Madisyn Cox Sets Up for Historical Four-Peat at Day 2 Prelims of the Big 12 Championships

Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold/Aringo Photography

Prelims for day two of the 2017 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships set up one of the weekend’s first potential historical wins. Texas senior Madisyn Cox qualified for the 200 IM well ahead of the field, setting her up to be the first woman to four-peat the 200 IM in the history of the Big 12 Conference. Teammate Tasija Karosas will look to four-peat the 200 back later in the meet.

On the men’s side, Clark Smith and Townley Haas set themselves up for a battle in the 500 free as Smith tries to re-claim the title from Haas.

DAY TWO PRELIMS RESULTS

Women’s 500 Free (Prelims):

Texas swept the top three spots in prelims of the women’s 500 free. The Longhorn charge was led by Joanna Evans, a sophomore, with a qualifying time of 4:42.07. Teammates Lauren Case and Quinn Carrozza posted similar times of 4:45.73 and 4:45.95 to return as the second and third place seeds respectively.

West Virginia senior Emma Skelley picked up the fourth place seed for finals with a time of 4:46.54, improving upon her entry time of 4:47.54, while Kansas’ Jenny Nusbaum turned in a 4:49.84 for fifth.

Iowa State’s Keely Soellner (4:50.12), Texas’ Maggie D’Innocenzo (4:50.82), and Iowa State’s Haley Ruegemer (4:50.97) qualified sixth through eighth.

                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Joanna Evans           SO Texas             4:39.51    4:42.07  
  2 Lauren Case            FR Texas             4:43.21    4:45.73  
  3 Quinn Carrozza         SO Texas             4:45.50    4:45.95  
  4 Emma Skelley           SR West Virginia     4:47.54    4:46.54  
  5 Jenny Nusbaum             Kansas            4:51.18    4:49.84  
  6 Keely Soellner         FR Iowa State        4:51.55    4:50.12  
  7 Maggie D'Innocenzo     SR Texas             4:53.24    4:50.82  
  8 Haley Ruegemer         SO Iowa State        5:11.06    4:50.97

Men’s 500 Free (Prelims):

Texas senior Clark Smith and sophomore Jeff Newkirk turned in similar times to qualify 1-2 for tonight’s final. Smith stopped the clock at a 4:16.31 over Newkirk’s 4:16.88 for the top seed, but has been as fast as a 4:11.20 this season. Newkirk’s time stands as a personal best by close to three seconds.

Fellow Longhorn and last year’s champion, Townley Haas, picked up the third place seed with a 4:22.21, followed by Jonathan Roberts and his time of 4:24.34.

TCU’s Dayne Odendaal threw his name in the finals heat with a 4:27.19 qualifying time, while West Virginia’s Trayton Saladin and Drew Damich qualified with times of 4:27.56 and 4:27.78 respectively.

                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Clark Smith            SR UT                4:08.82    4:16.31  
  2 Jeff Newkirk           SO UT                4:19.94    4:16.88  
  3 Townley Haas           SO UT                4:12.63    4:22.21  
  4 Jonathan Roberts       JR UT                4:15.40    4:24.34  
  5 *Sam Kline             FR UT                4:28.60    4:24.71  
  6 Dayne Odendaal            Tx Christian      4:40.49    4:27.19  
  7 Trayton Saladin        FR West Virginia     4:32.79    4:27.56  
  8 Drew Damich            SO West Virginia     4:40.15    4:27.78  
 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Women’s 200 IM (Prelims):

Madisyn Cox of Texas set herself up for a four-peat in the women’s 200 IM with a top qualifying time of 1:55.71. She currently holds the Big 12 conference record at a 1:52.83 and the championship record at a 1:54.31.

Teammate Nora McCullagh posted a 1:59.47 for the second place seed, while TCU’s Devin Newton qualified third overall with a 2:01.15.

West Virginia’s Morgan Bullock made her Big 12 individual debut with a 2:01.46 in prelims, good for the fourth place seed, just ahead of freshman Elise Forzley of TCU and her time of 2:01.70.

Kansas’ Haley Downey (2:02.96), TCU Alexandra Robertson (2:02.98), and Kansas’ Pia Pavlic (2:02.99) completed the top qualifiers.

                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Madisyn Cox            SR Texas             1:52.83    1:55.71B 
    r:+0.75  24.96        54.23 (29.27)
        1:28.06 (33.83)     1:55.71 (27.65)
  2 Nora McCullagh         SO Texas             1:57.51    1:59.47B 
    r:+0.80  25.75        55.04 (29.29)
        1:30.21 (35.17)     1:59.47 (29.26)
  3 Devin Newton           JR Tx Christian      2:03.58    2:01.15B 
    r:+0.78  26.27        56.72 (30.45)
        1:31.91 (35.19)     2:01.15 (29.24)
  4 Morgan Bullock         FR West Virginia     2:03.00    2:01.46B 
    r:+0.76  26.02        57.09 (31.07)
        1:32.79 (35.70)     2:01.46 (28.67)
  5 Elise Forzley          FR Tx Christian      2:02.29    2:01.70  
    r:+0.71  26.95        56.76 (29.81)
        1:33.08 (36.32)     2:01.70 (28.62)
  6 Haley Downey              Kansas            2:04.13    2:02.96  
    r:+0.78  26.68        59.40 (32.72)
        1:33.94 (34.54)     2:02.96 (29.02)
  7 Alexandra Robertson    SO Tx Christian      2:04.65    2:02.98  
    r:+0.70  26.66        57.42 (30.76)
        1:34.34 (36.92)     2:02.98 (28.64)
  8 Pia Pavlic                Kansas            2:03.24    2:02.99  
    r:+0.91  25.67        55.91 (30.24)
        1:33.03 (37.12)     2:02.99 (29.96)

Men’s 200 IM (Prelims):

A trio of Longhorns led the men’s 200 IM qualifiers with John Shebat touching first with a 1:43.35. He’ll be joined in the middle of the pool by teammates Sam Stewart (1:45.15) and Will Licon (1:46.64).

Josh Artmann, also representing Texas, turned in a 1:47.42, good for the fifth place seed, while TCU’s Carlos Hunnicutt took the seventh place seed with a 1:49.23.

Texas’ Mason Tenney (1:46.93), Jared Butler (1:48.54), and Hayden Henry (1:49.24) all swam the event as exhibition.

                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 John Shebat            SO UT                1:44.13    1:43.35B 
    r:+0.68  21.89        47.13 (25.24)
        1:17.58 (30.45)     1:43.35 (25.77)
  2 Sam Stewart            SO UT                1:45.61    1:45.15B 
    r:+0.72  23.41        49.28 (25.87)
        1:19.42 (30.14)     1:45.15 (25.73)
  3 Will Licon             SR UT                1:41.67    1:46.64B 
    r:+0.71  22.64        50.23 (27.59)
        1:20.00 (29.77)     1:46.64 (26.64)
  4 *Mason Tenney          SO UT                1:47.09    1:46.93B 
    r:+0.65  22.90        49.59 (26.69)
        1:20.57 (30.98)     1:46.93 (26.36)
  5 Josh Artmann           FR UT                1:47.84    1:47.42B 
    r:+0.72  23.13        49.71 (26.58)
        1:21.34 (31.63)     1:47.42 (26.08)
  6 *Jared Butler          JR UT                1:46.85    1:48.54B 
    r:+0.79  23.25        50.69 (27.44)
        1:21.89 (31.20)     1:48.54 (26.65)
  7 Carlos Hunnicutt       JR Tx Christian      1:50.25    1:49.23  
    r:+0.68  23.24        50.93 (27.69)
        1:22.61 (31.68)     1:49.23 (26.62)
  8 *Hayden Henry          SR UT                1:46.57    1:49.24  
    r:+0.73  24.08        51.88 (27.80)
        1:22.92 (31.04)     1:49.24 (26.32)

Women’s 50 Free (Prelims):

Texas’ Rebecca Millard flirted with the 22-second line in prelims of the 50 free, stopping the clock at a 22.07 to become the top qualifier for finals.

Teammate Claire Adams touched second overall in prelims with a time of 22.46, while Iowa State’s Laura Miksch picked up third with a 22.71.

Texas added Anelise Diener and Remedy Rule to the list of top qualifiers as the two posted times of 22.72 and 22.83 respectively.

Jordan Wheeler (23.06) and Sam Sutton (23.13) both swam the event as exhibition for Texas.

                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Rebecca Millard        JR Texas               21.95      22.07B 
    r:+0.74  10.74        22.07 (11.33)
  2 Claire Adams           FR Texas               22.40      22.46B 
    r:+0.76  10.86        22.46 (11.60)
  3 Laura Miksch           JR Iowa State          23.15      22.71B 
    r:+0.67  10.94        22.71 (11.77)
  4 Anelise Diener         SO Texas               23.02      22.72B 
    r:+0.74  11.02        22.72 (11.70)
  5 Remedy Rule            SO Texas               22.18      22.83B 
    r:+0.69  11.04        22.83 (11.79)
  6 Julia Nilton              West Virginia       23.92      22.95B 
    r:+0.69  11.18        22.95 (11.77)
  7 *Jordan Wheeler        FR Texas               22.93      23.06  
    r:+0.72  11.28        23.06 (11.78)
  8 *Sam Sutton            JR Texas               23.13      23.13  
    r:+0.74  11.31        23.13 (11.82)

Men’s 50 Free (Prelims):

Joseph Schooling of Texas kicked off his championships by tying the Big 12 championship meet record in the 50 free. The junior topped the competition with a 19.18, which ties him with Texas alum Ian Crocker’s 2004 time of 19.18.

Teammate Jack Conger qualified close behind with a time of 19.20, while sophomore Tate Jackson grabbed third with a 19.62.

West Virginia’s Merwane Elmerini took the fourth place seed with a time of 19.75, followed by Texas’ Brett Ringgold (19.78) and PJ Dunne (19.84).

Jeremy Nichols swam the event as exhibition for Texas, finishing with a time of 19.86.

Will Glass of Texas rounded out the top qualifiers with a 20.19.

                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Joseph Schooling       JR UT                  19.70      19.18# 
     r:+0.62  9.22         19.18 (9.96)
  2 Jack Conger            SR UT                  19.43      19.20B 
     r:+0.69  9.32         19.20 (9.88)
  3 Tate Jackson           SO UT                  19.25      19.62B 
     r:+0.66  9.54        19.62 (10.08)
  4 Merwane Elmerini       SO West Virginia       19.99      19.75B 
     r:+0.61  9.61        19.75 (10.14)
  5 Brett Ringgold         JR UT                  19.38      19.78B 
     r:+0.74  9.58        19.78 (10.20)
  6 PJ Dunne               SR UT                  20.44      19.84B 
     r:+0.69  9.72        19.84 (10.12)
  7 *Jeremy Nichols        SO UT                  20.12      19.86B 
     r:+0.75  9.73        19.86 (10.13)
  8 Will Glass             SR UT                  20.66      20.19B 
     r:+0.68  9.80        20.19 (10.39)

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