Foster (Texas) – 1:42.50
3. Braden Vines (Texas) – 1:43.37
4. Caspar Corbeau (Texas) – 1:44.46
5. Geremia Freri (TCU) – 1:45.44
6. Danny Berlitz (WVU) – 1:45.78
7. Jamin Harlan (WVU) – 1:47.23
8. Luke Dimiceli (TCU) – 1:47.97

Carson Foster came within a few tenths of his personal best with a 1:40.42 win to take down his own meet record. That swim also moves Foster to #3 in the nation this season, behind Marchand (1:38.89) and Arsenio Bustos (1:40.31).

Teammate and brother Jake Foster took 2nd with a 1:42.50; that moves him up to just outside the top ten this season, taking into account swims from other meets today.

Texas fifth year Braden Vines took 3rd in 1:43.37. That appears to move him into a tie for 29th this season, so he’s on the bubble in terms of NCAA invites. Fellow Longhorn Caspar Corbeau will make NCAAs on the basis of his 100 breast time, and he took 4th here tonight with 1:44.46.

In the B-final, Texas freshman Alec Filipovic hit a lifetime best with a 1:44.60, which would’ve put him 5th in the A-final. Officially, TCU’s Geremia Freri finished 5th with a time of 1:45.44.

Women’s 50 Freestyle – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 20.83, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2023 ACC Championships
• Big 12 Record: 21.73, Rebecca Millard (TEX) / Grace Ariola (TEX) – 2017 / 2018
• Big 12 Championship Record: 21.87, Hee-Jin Chang (TEX) – 2009
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 21.66
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 22.16

Top 8:

1. Grace Cooper (Texas) – 22.29
2. Ava Longi (Texas) – 22.49
3. Kyla Leibel (Texas) – 22.62
4. Bridget Semenuk (Texas) – 22.66
5. Olivia Rhodes (TCU) – 22.86
6. Ada Szwabinska (WVU) – 22.98
7. Dewi Bluse (Kansas) – 23.11
8. Serena Gould (TCU) – 23.31

Texas junior Grace Cooper took the win tonight in 22.29, almost a tenth of a second after than her 22.38 winning time from last year.

Last year, Ava Longi won the C-final with a 22.99; this year she was able to make the A-final, and the Longhorn sophomore responded by taking 2nd in 22.49, ahead of teammates Kyla Leibel (22.62) and Bridget (Semenuk) 22.66.

Men’s 50 Freestyle – FINAL

• NCAA Record: 17.63, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Record: 18.60, Drew Kibler (TEX) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 18.76, Joseph Schooling (TEX) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 18.88
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 19.28

Top 8:

1. Daniel Krueger (Texas) – 19.48
2. Peter Larson (Texas) – 19.59
3. William Chan (Texas) – 19.68
4. Charlie Crosby (Texa) – 19.71
5. Conner McBeth (WVU) – 19.87
6. Sam Artmann (Texas) – 19.90
7. Jadon Wuilliez (TCU) – 20.00
8. Raphael Paiva Da (TCU) – 20.19

Daniel Krueger took the win for Texas, but he was over three-tenths slower than he was in his victory here last year. Krueger has a season-best of 19.40, which came at the Texas-Virginia dual meet earlier in the season.

In fact, after having five men get under 19.4 last season, the Longhorns yet to have anyone under that mark, much less last year’s NCAA invite time of 19.28. They’ll still likely be able to put together a decent 200 free relay, especially when you add Corbeau’s probably sub-19 split to the mix, but it’s a far cry from last year, when the Longhorns put two men into the 50 free A-final (although one was DQ’d in the final) and finished 3rd in the 200 free relay at NCAAs.

Tonight, Peter Larson took 2nd in 19.59, followed by William Chan (19.68) and Charlie Crosby (1971). WVU’s Conner McBeth took 5th at 19.97, while Sam Artmann of Texas was the only other man under 20.0, at 19.90.

Men’s 3-Meter Diving – Final

• Big 12 Record: 553.15, Jordan Windle (TEX) – 2020 Big 12 Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 553.15, Jordan Windle (TEX) – 2020

Women’s 400 Medley Relay – Timed Final

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80, Virginia – 2023 ACC Championships
• Big 12 Record: 3:26.32, Texas – 2022 Big 12 Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 3:26.32, Texas – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:31.38

Podium:

1. Texas – 3:26.42
2. TCU – 3:37.97
3. West Virginia – 3:39.10
4. Kansas – 3:39.61
5. Iowa State – 3:40.23

The Longhorn women stormed to a ten second victory despite not even being a season-best time. Olivia Bray led off in 51.42, followed by Anna Elendt (57.16), Emma Sticklen (50.76), and Kelly Pash (47.08). With most of the women having already punched NCAA tickets, there isn’t much reason for the top Longhorn women to be too rested for this meet, and they should be very much in the mix behind Virginia, who just set the all-time mark last week, at NCAAs.

TCU took 2nd in 3:37.97, followed by West Virginia at 3:39.10.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay – Timed Final

• NCAA Record: 2:59.22, Texas – 2017 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Record: 2:59.22, Texas – 2017 NCAA Championships
• Big 12 Championship Record: 3:02.11, Texas – 2021
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:04.96

Podium:

1. Texas – 3:04.57
2. TCU – 3:09.67
3. West Virginia – 3:11.67

Texas closed out the night with a five second win in the 400 medley relay. Carson Foster led off with a 45.90, right in line with what’s he been doing all season. Caspar Corbeau split 51.37 on breast, and Daniel Krueger anchored in 41.67. It looks like those three men are locked into this relay at the NCAAs. Cole Crane has been swimming fly a lot this year, but he swam on the ‘B’ relay tonight, where he split 45.99. Crane probably has his NCAA locked up with a 1:42.25 in the 200 fly. Sam Artman, who went 1:42.67 in a 200 fly time trial last night, split 45.63 on the Texas A relay. Artman’s 200 fly time appears to have him tied for 23rd in the nation this season, which could get him an invite.

TCU got a strong 51.75 breast split from Jadon Wuilliez to take 2nd in 3:09.67, while West Virginia finished 3rd at 3:11.67.

Texas’ B and C relays touched in 3:05.49, and 3:10.30, respectively. Besides Crane, that B relay included backstroker Ethan Harder (46.17), Will Chan on breast (51.44) and Peter Larson anchoring (41.89).