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)
- Live stream (B1G+)
- Live results
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
For the second night in a row, the Big Ten Championships saw the finals session end with a shocking disqualification from the winning relay team.
On Thursday, Indiana finished with the fastest 400 medley relay time (3:28.32) only to be disqualified for an early take-off, handing the victory (and the overall meet lead) to four-time defending champion Ohio State.
This time around, the Buckeyes returned the favor in the 200 free relay, where they were heavy favorites after sweeping the top three spots in Thursday’s individual 50 free final. The quartet of junior Teresa Ivan (21.81 leadoff), senior Kit Kat Zenick (21.53 split), senior Catherine Russo (21.63 split), and fifth-year Amy Fulmer (21.13) appeared to break their own meet record from last year (1:26.70) with a winning time of 1:26.10. However, upon review, Ohio State was disqualified for an early take-off by Russo.
Indiana seized the opportunity, stealing the 1st-place finish, accompanying 64 points, and Big Ten Championships record away from the Buckeyes with a time of 1:26.66. Sophomore Kristina Paegle posted the fastest split in the field at 21.03 to fuel the Hoosiers’ win along with junior Anna Peplowski (21.97 leadoff), fifth-year Ashley Turak (21.52 split), and sophomore Chiok Sze Yeo (22.14 split).
Impressively, even after winning the 200 free individually earlier in the session, Peplowski still returned to blaze a personal-best 21.97 on Indiana’s leadoff, lowering her previous-best 22.13 from last March.
Big Ten Championships Records, Splits Comparison
| OHIO STATE, 2023 | INDIANA, 2024 | |
| 1st 50 | Katherine Zenick, 22.08 | Anna Peplowski, 21.97 |
| 2nd 50 | Nyah Funderburke, 21.86 | Ashley Turak, 21.52 |
| 3rd 50 | Teresa Ivan, 21.69 | Chiok Sze Yeo, 22.14 |
| 4th 50 | Amy Fulmer, 21.07 | Kristina Paegle, 21.03 |
| 200 free relay total | 1:26.70 | 1:26.66 |
200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL
- NCAA record: 1:23.63, Virginia – 2024
- Big Ten record: 1:25.80, Ohio State – 2023
Meet record: 1:26.70, Ohio State – 2023Pool record: 1:27.03, Louisville – 2022- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:28.43
- Time to qualify for 2023 NCAAs: 1:29.20
Top 8:
- Indiana – 1:26.66 *Big Ten Championships meet, pool record
- Michigan – 1:26.75
- Wisconsin – 1:28.16
- Penn State – 1:30.14
- Northwestern – 1:30.47
- Minnesota – 1:30.55
- Illinois – 1:31.05
- Purdue – 1:31.61
Michigan’s quartet of freshman Stephanie Balduccini (22.39), sophomore Brady Kendall (21.42), senior Claire Newman (21.68), and junior Lindsay Flynn (21.26) combined for a runner-up finish in 1:26.75, also under Louisville’s previous pool record (1:27.03) from 2022. The Wolverines reached the wall exactly half a second shy of their program record (1:26.25) from 2019.
Team Scores After Day 3
- Ohio State – 907
- Indiana – 884
- Michigan – 835
- Wisconsin – 624.5
- Minnesota – 574.5
- Purdue – 363
- Penn State – 305
- Northwestern – 298.5
- Nebraska – 296
- Rutgers – 237.5
- Iowa – 217
- Illinois – 152
As expected, Ohio State leads with 907 points after a big third finals session where the team had 16 swimmers in A-finals, by far the most in the conference. However, thanks to the Buckeyes’ 200 free relay DQ, Indiana (884) and Michigan (835) are within striking distance heading into the final day of action on Saturday.
Kristina Paegle, revered as potentially the greatest Indiana athlete since Larry Bird, continues to shock the field at B1Gs.
Benjamin Franklin once said: “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and Kristina Paegle dropping an absolute nuke every time she anchors an IU relay.”
Paramedics on deck had to revive multiple bystanders who fainted at the mere sight of her 21.0 split, but who can blame them?
46.3 on the 400 MR too!!