2017 Women's Big Ten Championships

Big Ten Prelims Day 3: Michigan & Minnesota Work Their Way Back Up Ladder

Big Ten Prelims Day 3: Michigan & Minnesota Work Their Way Back Up Ladder

Day three prelims of the 2017 Big Ten Swimming & Diving Championships at Purdue included a new pool record from Indiana's Lilly King.el

Feb 17, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
Big Ten Prelims Day 3: Michigan & Minnesota Work Their Way Back Up Ladder
And that's a wrap for day three prelims at the 2017 Big Ten Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Indiana. The five events completed in prelims today were the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 backstroke.

100 BUTTERFLY


B1G Record: 51.42 (Zhesi Li - Ohio State, 2016)
B1G Meet: 51.61 (Becca Weiland - Minnesota, 2013)
Pool: 51.43 (Elaine Breeden - Stanford, 2010) 
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 51.49

1.) Gia D'alessandro (Indiana): 51.79 
2.) Zhesi Li (OSU): 51.98
3.) Dana Grindall (Wisconsin): 52.02
4.) Vanessa Krause (Michigan): 52.46
5.) Beata Nelson (Wisconsin): 52.68
6.) Danielle Nack (Minnesota): 52.91
7.) Trevyn Waddell (Minnesota): 52.95
8.) Christine Jensen (Indiana): 52.98
16th: Emmy Rawson (Purdue): 53.90
24th: Dana Posthuma (Nebraska): 54.35


After an incredible 21.48 finishing time in the 50 freestyle last night, we thought Ohio State's Zhesi Li would take the win on day three in prelims of the 100 butterfly. But Gia D'alessandro is yet another Hoosier here to show Indiana is in it to win it. She will be taking the top seed in tonight's A final with a blazing 51.79, only a few tenths off of the NCAA automatic qualifying time. D'alessandro has taken second place in this event for the last three years, but her morning swim proves she will be battling to finally take the championship title tonight. Following only a few hundredths behind Li is Wisconsin's Dana Grindall, who finished prelims with a 52.02. Needless to say, we can anticipate a close and aggressive race in the 100 butterfly A final this evening. 

400 IM


B1G Record: 4:01.41 (Allysa Vavra - Indiana, 2012)
B1G Meet: 4:01.41 (Allysa Vavra - Indiana, 2012) 
Pool: 4:00.90 (Julia Smit - Stanford, 2010)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 4:05.36

1.) Lindsey Clary (OSU): 4:06.63
2.) Allyson McHugh (Penn State): 4:06.91
3.) Yirong Bi (Michigan): 4:09.74
4.) Kathrin Demler (OSU): 4:09.79
5.) Danielle Valley (Wisconsin): 4:10.41
6.) Meg Bailey (OSU): 4:10.71
7.) Breanne Siwicki (Minnesota): 4:11.05
8.) Samantha Lisy (Indiana): 4:11.69
16th: Reagan Cook (Indiana): 4:16.41
24th: Erin Emery (Minnesota): 4:20.41


Defending champion Lindsey Clary of Ohio State has earned the top seed in tonight's A final of the 400 IM with a 4:06.63. Last year in this event, she won with a finishing time of 4:03.64, so we can expect to see another big drop from Clary tonight as she tries for that NCAA automatic qualifying time. Allyson McHugh of Penn State was also looking very strong as she gradually caught up to Clary on the freestyle leg and touched only a few tenths behind with a 4:06.91. Coming in third was be Michigan's Yirong Bi with a prelim time of 4:09.74.

Ohio State will gain some major points in this event, as their women claimed three of the top eight spots in tonight's A final.

200 FREESTYLE


B1G Record: 1:42.93 (Siobhan Haughey - Michigan, 2016)
B1G Meet: 1:42.93 (Siobhan Haughey - Michigan, 2016)
Pool: 1:42.84 (Allison Schmitt - Georgia, 2010)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:43.63

1.) Siobhan Haughey (Michigan): 1:43.93
2.) Kennedy Goss (Indiana): 1:43.99
3.) Cierra Runge (Wisconsin): 1:44.57
4.) Gabrielle Deloof (Michigan): 1:44.87
5.) Gillian Ryan (Michigan): 1:44.94
6.) Rebecca Postoll (Michigan): 1:45.44
7.) Maria Heitmann (Indiana): 1:45.74
8.) Kaersten Meitz (Purdue): 1:45.88
16th: Emmy Sehmann (Wisconsin): 1:47.06
24th: Grace Hernandez (Purdue): 1:48.62

…aaand she's back, the DQ last night in Siobhan Haughey's 200 IM wasn't enough to keep her spirits down. She will head into tonight's A final as the top seed with a 1:43.93. We will be watching closely if she can break her own B1G conference and meet record from last year. Kennedy Goss of Indiana trailed closely behind with a 1:43.99. She is certainly off to a better start on day three, after a 17th place finish in the 500 freestyle last night. Taking the third place spot into tonight's A final is Cierra Runge with a 1:44.57.

Michigan is quickly bouncing back from last night's 32-point loss in Haughey's DQ. Tonight, they will take half of the top eight spots in the 200 freestyle A final.

100 BREASTSTROKE


B1G Record: 57.30 (Lilly King - Indiana, 2016)
B1G Meet: 57.35 (Lilly King - Indiana, 2016)
Pool: 58.06 (Annie Chandler - Arizona, 2010) 57.46 (Lilly King - Indiana, 2017)
NCAA 'A': 59.04

1.) Lilly King (Indiana): 57.46 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Lindsey Horejsi (Minnesota): 58.96 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Maria Carlson (Wisconsin): 59.30
4.) Emma Sougstad (Iowa): 59.36
5.) Kierra Smith (Minnesota): 59.57
6.) Emily Kopas (Michigan): 59.79
7.) Rachel Munson (Minnesota): 1:00.58
8.) Cady Farlow (Purdue): 1:00.89
16th: Marissa Berg (Wisconsin): 1:01.31
24th: Mackenzie Atencio (Indiana): 1:02.12

To no surprise, Indiana's superstar Lilly King blazes through the 100 breaststroke pool record in this morning's prelim swim with a 57.46. We can guess that will last about all of seven hours until her final swim tonight, where she is anticipated to break her own B1G conference and meet record. King, as well as Minnesota's Lindsey Horejsi have already earned themselves an NCAA automatic qualifying time in this event. We are looking forward to a thrilling race between the two in the A final this evening. Third place finisher was Wisconsin's Maria Carlson, with a 59.30.

After snagging three of the top eight spots in the 100 breaststroke A final, Minnesota will be looking for some redemption tonight in this event.


100 BACKSTROKE


B1G Record: 51.05 (Brooklynn Snodgrass - Indiana, 2014)
B1G Meet: 51.51 (Brooklynn Snodgrass - Indiana, 2015)
Pool: 50.84 (Gemma Spofforth - Florida, 2010)
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 51.45

1.) Beata Nelson (Wisconsin): 52.11
2.) Clara Smiddy (Michigan): 52.37
3.) Tevyn Waddell (Minnesota): 52.41
4.) Alexandra Rockett (Indiana): 52.67
5.) Zoe Avestruz (Minnesota): 52.70
6.) Jessica Unicomb (Wisconsin): 53.01
7.) Gabrielle Deloof (Michigan): 53.09
8.) Gia Dalesandro (Indiana): 53.24
16th: Marianne Kahmann (OSU): 54.14 
24th: Cassandra Brassard (Nebraska): 54.52


Beata Nelson of Wisconsin, who was entered 8th with a 53.49, rose up to the first place spot going into tonight's A final with a 52.11. This Freshman is certainly making a name for herself as she passed up defending champion, Clara Smiddy, who came in second with a 52.37. Touching third only a few hundredths behind Smiddy was Minnesota's Tevyn Waddell at a 52.41. We are in for an extremely exciting race tonight between this entire A final. Based on this morning's results, it is difficult to determine exactly who will be taking home the championship title.