Indiana Diving, Distance Define Thursday Finals

Thursday, February 22

West Lafayette, Ind.

5 p.m.

Indiana University

Big Ten Championships - Finals

Indiana Diving, Distance Define Thursday Finals

2/22/2024 11:03:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 6 Indiana swimming and diving packed the 1-meter diving and 500-yard freestyle podiums Thursday (Feb. 22) night at the 2024 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center on the campus of Purdue University.

The Hoosiers surged with eight podium finishes, and four different Hoosiers earned maximum points out of B and C finals. In total, IU scored from 17 finalists. A disqualified 400 medley relay, disciplined for an early takeoff, was a bizarre blemish on an otherwise joyful evening. Despite missing out on a maximum 64 points from the relay, IU sits third with 426 points – 18 points behind leader Ohio State.

"I'm super proud of this women's team, and tonight was spectacular," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. "As Coach Johansen says, 'If you don't swing for the fences, you'll never hit a homerun.' The relay getting disqualified is on me as the head coach. However, I would do the same order 10 times out of 10. In the end, we will be better because of these experiences."

Indiana scored 112 points from the first event of the night with four Hoosiers in the 500-yard freestyle championship final and a fifth in the consolation heat. Junior Anna Peplowski continued her phenomenal year in the 500-yard freestyle, setting a personal best for the second time Thursday in 4:34.47. She earned a Big Ten silver medal for her first attempt at the event at championships, having previously swam the 100-yard backstroke the previous two season. Fellow juniors Ching Hwee Gan (4:41.71) and Elyse Heiser (4:41.94) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, and senior Ella Ristic (4:43.09) took eighth to round out the podium. Junior Mariah Denigan, in her first collegiate meet of the season, finished 14th in 4:42.83.

Reigning Big Ten 1-meter diving champion Anne Fowler returned to the championship final, but it was two freshmen bookending her that orchestrated a special moment in the well. The No. 7-seeded qualifier, Ella Roselli was sharp to earn silver in her first-career Big Ten final. Roselli scored better than 50 points on five of her six dives to tally a 305.15 mark as IU's top finisher. Fellow freshman Lily Witte also made her championship final debut and scored 292.70 points to finish sixth. The veteran Fowler took fourth with a 302.55 score. First place and eighth place were separated 19.95 points.

Junior Skyler Liu was one of four Hoosiers to maximize points out of non-championship finals, taking the top position in the 1-meter diving B final. She was the top-scoring diver in either final, tallying a 307.70 mark – .30 points better than the Big Ten Champion. IU earned 98 points from the 1-meter springboard.

"I don't know that I could have predicted a better result for our women, especially our freshmen in their Big Ten A final," IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. "And them actually challenging to win the event, it was really an exciting day for the divers. They let it all fly, which was exciting to see. Anne continues to lead the team in such a great way, it's what brought them along. And then, Skyler in that B final, stepping up and winning it is a lot of points for the team. So, we're looking forward to tomorrow. The higher we go, the better we get."

Senior Ashley Turak was the top scorer in the 50 free B final, posting a season-best 21.89 – her first time under the 22-second barrier this season. Sophomore Kristina Paegle was two hundredths quicker in the championship final, placing fifth. Junior Kacey McKenna (22.48) also scored in the B final, while sophomore Chiok Sze Yeo (22.53) and Mya DeWitt (22.72) finished in the C final.

Junior Brearna Crawford and freshman Reese Tiltmann finished back-to-back to lead the 200-yard IM C final. Crawford (1:59.30) and Tiltmann (1:59.37) both posted NCAA B cuts while maxing out their scoring. Freshman MacKenna Lieske finished 15th overall in 2:00.11.

Indiana's 400 medley relay touched first but was disqualified due to early takeoff on the butterfly leg. Junior Kacey McKenna dropped a 50.76 leadoff split, which would mark the fifth-best 100-yard backstroke this season if counted.

TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State – 444
2. Michigan – 433
3. Indiana – 426
4. Wisconsin – 381.5
5. Minnesota – 286.5
6. Purdue – 199
7. Nebraska – 170
8. Penn State – 153
9. Iowa – 152
10. Northwestern – 148
11. Rutgers – 123
12. Illinois - 86

RESULTS (PRELIMS)
500 FREESTYLE
2. Anna Peplowski – 4:37.47 (Silver, NCAA A Cut, Career Best)
5. Ching Hwee Gan – 4:41.71 (NCAA B Cut)
6. Elyse Heiser – 4:41.94 (NCAA B Cut)
8. Ella Ristic – 4:43.09 (NCAA B Cut)
14. Mariah Denigan – 4:42.83 (NCAA B Cut)

200 IM
15. MacKenna Lieske – 2:00.11
17. Brearna Crawford – 1:59.30 (NCAA B Cut)
18. Reese Tiltmann – 1:59.37 (NCAA B Cut)

50 FREESTYLE
5. Kristina Paegle – 21.87 (NCAA B Cut)
9. Ashley Turak – 21.89 (NCAA B Cut)
12. Kacey McKenna – 22.48 (NCAA B Cut)
19. Chiok Sze Yeo – 22.53 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
21. Mya DeWitt – 22.72 (Career Best)

1-METER DIVING
2. Ella Roselli – 305.15 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
4. Anne Fowler – 302.55 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
6. Lily Witte – 292.70 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
9. Skyler Liu – 307.70 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)

400 MEDLEY RELAY
DQ. Kacey McKenna, Brearna Crawford, Anna Peplowski, Kristina Paegle – 3:28.32 (Disqualified, Early Take-Off)

UP NEXT
Indiana will look to set the tone for a great night when they open day three with the morning preliminary session on Friday (Feb. 23) beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter dive and 200 freestyle relay will be contested.

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