Minnesota Takes Day One Lead At Big Ten Championships

Gophers In First Place After Day One of Big Tens
The No. 10 University of Minnesota women’s swimming and diving team is in first place after two events and the first day of the 2009 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Golden Gophers won their fourth-straight 800 free relay and finished third in the 200 medley relay to hold 72 points, while Indiana is second with 68 points and Michigan is third with 60.

Minnesota’s 800 free relay (Jenny Shaughnessy, Meredith McCarthy, Yuen Kobayashi and Christine Jennings) dominated the event from start to finish, winning its fourth-straight 800 free relay Big Ten event title. Minnesota, who won the event in an impressive time of 7:01.65, shaved off six seconds of the previous school record and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships, Ma rch 19-21 in College Station, Texas. The Gophers’ previous best was 7:07.92, set in 2007, which also included the same four swimmers. Shaughnessy started the Gophers off in the right direction, giving Minnesota the lead after the first leg setting a record of 1:44.73. McCarthy and Kobayashi gave the Gophers a body-length lead, while Christine Jennings swam the last leg of the race to win the title. The time also set a Big Ten and new pool record.

Prior to the Gophers’ 800 free relay win, Minnesota opened the Big Ten Championships with a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay. The Maroon and Gold relay of Jenna Lennertz, Jillian Tyler, Kaylee Jamison and Stacy Busack combined for a time of 1:38.33. That time set a new school record and posted 32 points. Wisconsin and Indiana dominated the event, and went one-two. The Badgers finished with a Big Ten and an automatic qualifying time of 1:36.29, while the Hoosiers were right behind them with a time of 1:36.80. Minnesota’s previous best time in the 200 medley relay was 1:39.13, which was set earlier this year at the Ohio State Invitational, Dec. 5-7.

"I was really happy with our day," co-head coach  Terry Nieszner said. "We have a lot of great senior leadership and our 800-freestyle relay, it was the fourth year in a row winning that relay. I am really proud of them and I think that was a nice way to start of the championship season. We're excited on how we started the meet and we can't wait to keep that momentum going."

Minnesota will continue its action at the championships over the next three days. Preliminary heats begin at 11 a.m. (ET), while finals are at 6:30 p.m. Tomorrow’s events include the 200 free relay, the 500 free, the 200 individual medley the 50 free and one-meter diving.

Hoosiers Open Big Ten Championships with Record-Setting Performances
The 2009 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships opened Wednesday night at Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Mich. with a pair of relay events, and the Indiana Hoosiers are off to a fast start with school-record performances in the 200-yard medley relay and 800 freestyle relay.

After one day the Hoosiers are in second place with 68 points. Defending champion Minnesota leads the way with 72 points, followed by the Hoosiers, Michigan (60), Penn State (58) and Northwestern (52).

“It was a good, solid first session,” said head coach Ray Looze, “but the girls are talking about winning relays. They are still pretty hungry. We have to go out and see if we can win some races tomorrow. It is going to be a battle.”

Kate Zubkova, Sarah Stockwell, Donna Smailis and Margaux Farrell knocked more than two seconds off the previous school record with a time of 1:36.80 for a second-place finish. Stockwell and Smailis were the fastest swimmers in their legs, with Stockwell going 26.72 in her 50-yard breaststroke, and Smailis coming home in 23.24 on the 50-yard butterfly leg.

That is an A cut for the Hoosier squad, automatically qualifying them for next month’s NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas. Wisconsin won the event with a time of 1:36.29. The old school record of 1:38.89 was set at last year’s Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

The 800 free team of Nikki White, Smailis, Amanda Smith and Brittany Strumbel obliterated the school record with a time of 7:04.08, more than nine seconds faster than the previous mark of 7:13.13 set in 2004. It is also an NCAA B cut.

White broke her school record in the 200 free with a time of 1:45.61 on the opening leg of the relay. Her old time of 1:46.28 was set at the Hoosier Invitational in November.

Competition resumes Thursday morning at 11 a.m. ET with the prelims of the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle. One-meter diving will also take place on Thursday, with the finals of the aforementioned events, along with the 200-yard freestyle relay, taking place starting at 6:30 p.m. Hoosiers Amanda Smith and Nikki White are among the favorites in the 500 free, while Brittney Feldman is the defending champion in the one-meter springboard competition. Senior Christina Loukas won one-meter titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Michigan in Third After First Day of Big Ten Championships
The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team placed fifth in the 200-yard medley relay and third in the 800-yard freestyle relay during the first day of the Big Ten Championships on Wednesday (Feb. 18) at Canham Natatorium. The Wolverines earned 60 points on the first day of competition, which places them in third in the team standings behind No. 10-ranked Minnesota (72 points) and No. 13-ranked Indiana (68 points).

Fifth-year senior Caroline Rodriguez (St. Louis, Mo./Stanford), senior Christine Nichols (Fairfax, Va./Woodson), senior Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) and sophomore Natasha Moodie (Miramar, Fla./Miramar) finished fifth in the 200-yard medley relay with a season-best and NCAA consideration time of 1:39.39. Wisconsin finished first in the event with a Big Ten record time of 1:36.29. The Badgers' time also shattered the pool record of 1:40.90, which was set in 1996. In all, six teams finished under the previous pool record.

Moodie attempted to pull the Wolverines back in to the race with an anchor split of just 21.96 in the freestyle leg, but the sophomore was unable to close the gap between U-M and the first four teams.

In the second of two events on the night, the quartet of senior Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter), junior Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mi./Pioneer) and freshman Kristyne Cole (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and freshman Liz Koselka (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) turned in a Michigan school-record time of 7:06.32 to surpass the NCAA consideration mark and finish third in the 800-yard freestyle relay. U-M's time fell under the previous Big Ten record of 7:07.30, making it the third-fastest time in the history of the conference.

Smith kept Michigan close with a career-best time of 1:46.42 to open the race, but Minnesota steadily pulled away from the field throughout the race, touching the wall first with a time of 7:01.65 to shatter the pool record by over 10 seconds and the Big Ten record by almost six seconds.

The Big Ten Championships continue tomorrow as preliminaries begin at 11 a.m. and will run to 1 p.m. The diving finals will follow at 1 p.m. and the final swimming heats will start at 6:30 p.m.

Women's Swimming Swims Two Top Five Finishes
The Penn State women's swimming and diving team notched two top-five placings during the first day of competition at the Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Nittany Lions currently stand in fourth place with 58 points, 14 points behind first-place Minnesota.

The team of Kaitlyn Ferguson, Kelly Nelson, Karie Haglund and Michelle Myers swam to a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:38.74.

In the 800 freestyle relay, Nelson, Sarah Baker, Kaitlin O'Brien and Lindsey DeForrest finished fifth at 7:11.02.

Competition will resume tomorrow afternoon in Ann Arbor. Finals will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Two Events Complete at Big Ten Championships
The 2009 Big Ten Championships kicked off Wednesday night in Ann Arbor, Mich., with a pair of relays before the bulk of the meet gets underway on Thursday.

Northwestern opened the Championships with a sixth-place finish in the 200 medley relay, getting an NCAA `B' provisional qualifying standard of 1:40.44 from Liza Engstrom (Reno, Nev./Robert McQueen), Hayley Fry (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar), Stacy Congdon (Windermere, Fla./Lake Highland Prep) and Emily Wong (Nepean, Ontario/St. Joseph's) to place the Wildcats in sixth place in the event.

The performance by the NU quartet was the second fastest in school history, besting the time of 1:40.55 turned in by the Wildcats in 1998. The school record is 1:40.02, set in 2000.

Northwestern also took sixth in the 800 free relay, getting an NCAA `B' cut of 7:14.58 from Ellen Grigg (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin School), Wong, Meghan Cavanaugh (Anchorage, Alaska/East Anchorage) and Kassia Shishkoff (Raleigh, N.C./St. David's School).

Shishkoff anchored the relay with a blazing time of 1:45.41, more than a half second faster than any other anchor leg in the pool. Her time pulled the Wildcats ahead of Purdue for the sixth-place finish.

The time of 7:14.58 is the third-fastest in school history.

After two events, the Wildcats are in fifth place in the field with a ridiculously early score of 52 points. The first real day of action kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 19, with prelims at 10 a.m. CT and finals at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Purdue Breaks School Record At Big Ten Championships
The Purdue women’s swimming and diving team got off to a fast start Wednesday night at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., by breaking a school record in the 800-yard freestyle relay.

“I think the whole team is excited about the start of the meet,” head coach John Klinge said. “Our 200 medley relay was a season best by four seconds, and our 800 freestyle relay set our school record.”

Purdue’s 800 freestyle relay team of Lisa Butler, Lauren Roth, Kristen Gilson and Leah Henninger stopped the clock in a school-record time of 7:17.65 and finished seventh. The quartet lowered the previous school record of 7:17.99 set in 2005.

The Boilermakers also finished seventh in the only other event of the night, the 200 medley relay. Allie Smith, Jessica Davis, Butler and Ariel Martin completed the race in a season-best time of 1:40.96. The same quartet recorded the team’s previous season-best time, 1:44.89, three weeks ago.

After two events, Purdue is sixth with 48 points. Defending champion Minnesota leads the team race with 72 points. The Big Ten Championships continue Thursday with the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle and 1-meter diving.

Hawkeye Set School Record At Big Ten Championships
The 200 medley relay of Hawkeye freshman Danielle Carty, sophomore Katarina Tour, freshman Daniela Cubelic and junior Julie deBruin broke the school record they set earlier this season in the first event of the 2009 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at Ann Arbor, MI. The Iowa quartet placed eighth in 1:41.33, breaking the previous record of 1:42.43 they set at the Missouri Invite in December. The new record is also a NCAA B cut.

The Hawkeyes placed eighth in the second and final event of the night - the 800 free relay. Junior Christine Kuczek, sophomore Verity Hicks, senior Alison Gschwend and Cubelic finished in 7:21.08, which is over 11 seconds faster than their previous season best and ranks second in school history.

"It was a good start to the meet for us," said Iowa Head Coach Marc Long. "Our 200 medley relay broke their own record by over a second - which is impressive for that race - and all four swimmers on the 800 free relay posted lifetime-best splits."

After two events, the Hawkeyes are in seventh place in the team race with 44 points. Minnesota leads the team standings with 72. Both relay winners (200 medley - Wisconsin, 800 free - Minnesota) set Big Ten records and posted NCAA A cuts with their winning times.

Iowa resumes competition at 10 a.m. (CT) Thursday at Michigan's Canham Natatorium.

Two Relays Break OSU Records
The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team opened the first day of the Big Ten Conference championships with three school record-breaking performances at Canham Natatorium on the campus of the University of Michigan.

The 200-yard medley relay team opened the evening with an 11th-place finish in an OSU record time of 1:43.48. The squad was comprised of junior Jill Lockhart, freshman Catherine Eitel, senior Courtney Brayman and junior Haley Mitchell.

And in the only other event of this, the first night of competition at the Big Ten championships, the 800 freestyle relay team of sophomore Samantha Cheverton, freshman Lisa Narum, senior Griet Buelens and sophomore Anita Beck finished in fourth place with an Ohio State record time of 7:01.65. The record smashed the old mark, set in 2006, by more than 18 seconds.

Cheverton’s leadoff leg of 1:46.72 in the 800 free relay was also a new Ohio State 200 freestyle record, topping a 12-year-old record set by Kim Black in 1997.

“It was very exciting to see two relay records tonight,” first-year Ohio State coach Bill Dorenkott said. “The 800 free relay is a legitimate big-time swim. It will put us among the top 10 relay teams in the country after this weekend and most likely will be on the bubble for an NCAA invite.

"Samantha’s leadoff leg in the 800 free relay was a special race. All-in-all, I think we’ve had a really good start to the championships and we hope to get better each day. We're looking at this championship as an opportunity to learn, improve and gain respect in the league. I'm proud of the Buckeye relays getting us off to a good start.”

Minnesota has the early lead after two events with 72 points. Indiana (68), Michigan (60) Penn State (58) – the school Dorenkott led to three Big Ten titles prior to taking over at Ohio State – and Northwestern (52) are the top five teams so far. Ohio State sits in eighth place with 42 points.

BADGERS OPEN BIG TENS WITH TITLE, RECORD
The Wisconsin women’s swimming and diving team is off to a flying start at the Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships.

The Badgers opened the conference meet Wednesday by shattering their own Big Ten record on the way to a win in the 200 medley relay at Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
 
The quartet of sophomore Maggie Meyer, freshman Ashley Wanland, senior Christine Zwiegers and freshman Beckie Thompson clocked in at 1:36.29 to take the win over Indiana, which was second in 1:36.80. The championship is the Badgers’ third conference title in the event in the last four seasons.
 
Both teams clocked in under the previous conference record of 1:37.91, which the Badgers set earlier this season at the Texas Invitational. Prior to that, UW shared the league mark with Indiana at 1:38.89.
 
In the process, the Badgers earned automatic qualification for next month’s NCAA championships and still hold the nation’s second-fastest time in the event. Only Arizona, which went 1:36.02 to defeat UW at the Texas Invitational on Dec. 4, has gone faster this season.
 
“We expected to be that good and we expect to be better a month from now,” UW head coach Eric Hansen said. “All four girls swam well and that’s what a great relay takes, four great legs.”
 
Minnesota was third in 1:38.33, followed by Penn State in fourth in 1:38.74 and Michigan in fifth in 1:39.39.
 
Meyer took the Badgers into the lead through the first 50 yards with a backstroke split of 24.24 seconds, and Wanland followed with the breaststroke leg in 27.38. Zwiegers, the conference leader in the 100 butterfly, then clocked a 23.30 for her 50 fly split before Thompson brought the Badgers’ home with a spectacular freestyle split of 21.37 on the anchor leg.
 
Thompson is the Big Ten record-holder in the 50 freestyle at 22.25.
 
“Everybody was in a good place mentally and was ready to go,” Hansen said. “They know the work we put in and knew that something good was going to happen.
 
“It’s fun to be involved in a meet when you know you’re going to go fast.”
 
While the Badgers put themselves in solid position after one event, they took a step backward in the other event of the meet’s opening night by being disqualified in the 800 freestyle relay.

The mistake cost the Badgers valuable points in team race and dropped them to ninth in the standings.

“It’s disappointing to have that happen, but we’re going to move forward,” Hansen said. “We have three days and plenty of great swims ahead of us.”

The championships continue Thursday with the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 free, 200 freestyle relay and the 1-meter diving competition. Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m., with finals set for 5:40 p.m.

The Badgers enter the meet with the conference’s top times in both the 50 free and the 200 free relay.

Swimmers Break School Records on Day One of Big Ten Championships
The Michigan State women's swimming and diving team opened day one of the 2009 Big Ten Championships by setting school records in 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays on Wednesday (Feb. 18) in Ann Arbor.

"All eight swimmers did really well," said head coach Matt Gianiodis. "We improved off what we did earlier this season at Northwestern. So far, so good."

The team of Stephanie Fisher, Kerry Sodonis, Becca Ebner and Julie Kahn turned in a school-record time of 1:41.56 in the 200 medley relay, which was good for ninth place. In the 800 freestyle relay, Heather Kiluk, Mara Loniewski, Marlys Fuqua and Morgan Piasecki combined for a MSU-record 7:35.73.

The Spartans currently stand in a tie for 10th place with 32 points while Minnesota leads with 72. Action will resume on Thursday (Feb. 19) at 11 a.m.

Team Scores:
1. Minnesota 72;
2. Indiana 68;
3. Michigan 60;
4. Penn State 58;
5. Northwestern 58;
6. Purdue 48;
7. Iowa 44;
8. Ohio State 42;
9. Wisconsin 40;
10. Illinois 32;
11. Michigan State 22.