Ivy Martin and Josh Fleagle were named Big Ten Swimmers of the Week for November 11th, while Rutgers picked up its first-ever Big Ten weekly honor.
Martin had a great week during a brutal road trip for Wisconsin. On Friday, she beat Olympian Missy Franklin for the 100 free title in the Badgers’ dual with Cal. Martin went 49.13 in that race and also won the 100 fly in 53.93. The next day, she won the 50 free against Stanford, topping the Cardinal’s freshman sensation Simone Manuel with a 22.32. Martin was also second in the 100 free at that meet. This is the seventh time Martin has been named Swimmer of the Week in her career.
Fleagle of Ohio State was named Male Swimmer of the Week. The junior won three individual races and three relays over OSU’s two-day meet with Princeton and Denison. Fleagle swept the sprint freestyle events, winning the 50 (20.22), 100 (44.21) and 200 (1:37.44) frees. He also helped the Buckeyes triumph at home in the 200 and 400 free relays and the 200 medley relay. It’s his first time being honored as Big Ten Swimmer of the Week.
Rutgers, which just joined the conference this season, earns its first weekly award courtesy of freshman Addison Walkowiak. The diver won twice as the Scarlet Knights beat Villanova, Georgetown and Seton Hall over the weekend. She scored 307.65 points to win on 3-meter and 281.55 points to win on 1-meter, and both scores qualified her for the NCAA Zone Diving meet.
She shared the Female Freshman of the Week award with Ohio State’s Zhesi Li. Li, a former Chinese Olympian, won two individuals and four relays in the triple dual against Princeton and Denison. Li won the 50 free (22.67) and 100 free (50.31), while also swimming legs on the 200 and 400 medleys plus the 200 and 400 free relays.
China was well represented in the awards this week. Minnesota freshman Yu Zhou earned Female Diver of the Week honors, winning an event in Minnesota’s blowout road win over Florida. Zhou won the 1-meter board with a score of 329.32, and also helped the Gophers go 1-2-3 in 3-meter to cap off a quality road win for the Gophers.
Male Diver of the Week went to Purdue’s Steele Johnson for the second time this year. Johnson, a freshman, won the 3-meter event as Purdue beat Western Kentucky. Johnson was also second on 1-meter and hit NCAA Zone cuts in both events. He previously won this award and Big Ten Freshman of the Week back on October 21st.
Male Freshman of the Week was Michigan’s Evan White, who won twice as the Wolverines knocked off Penn State and Virginia on the road. White won twice on the first day of the two-day meet, taking the 200 IM (1:49.08) and 200 fly (1:49.19). That helped Michigan roll to a win in what was a quite competitive triangular in Penn State’s home waters. This is White’s first Big Ten Weekly award.