2024 Women’s Big Ten Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2024 WOMEN’S BIG TEN SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Feb. 21-24, 2024
• Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center
  • West Lafayette, Indiana
• Defending champions:
  • Women: Ohio State (4x)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Preview: Fan guide
• Championship central
• Schedule
• Live stream (B1G+)
• Live results
• Diving results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap

Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet

After an exciting first night of racing that saw a Big Ten Championship record fall in the 200 medley relay, we’re all set for the first individual events of the meet on Thursday morning.

Indiana junior Anna Peplowski (4:38.29) and Michigan freshman Hannah Bellard (4:38.44) enter as the top seeds in the 500-yard freestyle. Peplowski was in fine form on Wednesday night, clocking a personal-best 200 free (1:42.04) leading off Indiana’s winning 800 free relay (6:55.45).

In the 200 IM, Wisconsin senior Phoebe Bacon (1:55.14) is the top seed by more than a second ahead of Ohio State fifth-year Josie Panitz (1:56.18). The 50 free features a trio of sub-22 second swimmers between Indiana sophomore Kristina Paegle (21.76), Ohio State junior Teresa Ivan (21.89), and Ohio State fifth-year Amy Fulmer (21.99).

It’s a close battle in the team standings through the first day of action, with Indiana on top (118) just ahead of Ohio State (116), Michigan (112), Wisconsin (106), and Northwestern (100).

500 Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA record: 4:24.06, Katie Ledecky – 2017
• Meet record: 4:34.40, G Ryan – 2017
• Pool record: 4:34.14, Allison Schmitt – 2010
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:37.89
• 2023 NCAA invite time: 4:41.09

Top 8:

1. Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 4:37.63
2. Abby Carlson (Wisconsin) – 4:39.98
3. Katie Crom (Michigan) – 4:40.77
4. Ayla Spitz (Northwestern) – 4:42.17
5. Ching Hwee Gan (Indiana) – 4:42.52
6. Blair Stoneburg (Wisconsin) – 4:42.53
7. Ella Ristic (Indiana) – 4:42.93
8. Elyse Heiser (Indiana) – 4:42.98

Indiana got off to a red-hot start in the individual events by placing four swimmer into the 500 free A-final. Leading the way was junior standout Anna Peplowski, who blasted a new lifetime best of 4:37.63 to lead the field by more than two seconds. Her previous best stood at 4:38.29 from November.

Wisconsin junior Abby Carlson, the defending Big Ten champion in this event, was the only other swimmer sub-4:40 this morning with a 4:39.98. She was within half a second of her season-best 4:39.50.

Michigan sophomore Katie Crom shaved almost half a second off her season best (4:41.21) to snag the No. 3 seed in 4:40.77. Northwestern fifth-year Ayla Spitz (4:42.17), Indiana junior Ching Hwee Gan (4:42.52), and Wisconsin sophomore Blair Stoneburg (4:42.53) rounded out the top six finishers. Behind them, the Hoosiers duo of senior Ella Ristic (4:42.93) and junior Elyse Heiser (4:42.98) snuck into the A-final just about a tenth of a second faster than Ohio State senior Maya Geringer (4:43.04).

Michigan freshman Hannah Bellard came into this race as the No. 2 seed behind Peplowski with a season-best 4:38.44, but she would up in the C-final with a 4:46.61 in prelims.

200 IM – Prelims

• NCAA record: 1:48.37, Kate Douglass – 2023
• Meet record: 1:51.66, Elizabeth Nelson, 2020
• Pool record: 1:53.56, Julia Smit – 2010
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:53.66
• 2023 NCAA invite time: 1:56.90

Top 8:

1. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 1:55.28
2. Josie Panitz (Ohio State) – 1:56.34
3. Paige Hall (Ohio State) – 1:56.85
4. Callahan Dunn (Wisconsin) – 1:57.22
5. Megan Van Berkom (Minnesota) – 1:57.50
6. Claire Donan (Michigan) – 1:57.84
7. Devon Kitchel (Michigan) – 1:58.01
8. Stephanie Balduccini (Michigan) – 1:58.20

Wisconsin senior Phoebe Bacon narrowly missed her season-best mark (1:55.14) with a 1:55.28 to lead the 200 IM heats this morning. Last year, she placed 2nd (1:55.06) behind Ohio State fifth-year Josie Panitz (1:54.96) at Big Tens before going on to place 5th at NCAAs with a personal-best 1:53.56.

Panitz punched in at 1:56.34 this morning, just about half a second ahead of junior teammate Paige Hall (1:56.85), who knocked a few tenths off her previous-best 1:57.22 to dip under 1:57 for the first time.

Wisconsin senior Callahan Dunn also hit a lifetime best en route to the No. 4 seed. She touched the wall in 1:57.22, taking a few tenths off her previous-best 1:57.58 from February.

Minnesota senior Megan Van Berkom claimed the fifth qualifying spot in 1:57.50, lowering her season-best 1:58.02. She has been as fast as 1:54.92 during her runner-up finish at the 2022 Big Ten Championships.

Michigan senior Claire Donan must have absolutely nailed her taper, dropping almost seven seconds off her season best (2:04.78) to take the 6th seed in 1:57.84. She owns a best time of 1:58.63 from the C-final of the 2022 Big Ten Championships.

Two more Wolverines rounded out the top eight as sophomore Devon Kitchel (1:58.01) and freshman Stephanie Balduccini (1:58.20) eked past Ohio State sophomore Jessica Eden (1:58.23) for the last qualifying spot in the A-final.

50 Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA record: 20.57, Gretchen Walsh – 2024
• Meet record: 21.28, Liz Li – 2018
• Pool record: 21.48, Liz Li – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ cut: 21.63
• 2023 NCAA invite time: 22.15

Top 8:

1. Teresa Ivan (Ohio State) – 21.75
2. Kit Kat Zenick (Ohio State) – 21.86
3. Kristina Paegle (Indiana) – 21.99
4. Amy Fulmer (Ohio State) – 22.01
5. Brady Kendall (Michigan) – 22.04
6. Lindsay Flynn (Michigan) – 22.24
7. Hailey Tierney (Wisconsin) – 22.30
8. Claire Newman (Michigan) – 22.31

Ohio State junior Teresa Ivan tallied a season-best 21.75 in prelims to lead a group of three Buckeyes in the top four of the 50 free heats. The Slovakian standout has been as fast as 21.46 at NCAAs last year, where she placed 4th. Ivan is fresh off a business trip to Doha, Qatar, where she narrowly missed making the 50-meter free semifinals (25.40) at the 2024 World Championships last week.

Defending champion Kit Kat Zenick took the No. 2 seed in 21.86, just about a tenth of a second behind Ivan. The Ohio State senior had only been 22.29 so far this season, but she clearly had more left in the tank. Zenick’s best time is 21.74 as a 200 free relay leadoff at NCAAs last year, where the Buckeyes placed 4th (1:25.80).

Indiana sophomore Kristina Paegle broke up the Ohio State party with a 21.99 to qualify third. Watch out for her to make some noise tonight after throwing down a personal-best 21.76 at November’s Ohio State Invitational to beat Ivan earlier this season.

Ohio State fifth-year Amy Fulmer gave the Buckeyes three swimmers in this A-final, an impressive showing but still one less than last year. Her prelims time of 22.01 was just a blink slower than her season-best 21.99 from November.

Michigan’s trio of sophomore Brady Kendall (22.04), junior Lindsay Flynn (22.24), and senior Claire Newman (22.31) continued the Wolverines’ strong morning in the pool. Michigan placed one swimmer into the 500 free A-final and three into the 200 IM A-final earlier in the session.

Wisconsin freshman Hailey Tierney (22.30) also snuck into the A-final as the No. 7 seed, just a few hundredths ahead of Minnesota junior Hannah Cornish (22.34) and Indiana fifth-year Ashley Turak (22.34), who tied for the ninth spot.

Women’s 1M Diving – Prelims

• Meet record: 376.10, Sarah Bacon – 2022
• Pool record: 362.65, Yu (Shelly) Zhou – 2017

Top 8:

1. Elna Widerstrom (Minnesota) – 196.9
2. Anne Fowler (Indiana) – 192.85
3. Daryn Wright (Purdue) – 189.8
4. Viviana Del Angel (Minnesota) – 185.55
5. Sophia McAfee (Purdue) – 184.35)
6. Holly Prasanto (Rutgers) – 181
7. Kiarra Milligan (Michigan) – 176.7
8. Sarah Ballard (Iowa) – 173