Kansas
Fast suits and an added boost swimming for conference pride led to 14 meet-record breaking swims - seven in prelims and seven more in finals - at the Big Challenge in Topeka's Capitol Federal Natatorium Friday. After just five events, with the record book peppered, the Big Ten conference led with a combined score of 512.5 points, with the Big 12 (409.5) and Mid Major (123) squad trailing.
The first day of the triangular championship-style meet didn't disappoint as handfuls of meet, season and career records were broken in both the prelims and finals sessions. In the individual team standings, Nebraska was on top with 298.5, then Kansas (236), Illinois (214), Iowa State (173.5), Northern Iowa (77) and Nebraska-Omaha (46).
It was the 50-yard freestyle that highlighted both the morning and evening sessions of the first day. Kansas freshman Haley Bishop made a statement in finals after swimming into third place with a time of 23.06, improving her previous mark by nearly a second. Nebraska's Taryn Collura, lowered a meet mark she set in the morning session, and was one of two swimmers with NCAA B qualifying swims in the event with a 22.75.26827Haley Bishop
"Haley Bishop's 50 free was absolutely awesome," Kansas head coach Clark Campbell said. "That was a lifetime best by quite a bit. A really well put together race."
In the 50 free prelims, any of the top-six times of the event would have broken the previous meet record set by Amanda Paulson of Iowa State in 2012 (23.37), but Collura turned in the fastest time (22.77).
Ten total heats wasn't enough to contain the excitement in the sprint prelims, as Kansas' Haley Molden, a senior swimming in her hometown, and Northern Iowa's Crystal Florman were called back to the starting blocks for a swim off after both registered a time of 23.84. With all eyes on the competition pool and room for just one more swimmer in the finals, Florman edged out Molden by a hundredth of a second in the shootout and secured the final spot. Despite not making finals, Molden's performance in the swim off tied her career-best time of 23.58.
Friday's finals picked up where the fast prelims left off with a meet record in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Nebraska topped their previous record of 1:34.18 with a swim of 1:30.92, while Kansas' A relay registered a season-best 1:33.49 with a fourth-place finish and the B relay took sixth (1:34.69).
Illinois' Gabbie Stecker took down the second meet record of the finals session in the 500-yard freestyle swimming a 4:48.76 in the distance race. The Jayhawks were well represented in the A final, outnumbering their opponents with three competitors in the event. KU's top performance came from sophomore Nika Fellows who registered a 4:54.17, her best time of the year.
Molden's prelims swim in the 500 free earned her the second seed in the finals with a career-best time of 4:53, while leading her heat by nearly 30 seconds. Junior Sammie Schurig, another Topeka, Kansas native, also made the A final, but swam her best time in prelims (4:55.49).
Kansas' Chelsie Miller kept the excitement coming with a photo-finish race in the 200-yard individual medley. After earning the fastest time in prelims, Miller took the finals race by four-tenths of a second with a season-best mark of 2:01.24, out-touching Nebraska's Anna McDonald in second and Iowa State's Kasey Roberts in third place, who were separated by a couple hundredths of a second. The Kansas All-American's swim earned a NCAA B standard in the event.
"Chelsie getting her B cut in the 200 IM is really important," Campbell said. "It takes the pressure off of Big 12s and we can just focus on getting her into the meet and she can swim that at the NCAAs."
KU sophomore Hannah Driscoll recorded a career-best time while qualifying for finals in the 50 free, swimming a 23.68 and beating her previous mark by one-tenth of a second. Zoya Wahlstrom also registered a career-best time of 24.88 in the events prelims.
The night ended with the 400-yard medley relay and another meet record from Nebraska. The Huskers won the relay in a time of 1:30.92, breaking their previous record of 1:34.18. The Jayhawks A relay took fourth after a head-to-head fight with Illinois for most of the race. The team, made up of Bishop, Molden, Driscoll and Yulya Kuchkarova, swam a 1:33.56 in the event.
"Today was a mixed bag, we had ups and downs both this morning and tonight, which is typical for a championship meet," Campbell said. "But we also had some really good performances."
The Jayhawk swimmers schedule will look similar tomorrow with prelims starting at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. in the second day of the three-day meet. Six events will be conducted tomorrow inside Capitol Federal Natatorium and admission will be free to the public.
Nebraska
Nebraska’s swimmers had a strong day one at the Big Challenge. The Huskers were led by record setting performances by the 200-yard freestyle relay team, 400-yard medley relay team and Taryn Collura. After day one of competition the Huskers sit in first-place with a score of 298.5. Kansas trails the Huskers with 236 points, followed by Illinois with 214 points.
Nebraska started Friday evening’s finals session off with a bang, setting a meet record and earning a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of Alexandra Bilunas, Bria Deveaux, Erin Oeltjen and Taryn Collura finished in a time of 1:30.92 breaking the previous meet record by 3.2 seconds.
Nebraska was dominant in the 50-yard freestyle with Collura and Bilunas sweeping the top-two spots. Collura set a new meet record with her season-best time of 22.75. Bilunas finished right behind Collura with a time of 22.98. Deveaux was also strong for the Huskers earning fourth-place swimming a career-best time of 23.17.
50-Yard Freestyle
1. Taryn Collura – 22.75 (Meet Record) (Season Best)
2. Alexandra Bilunas – 22.98
4. Bria Deveaux – 23.17 (Career Best)
5. Erin Oeltjen – 23.38
12. Lindsay Helferich – 23.74
20. Jacqueline Juffer – 24.00
30. Katie Ditter – 24.45
In the 200-yard individual medley, freshman Anna McDonald led the way securing a second-place finish. In the finals, McDonald swam a career-best time of 2:01.60. Samantha Hardewig was Nebraska’s next top performer swimming a time of 2:04.58 notching an eighth-place finish.
200-Yard Individual Medley
2. Anna McDonald – 2:01.60 (Career Best)
8. Samantha Hardewig – 2:04.58
10. Julia Roller – 2:03.92 (Season Best)
11. Morgan McCafferty – 2:04.05 (Season Best)
12. Jordan Ehly – 2:04.32 (Season Best)
13 Dana Posthuma – 2:04.39 (Career Best)
15. Bridget Pacilio – 2:05.50
16. Katie Ditter – 2:07.11
17. Jackie Jeschke – 2:04.97 (Season Best)
23. Krista Van Wie – 2:07.71
24. Michaela Cunningham – 2:10.57
Katt Sickle led the Huskers in the 500-yard freestyle earning a second-place finish racing to a time of 4:50.58. Sickle set a then-meet record with her time of 4:50.34 in Friday morning’s preliminary round. Nebraska’s next top finisher was Cassie Brassard finishing in a time of 4:55.95 good enough for a fifth-place finish.
500-Yard Freestyle Results
2. Katt Sickle – 4:50.58
5. Cassie Brassard – 4:55.95
11. Kaylyn Flatt – 4:59.69
14 Aimee Fischer – 5:02.21
16. Brooke Holmes – 5:03.18
The Huskers finished off day one in record setting fashion. The 400-yard medley relay team of Juffer, Ditter, Deveaux and Collura set a meet record racing to a time of 3:39.88 giving Nebraska the sweep in Friday’s relay events.
Nebraska will be back in action Saturday morning with prelims beginning at 10 a.m, with finals following Saturday evening at 6 p.m.
