IUSD Women Tie Program Record with Seventh-Place Finish at NCAA Championships

Saturday, March 18

Knoxville, Tenn.

6 p.m.

Indiana University

NCAA Championships - Finals

IUSD Women Tie Program Record with Seventh-Place Finish at NCAA Championships

3/18/2023 10:41:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Indiana women's swimming and diving tied its program record finish, placing seventh Saturday (March 18) at the 2023 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

A fantastic final night, highlighted by five podium finishes, two NCAA silver medalists and a program-record setting relay, vaulted the Hoosiers from 10th place to seventh – IU's best finish in the team standings since 2016. Eleven Hoosiers combined for a program-record tying 30 All-America honors. Indiana scored 219 points over the week, coming only second to that 2016 team which tallied 228. A year ago, IU finished 11th nationally with 116 points and 20 All-America honors.

Indiana's finish was better than its national ranking (10) and its psych sheet projection (8) and 18 Hoosier swims finished better than their original seeds.

"Im just at a loss for words," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. "If you had told me this team was going to get seventh in the country, almost sixth, I would have thought you were crazy. But these girls had a mind of their own.

"What an incredible last day of the national championships. There are so many people I could recognize, but this came down to team culture that was beyond high level. I have to compliment our women for putting the team above everything else, being courageous time and time again and rebounding quickly from any setbacks that happened at this competition. Those are always going to happen, but you never would have known it when we came out the next day – it was back to business as usual. We have a super bright future with this core group."

IU's sophomore distance duo set the tone Saturday with career performances in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Ching Hwee Gan finished as the national runner-up after leading for most a majority of the final mile heat and beating her career-best time by seven seconds. Gan's 15:46.28 is IU's second time under 15:50.00 and the fastest swim since Lindsay Vrooman's program record 15:44.45 at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Her 1,000-yard split, however, set a program record in 9:30.71. The Singapore national record holder in multiple long-course events reached the podium in all three events she raced – the 800 freestyle relay, 500 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle.

Denigan beat her personal best by five seconds, going 15:52.18 to win the fifth heat as the No. 10 seed in the event coming in. Denigan's 1,000 free split was also a personal best and No. 3 in program history, dropping a 9:35.50.

Senior Noelle Peplowski ended her collegiate career with a career-best finish in the 200-yard breaststroke. Peplowski placed sixth as a freshman and sophomore and 21st in her fist senior season a year ago. Her decision to return resulted in her return to the podium and a fifth-place finish, going 2:06.16. In her fifth-year senior season, Peplowski became the second-fastest woman in program history in the 200 breast with a 2:05.52 at midseason, only behind Lilly King.

Noelle's sister, sophomore Anna Peplowski, earned maximum points for IU out of the 200-yard backstroke consolation final, finishing ninth in 1:51.84. Her evening time was faster than two swimmers in the championship heat.

For the sixth straight year, IU reached the podium in the platform diving event. Sophomore Skyler Liu finished fourth in the event, tallying a 328.05 score with a low dive of 57.60. In her first national meet, Liu was IU's top scorer from diving after also earning honorable mention All-America laurels on the 3-meter springboard on Friday.

"It's a great finish for IU swimming and diving tying the top team finish in program history," IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. "Skyler had a great day on the platform becoming an All-American and getting her first taste of an A final at the NCAA Championships. We're looking forward to the future for her, and I'm really proud of this team."

Kristina Paegle was the country's top freshman performer in the 200-yard freestyle, placing 12th in 47.99. Her time tied her lifetime best set in the preliminary session. Paegle and Peplowski each tallied a team-high six All-America honors.

On Saturday, the duo bookended a historic 400-yard freestyle relay performance. IU came into the meet as the No. 11-seeded relay and finished sixth in the nation – the program's best placement in a relay since 2019. Peplowski (48.46 split), junior Ella Ristic (48.79), senior Ashley Turak (47.94) and Paegle (47.20) bested their own program by over a second in 3:12.39. IU had never finished better than 10th in the 400 freestyle relay.

For the first time in program history, IU reached the podium in three relays; the 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay and 800 freestyle relay.

RESULTS
1,650 FREESTYLE
2. Ching Hwee Gan – 15:46.28 (Silver, All-America)
7. Mariah Denigan – 15:52.18 (All-America)

200 BACKSTROKE
9. Anna Peplowski – 1:51.84 (Honorable Mention All-America)

100 FREESTYLE
12. Kristina Paegle – 47.99 (Honorable Mention All-America, Career Best)

200 BREASTSTROKE
5. Noelle Peplowski – 2:06.16 (All-America)

PLATFORM DIVING
4. Skyler Liu – 328.05 (All-America)

400 FREESTYLE RELAY
6. Anna Peplowski, Ella Ristic, Ashley Turak, Kristina Paegle – 3:12.39 (All-America, Program Record)

HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Elizabeth Broshears (200 Medley Relay*, 200 Freestyle Relay)
Mariah Denigan (1,650 Freestyle)
Ching Hwee Gan (800 Freestyle Relay, 500 Freestyle, 1,650 Freestyle)
Anne Fowler (3-Meter)
Skyler Liu (3-Meter*, Platform)
Mackenzie Looze (800 Freestyle Relay, 400 IM*)
Kristina Paegle (200 Medley Relay*, 800 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle*, 200 Freestyle Relay, 100 Freestyle*, 400 Freestyle Relay)
Anna Peplowski (200 Medley Relay*, 800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke*, 400 Freestyle Relay)
Noelle Peplowski (200 Medley Relay*, 200 IM*, 100 Breaststroke*, 200 Breaststroke)
Ella Ristic (400 Freestyle Relay)
Ashley Turak (50 Freestyle*, 200 Freestyle Relay)

* - Denotes Honorable Mention

UP NEXT
Indiana women's swimming and diving has finished another collegiate season and will look to carry its momentum into the 2023-24 campaign. Before then, the Hoosiers will compete both on the national and international level in several competitions this summer.

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