Big Ten Women’s Swimming Championships primer

The postseason has arrived for Northwestern ladies’s swimming and diving, who’ve travelled north to the Jean Ok. Freeman Aquatic Center for the Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. With competitors starting from Feb. 18-21, the ‘Cats will compete against some of the nation’s quickest applications, reminiscent of No. 4 Michigan, No. 6 Indiana and No. 11 Ohio State.

For a constructing Northwestern program, the meet represents an opportunity to make an announcement in opposition to a deep, nationally aggressive area. This unranked Wildcat squad shall be largely uncompetitive at NCAA Division I Championships, making this meet crucial of the season for Rachel Stratton-Mills’ squad. For 4 days in Minnesota, the destiny of the season shall be on the road for the ‘Cats.

The meet will be taking place Feb. 18-21 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatics Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The meet is a 25-yard short-course meet.

Wednesday finals (Feb. 18, 4 p.m.): 200-yard medley relay, 800-yard freestyle relay

Thursday finals (Feb. 19, 5:30 p.m.): 100-yard butterfly, 400-yard individual medley, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 1-meter diving

Friday finals (Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m.): 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 500-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle, 3-meter diving, 400-yard medley relay

Saturday finals (Feb. 21, 5:30 p.m.): 200-yard individual medley, 1650-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard backstroke, platform diving, 400-yard freestyle relay

** Note: All individual swimming and diving events will have prelims the morning of the finals session for the event.

The meet will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus for all four days of competition.

No. 4 Michigan Wolverines

No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes

No. 25 Minnesota Golden Gophers

Also receiving votes: Northwestern Wildcats (10)

Not receiving votes: Purdue, Nebraska, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois and Rutgers

The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) full top-25 February rankings can be found HERE.

1. Ohio State (1338.5 points)

2. Indiana (1255.5 points)

3. Michigan (1149.5 points)

4. Wisconsin (849 points)

More in-depth meet information can be found on the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ web site web page for the meet. Live outcomes will be discovered on the Meet Mobile app or http://sidearmstats.com/minnesota/swim/index.htm. Additionally, SwimSwam, the world’s chief in specialised swimming protection, shall be releasing reside outcomes, evaluation and storylines from the meet at their central page for the competition.

Note: Individual swimmers are solely allowed to swim a most of three particular person occasions at Big Ten Championships. Meet entries aren’t due till the tip of the day, so some assumptions have been made about what occasions high swimmers will swim.

Michigan’s Sims-Sim-Kendall-Fack relay posted the convention’s high time of 1:33.26 in November. The Wolverines’ high time stands a second forward of some other relay group this season. Though, Indiana’s DeWitt-Laegreid-Grana-Paegle will be certain that the race isn’t a landslide Wolverines victory, Michigan ought to take gold.

USC is the heavy-favorite within the 800-yd freestyle relay, with its high convention time of 6:53.17 a full two seconds sooner than second place Indiana. After putting third final 12 months within the occasion, USC returned its quickest two legs Claire Tuggle and Minna Abraham to the relay this 12 months. With a breakout season from Justina Kazan and the addition of graduate Miami-transfer Nicole Maier, this group is poised for gold.

Winner: Alex Shackell (Indiana)

Top Northwestern finisher: Kat Nikonova

Olympian Alex Shackell’s career-best 49.49 shall be laborious to beat. Miranda Grana and Michigan’s Brady Kendall went one-two within the occasion final 12 months, separated by 0.80. This 12 months, each Grana and Kendall have each gotten near a second sooner, with Grana sustaining near a second of separation on Kendall. Shackell, the favourite, ought to win, however I feel the Hoosiers will go one-two, with Grana grabbing silver.

For Northwestern, Nikonova might closing with a great swim. Her 52.50 was the twelfth quickest time within the convention this season. Assuming not all eleven above her will swim the occasion, a low 52 swim in prelims will seemingly place her high eight.

Winner: Bella Sims (Michigan)

Top Northwestern finisher: Hana Shimizu-Bowers

Sims is the heavy-favorite to win not solely at Big Ten Championships, however at NCAA Division I Championships in a number of weeks. Sims presently holds the highest time within the nation, posting a blistering 3:58.02 in November, seven seconds sooner than some other Big Ten competitor.

Winner: Minna Abraham (Indiana)

Top Northwestern finisher: Sydney Smith

Indiana’s Abraham positioned second within the occasion final 12 months, and has gotten seven tenths of a second sooner this 12 months, posting a 1:40.47 on the Texas Hall of Fame Invitational. If Sims have been to swim the occasion, she could be my choose, however I feel Wolverines head coach Matt Bowe will enter Sims into the 100-yd backstroke as an alternative.

Winner: Letitia Sim (Michigan)

Top Northwestern finisher:

Michigan’s Letitia Sim and Ohio State’s Maria Ramos Najji will duke it out for first place on this occasion. Separated by 0.12 to date this season, this occasion is actually up for grabs. I like Sim’s expertise within the occasion to get the job executed, nevertheless it might go both method.

Winner: Avery Worobel (Purdue)

Top Northwestern finisher: Caroline Li

Ohio State had a maintain on the occasion final 12 months, putting one-two, however their lead divers graduated within the low season, paving the best way for Purdue’s Avery Worobel to take the occasion this 12 months. The sophomore positioned fourth final 12 months with a rating of 310.00, however has already scored a convention greatest 327.45 in competitors this 12 months which might have positioned her second in 2025.

I’m choosing the Hoosier upset on this occasion. Michigan has the convention’s high time by 0.84, however the Hoosier group of Liberty Clark, Mya DeWitt, Grace Hoeper and Kristina Paegle can go decrease than its November 1:26.83. Paegle particularly needs to be considerably sooner. She was 21.54 on the OSU Invitational, simply 0.02 sooner than her particular person greatest time of 21.56, regardless of having a relay begin.

Winner: Maggie Wanezek (Wisconsin)

Top Northwestern finisher: Grey Davis

Indiana’s Grana and Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek would be the occasion’s high contenders as the one three Big Ten swimmers to publish sub-50-second instances to this point this season. Grana was sooner throughout the common season, however I feel Wanezek is due for a giant sophomore championship swim. Give me the Badger.

Winner: Letitia Sim (Michigan)

Top Northwestern finisher:

Just a 12 months in the past, Sim suffered heartbreak on this occasion, touching third with a 2:07.28, simply 0.06 seconds out of gold. This 12 months, Sim will get redemption. She has been three-quarters of a second sooner throughout the season, posting a 2:06.52 in November, and has an opportunity to be even sooner this week. Ohio State’s Najji will problem, however is healthier within the 100-yd occasion than the 200.

Winner: Bella Sims (Michigan)

Top Northwestern finisher: Zoe Nordmann

If Sims is wherever near her profession greatest 4:28.64, she ought to win the occasion in a landslide. Hannah Bellard will seize second for the Wolverines, whereas Ohio State’s Mila Nikanorov ought to end third.

Northwestern’s Nordmann has an opportunity to closing on this occasion. Her 4:41.11 from November slots her tenth within the convention standings. She’ll want at the least a mid-1:40 to closing.

Winner: Brady Kendall (Michigan)

Top Northwestern finisher: Kat Nikonova

As at all times, the 50-yd freestyle shall be a splash to the end line, with 4 swimmers — two Hoosiers and two Wolverines — in rivalry for the title. Though Clark and Paegle will problem the entire method, my choose is Michigan’s Brady Kendall, who ought to have essentially the most velocity within the occasion if in a position to replicate her 21.34 from earlier this season.

Winner: Daryl Wright (Purdue)

Top Northwestern finisher: Isabella Chen

Wright, a senior, is among the largest outright occasion favorites in these championships, with a 370.75 high rating that lapped the sphere by 21.75 factors within the common season. Purdue sweeps the brief diving occasions.

Michigan’s 3:25.54 from the CSCAA Challenge is the second quickest time within the nation, behind solely Virginia, who has gained 5 consecutive nationwide titles. With a lineup together with potential occasion winners Bella Sims, Letitia Sim, Brady Kendall and Leila Fack, the Wolverines ought to win this one by a few seconds.

Winner: Rosie Murphy (UCLA)

Top Northwestern finisher: Grey Davis

Upset watch within the 200-yd IM! UCLA’s Murphy has seen unimaginable development within the 200-yd IM this season, leaping from a 1:56.66 ultimately 12 months’s convention championships to a 1:54.89 on the Ohio State invitational simply 9 months later. Michigan’s Letitia Sim is the favourite and positioned second final 12 months with a 1:54.64 final 12 months. But, one thing tells me that Sim could also be a bit drained on the final day of the meet, whereas Murphy shall be recent and prepared for a giant swim in her predominant occasion.

Winner: Emma Finlin (Ohio State)

Top Northwestern finisher: Zoe Nordmann

The two first-place contenders on this occasion are each Buckeyes, Finlin and Mila Nikanorov. Finlin was considerably sooner within the common season, nevertheless, posting a 15:55.09 that was near three-seconds sooner than Nikanorov. I’ve acquired Finlin.

Nordmann on this occasion is the ’Cats’ greatest probability to get on the rostrum this week. Nordmann swam a profession greatest 16:04.59 earlier this season, that can seed her fourth coming into the meet. Nebraska’s Gena Jorgenson, seeded third, will seemingly seize the bronze, but when she has a nasty race, and Nordmann is ready to pull off a miracle high-16:02, Northwestern might get a ‘Cat on the podium.

Winner: Liberty Clark (Indiana)

Top Northwestern finisher: Kat Nikonova

Crow Canyon Club Sharks product Clark should get her first career Big Ten event win in the 100-yd freestyle. The Indiana sophomore will be seeded a full half-second faster than the rest of the field. If she swims her best, the event should be hers.

Winner: Alex Shackell (Indiana)

Top Northwestern finisher: Hana Shimizu-Bowers

Interestingly, Shackell, who went to the Paris Olympics for the 200-meter butterfly, will not be the top qualifier in the event. Michigan’s Bellard’s 1:50.72 would be the high time, although Shackell continues to be the favourite. The Indiana freshman must be on her recreation to carry off Bellard, however at her high velocity, Shackell’s profession greatest 1:50.15 shall be untouchable.

Winner: Bella Sims (Michigan)

Top Northwestern finisher: Gretchen Braun

Three gold medals for Sims! Sims was no sooner than 1:51.26 within the common season this 12 months, however her greatest time of 1:47.11 from NCAA Division I Championship’s final 12 months trumps the sphere by over a second. Wanezek will compete, however Sims is inevitable.

Winner: Ella Roselli (Indiana)

Top Northwestern finisher: Lydia Georgopoulou

Mia Prusiecki, the sophomore Buckeye, is the highest qualifier, however Indiana’s Ella Roselli has a lot wanted expertise in an occasion the place will probably be essential. Roselli, a junior, was a finalist final 12 months putting sixth. Anchoring her expertise, she ought to have the ability to surpass Prusiecki on Saturday.

Georgopoulou claims the seventh greatest rating for the common season for the ‘Cats. If she matches her best, she will likely be an event finalist, with a chance to elevate as high as fourth place with a breakout performance.

At this point, the meet should already be decided for Michigan, but if it isn’t, this occasion will take middle stage because the Hoosiers and Wolverines are the 2 high qualifiers. Separated by simply 0.49 within the common season, I just like the Hoosiers to dip beneath 3:08, led by highly effective swims from Clark and Shackell.

In actuality, this meet is between Michigan and Indiana, with the 2 high six powerhouse applications projected to win roughly 75% of the meet’s occasions. There are many races, such because the 200-yd medley relay, 400-yd freestyle relay and 50-yd freestyle which might be up for terribly shut rivalry between the Wolverines and the Hoosiers. The method that these essential occasions flip will determine the meet, although I feel Michigan has just a bit bit extra star energy on the high. Matt Bowe acquired star Florida-transfer Bella Sims within the offseason, and he or she has been the convention’s greatest swimmer, set to win three particular person occasions and energy the Wolverines to a few relay victories. Though Michigan is unquestionably the favourite due to Sims, this meet shall be tightly contested all 4 days, so don’t rely out the Hoosiers.

If every little thing falls as projected, Northwestern ought to end seventh, bettering two locations upon their ninth place end final season. Though the ‘Cats won’t be extraordinarily aggressive for any podium finishes, potential finals appearances from Nordmann within the 500-yd and 1650-yd freestyle, Georgopoulou in platform diving and Nikonova within the 100-yd butterfly will enhance Northwestern’s standing within the group competitors. Michigan, Indiana, USC, Wisconsin, UCLA and Ohio State are locks to complete above the ‘Cats, but Northwestern should finish above Minnesota and Purdue, though the Boilermakers’ prowess in short-platform diving might current a problem.