Lilly King Sets Up Duel With Lindsey Kozelsky at Women’s Big Tens; Michigan Impresses

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The Michigan Wolverines put the pedal down on Friday morning in Columbus, Ohio at the Women’s Big Ten Championships as they had a stellar morning and put themselves in position to extend their lead on the rest of the conference after tonight’s finals. Ohio State also used their home pool advantage with strong swims out of Meg Bailey and Liz Li getting top seeds in the 400 IM and 100 fly. Michigan got a top seed from Gabby DeLoof in the 200 free. Indiana’s Lilly King and Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson also put up top times in the 100 breast and 100 back.

Two of the best 100 breaststrokers will also do battle on Friday night in Columbus with King and Minnesota’s Lindsey Kozelsky holding the top two seeds.

Below is a list of the ups, mids and downs as A-finals are ups, B-Finals are mids, and C-finals are downs. Michigan dominated the morning with 12 A-final appearances in the pool. Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State all have six A-finalists. 3m diving preliminaries will be conducted later. The order is the current team standings after last night’s medley relay.

*There was a tie for 24th in the 200 free between Kerrigan Vargo of Ohio State and Isabel Whited of Minnesota.

Ups-Mids-Downs:

Michigan, 12, 5, 4
Indiana, 6, 9, 2
Ohio State, 6, 6, 5*
Minnesota, 6, 3, 6*
Wisconsin, 4, 2, 5
Purdue, 3, 1, 5
Northwestern, 1, 3, 2
Penn State, 2, 2, 1
Iowa, 0, 4, 2
Rutgers, 0, 2, 2
Nebraska, 0, 2, 5
Michigan State, 0, 1, 1
Illinois, 0, 0, 0

100 Fly

In the first event of the session, Ohio State’s Liz Li swam the fastest 100 fly with a 51.37 to break the Big Ten record of 51.61 by Minnesota’s Becca Weiland. Li has been on a roll this weekend swimming in her home pool at Ohio State as she won the 50 last night in a new Big Ten record and lowering her best time by 0.01 seconds. Li is the top seed tonight ahead of two girls who also swam 51’s in Indiana’s Christie Jensen (51.67) and Minnesota’s Danielle Nack (51.78).

Indiana’s Shelby Koontz (52.42), Penn State’s Madison Hart (52.71), Michigan’s Vanessa Krause (52.71), Purdue’s Taite Kitchel (52.91) and Michigan’s Emma Cleason (53.06) will also swim in the championship final.

 Event 8  Women 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: @ 51.61  2/22/2013 Becca Weiland, Minnesota
         Pool: # 49.87  12/1/2017 Kelsi Worrell, Cardinal Aquatic
                 51.19  A NCAA Qualifying
                 54.49  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Li, Zhesi        SR Ohio St             53.56      51.37@qB     
    r:+0.66  10.75        24.01 (13.26)
          37.64 (13.63)       51.37 (13.73)
  2 Jensen, Christi  JR Indiana             51.87      51.67 qB     
    r:+0.68  10.90        23.84 (12.94)
          37.66 (13.82)       51.67 (14.01)
  3 Nack, Danielle   SR Minnesota           51.79      51.78 qB     
    r:+0.72  10.76        23.65 (12.89)
          37.49 (13.84)       51.78 (14.29)
  4 Koontz, Shelby   SO Indiana             52.85      52.42 qB     
    r:+0.75  11.53        24.64 (13.11)
          38.37 (13.73)       52.42 (14.05)
  5 Hart, Madison    SO Penn St             55.21      52.71 qB     
    r:+0.70  11.33        24.72 (13.39)
          38.42 (13.70)       52.71 (14.29)
  5 Krause, Vanessa  SO Michigan            53.22      52.71 qB     
    r:+0.66  11.41        24.74 (13.33)
          38.67 (13.93)       52.71 (14.04)
  7 Kitchel, Taite   JR Purdue              53.14      52.91 qB     
    r:+0.76  11.47        24.94 (13.47)
          38.85 (13.91)       52.91 (14.06)
  8 Cleason, Emma    FR Michigan            52.96      53.06 qB     
    r:+0.63  11.36        24.69 (13.33)
          38.56 (13.87)       53.06 (14.50)

400 IM

Ohio State continued its strong morning with a top time in the 400 IM from senior Meg Bailey (4:07.02). She is top seed by almost three full seconds ahead of Penn State’s Ally McHugh (4:09.86).

Bailey will be joined in the final by two other Buckeyes in freshman Kristen Romano and sophomore Molly Kowal (4:10.17). The Buckeyes also had three swimmers get into the consolation final as they will score a boat load of points tonight in the event.

Michigan’s Rose Bi (4:09.90), Minnesota’s Brooke Zeiger (4:09.99), Northwestern’s Calypso Sheridan (4:10.18) and Indiana’s Samantha Lisy (4:11.05) will also swim in the championship final tonight.

Event 9  Women 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: @ 4:01.41  2012      Allysa Vavra, Indiana
         Pool: # 4:00.03  12/2/2010 Katinka Hosszu, Southern Calif
                 4:04.70  A NCAA Qualifying
                 4:19.39  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Bailey, Meg      SR Ohio St           4:05.80    4:07.02 qB     
    r:+0.72  26.11        56.13 (30.02)
        1:27.62 (31.49)     1:59.14 (31.52)
        2:33.44 (34.30)     3:09.08 (35.64)
        3:38.73 (29.65)     4:07.02 (28.29)
  2 McHugh, Allyson  JR Penn St           4:08.06    4:09.86 qB     
    r:+0.80  27.23        57.50 (30.27)
        1:29.93 (32.43)     2:01.04 (31.11)
        2:37.08 (36.04)     3:12.95 (35.87)
        3:42.02 (29.07)     4:09.86 (27.84)
  3 Bi, Yirong       JR Michigan          4:10.58    4:09.90 qB     
    r:+0.69  27.05        57.38 (30.33)
        1:30.08 (32.70)     2:02.02 (31.94)
        2:37.25 (35.23)     3:12.66 (35.41)
        3:42.20 (29.54)     4:09.90 (27.70)
  4 Romano, Kristen  FR Ohio St           4:10.36    4:09.92 qB     
    r:+0.73  26.53        56.73 (30.20)
        1:28.90 (32.17)     2:00.16 (31.26)
        2:36.46 (36.30)     3:12.36 (35.90)
        3:41.61 (29.25)     4:09.92 (28.31)
  5 Zeiger, Brooke   SR Minnesota         4:16.72    4:09.99 qB     
    r:+0.78  27.11        57.15 (30.04)
        1:29.13 (31.98)     2:00.23 (31.10)
        2:36.06 (35.83)     3:12.16 (36.10)
        3:41.58 (29.42)     4:09.99 (28.41)
  6 Kowal, Molly     SO Ohio St           4:15.08    4:10.17 qB     
    r:+0.89  27.44        58.09 (30.65)
        1:30.49 (32.40)     2:01.71 (31.22)
        2:37.12 (35.41)     3:12.59 (35.47)
        3:42.37 (29.78)     4:10.17 (27.80)
  7 Sheridan, Calyp  FR Northwestern      4:09.08    4:10.18 qB     
    r:+0.71  26.84        58.17 (31.33)
        1:29.33 (31.16)     2:00.56 (31.23)
        2:36.08 (35.52)     3:11.49 (35.41)
        3:41.66 (30.17)     4:10.18 (28.52)
  8 Lisy, Samantha   SR Indiana           4:10.93    4:11.05 qB     
    r:+0.74  27.26        58.15 (30.89)
        1:30.51 (32.36)     2:01.86 (31.35)
        2:37.07 (35.21)     3:13.25 (36.18)
        3:42.74 (29.49)     4:11.05 (28.31)

200 Free

Just when Ohio State started to creep up on Michigan with prelim swims, the Wolverines responded with four A-finalists and one B-finalists in the 200 free and Ohio State got zero A swims with one B swim. Senior Gabby DeLoof (1:43.82) is the top seed going into finals ahead of juniors Siobhan Haughey (1:44.02) and Catie DeLoof (1:44.62). G Ryan was the fourth Wolverine in the A-final with a 1:45.30 prelim swim.

Indiana’s Kennedy Goss (1:44.68), Purdue’s Kaersten Meitz (1:45.23), Minnesota’s Chantal Nack (1:45.42) and Wisconsin’s Abby Jagdfeld (1:45.57) will also swim in the championship final.

 Event 10  Women 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: @ 1:42.49  2/17/2017 Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, Michigan-MI
         Pool: # 1:41.17  12/1/2017 Mallory Comerford, Univ Louisville-
                 1:43.30  A NCAA Qualifying
                 1:47.99  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Deloof, Gabriel  SR Michigan          1:43.66    1:43.82 qB     
    r:+0.71  24.89        51.23 (26.34)
        1:17.74 (26.51)     1:43.82 (26.08)
  2 Haughey, Siobha  JR Michigan          1:41.83    1:44.02 qB     
    r:+0.72  24.04        50.24 (26.20)
        1:16.97 (26.73)     1:44.02 (27.05)
  3 Deloof, Catheri  JR Michigan          1:45.26    1:44.62 qB     
    r:+0.67  25.04        51.57 (26.53)
        1:18.17 (26.60)     1:44.62 (26.45)
  4 Goss, Kennedy    SR Indiana           1:44.48    1:44.68 qB     
    r:+0.61  24.55        50.83 (26.28)
        1:17.43 (26.60)     1:44.68 (27.25)
  5 Meitz, Kaersten  SR Purdue            1:45.27    1:45.23 qB     
    r:+0.79  25.08        51.63 (26.55)
        1:18.46 (26.83)     1:45.23 (26.77)
  6 Ryan, G          SR Michigan          1:48.99    1:45.30 qB     
    r:+0.69  25.41        52.27 (26.86)
        1:19.07 (26.80)     1:45.30 (26.23)
  7 Nack, Chantal    JR Minnesota         1:46.59    1:45.42 qB     
    r:+0.75  24.77        51.29 (26.52)
        1:18.28 (26.99)     1:45.42 (27.14)
  8 Jagdfeld, Abiga  SR Wisconsin         1:46.24    1:45.57 qB     
    r:+0.76  24.92        51.78 (26.86)
        1:18.68 (26.90)     1:45.57 (26.89)

100 Breast

Indiana’s Lilly King and Minnesota’s Lindsey Kozelsky (Horejsi) put up a duel in the last heat of the 100 breast prelims as King swam a 57.47 to pull away from Kozelsky at 58.02. Those two were under Jessica Hardy‘s pool record of 58.41 from 2010 Winter Nationals. These two finished first and second at NCAA’s a year ago and could both swim 57’s or faster in tonight’s final.

Michigan’s Miranda Tucker (59.26), Minnesota’s Rachel Munson (59.63), Purdue’s Jinq en Phee (59.66), Michigan’s Emily Kopas (59.85), Michgian’s Samantha Yeo (1:00.46) and Ohio State’s Hanna Gresser (1:00.47) will also swim in the A-final.

Michigan continues to pile on the points with three more A-finalists set to swim tonight. Minnesota has also been known as an underrated breaststroke school and that has continued to show with both Kozelsky and Munson getting in the final.

 Event 11  Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: @ 56.30  2/17/2017 Lillia King, Indiana
         Pool: # 58.41  12/4/2010 Jessica Hardy, Trojan-CA
                 58.85  A NCAA Qualifying
               1:02.49  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 King, Lillia     JR Indiana             59.12      57.47#qA     
    r:+0.66  12.33        27.44 (15.11)
          42.22 (14.78)       57.47 (15.25)
  2 Kozelsky, Linds  SO Minnesota         1:00.21      58.02#qA     
    r:+0.69  12.49        27.26 (14.77)
          42.38 (15.12)       58.02 (15.64)
  3 Tucker, Miranda  SO Michigan            59.98      59.26 qB     
    r:+0.69  12.78        27.79 (15.01)
          43.38 (15.59)       59.26 (15.88)
  4 Munson, Rachel   JR Minnesota         1:00.09      59.63 qB     
    r:+0.67  13.20        28.16 (14.96)
          43.76 (15.60)       59.63 (15.87)
  5 Phee, Jinq En    SO Purdue            1:00.35      59.66 qB     
    r:+0.72  13.12        28.18 (15.06)
          43.70 (15.52)       59.66 (15.96)
  6 Kopas, Emily     SR Michigan          1:01.24      59.85 qB     
    r:+0.70  12.96        28.27 (15.31)
          43.84 (15.57)       59.85 (16.01)
  7 Yeo, Samantha    SR Michigan          1:00.88    1:00.46 qB     
    r:+0.68  13.16        28.54 (15.38)
          44.27 (15.73)     1:00.46 (16.19)
  8 Gresser, Hanna   FR Ohio St           1:00.43    1:00.47 qB     
    r:+0.68  13.02        28.28 (15.26)
          44.24 (15.96)     1:00.47 (16.23)

100 Back

Wisconsin’s Beata Nelson came back Friday morning after a stunning 49 second lead-off in the 100 back last night with a 50.57 in the prelims of the 100 back. Nelson is the top seed by a full second over Indiana senior Ali Rockett (51.57) and could have another crack at the American Record she narrowly missed last night of 49.69 by Stanford’s Ally Howe.

Michigan’s Clara Smiddy (52.08), Wisconsin’s Kathleen Coughlin (52.23), Michigan’s Taylor Garcia (52.46), Wisconsin’s Jess Unicomb (52.51), Ohio State’s Rebeka Bradley (52.56) and Minnesota’s Tevyn Waddell (52.60) will also swim in the championship final.

 Event 12  Women 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: @ 51.51  2/20/2015 Brooklynn Snodgrass, Indiana
         Pool: # 50.73  11/23/2013Courtney C Bartholomew, Virginia -VA
                 51.16  A NCAA Qualifying
                 55.09  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Nelson, Elizabe  SO Wisconsin           50.79      50.57#qA     
    r:+0.66  11.95        24.33 (12.38)
          37.34 (13.01)       50.57 (13.23)
  2 Rockett, Alexan  SR Indiana             51.93      51.57 qB     
    r:+0.73  12.21        24.92 (12.71)
          38.29 (13.37)       51.57 (13.28)
  3 Smiddy, Clara    SR Michigan            52.41      52.08 qB     
    r:+0.60  12.42        25.38 (12.96)
          38.81 (13.43)       52.08 (13.27)
  4 Coughlin, Kathl  JR Wisconsin           53.37      52.23 qB     
    r:+0.69  12.29        25.15 (12.86)
          38.81 (13.66)       52.23 (13.42)
  5 Garcia, Taylor   JR Michigan            52.69      52.46 qB     
    r:+0.62  12.41        25.30 (12.89)
          38.79 (13.49)       52.46 (13.67)
  6 Unicomb, Jessic  JR Wisconsin           52.96      52.51 qB     
    r:+0.55  12.23        25.35 (13.12)
          38.95 (13.60)       52.51 (13.56)
  7 Bradley, Rebeka  SO Ohio St             53.32      52.56 qB     
    r:+0.67  12.50        25.69 (13.19)
          39.28 (13.59)       52.56 (13.28)
  8 Waddell, Tevyn   SO Minnesota           52.39      52.60 qB     
    r:+0.64  12.40        25.48 (13.08)
          39.20 (13.72)       52.60 (13.40)

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use