Big Ten Champion Indiana Ties Program-Record National Finish

Saturday, March 23

Athens, Ga.

6 p.m.

Indiana University

NCAA Championships - Finals

Big Ten Champion Indiana Ties Program-Record National Finish

3/23/2024 11:28:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

ATHENS, Ga. – Indiana has produced program record finishes in each of the last two NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, finishing seventh in the team standings for the third time in program history Saturday (March 23) inside the Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia.

Indiana earned 206 points, just ahead of USC's 200. With the result, IU has finished top 10 in the team race seven of the last eight seasons and top 12 at each of the last 10 national meets. The 2024 Big Ten Champion was the conference's top finisher at the national meet, outscoring Ohio State (153) and Michigan (147.5).

"Well, we laid it all out on the line today – tonight especially – and we were really gunning for that sixth-place finish," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. If you would have told me we'd get seven with all the challenges that were put before us this year, I would have taken that in a second. I am so proud of these girls – Big Ten Champions, seventh place and multiple team records broken along the way. I can't say I'm prouder of a group of ladies than this one. They're very special, and they'll go down in history as one of our finest teams."

Ten Hoosiers combined for 31 All-America honors, tying the program record set a year ago. Four relays reached the podium for the first time in program history and all five scored for the fourth time but first time since 2004. Indiana tallied four individual medals, the most since Lilly King and Miranda Tucker combined for as many in 2016.

Like the Big Ten Championship, IU's standing in the meet came down to the final relay – though, this time, not quite in Indiana's favor. The Hoosiers did their job, posting a program record 3:10.68 to earn a podium spot and finish better than their No. 9 seed coming in. However, Louisville also overachieved to place third – enough to jump IU in the standings with 212 points. Indiana was six points away from an outright program record finish.

The Hoosiers earned 68 points on the final day from the 1,650-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and the relay.

Junior Anna Peplowski led off the relay and set the 100-yard freestyle program record for the second time Saturday with a split of 47.18. Peplowski was 47.27 in the 100 free prelim to reach her third championship final and went 47.32 in that final to finish seventh individually. Sophomore Kristina Paegle established a personal best 47.57 to finish 11th individually but split a 46.75 to anchor the relay. Seniors Ashley Turak and Ella Ristic split 47.96 and 48.79, respectively, in the final race of their decorated careers.

For the second-straight season, junior Ching Hwee Gan and Mariah Denigan both reached the podium in the 1,650 free. Gan repeated as a medalist, following her 2023 silver with a bronze this season after touching in a time of 15:46.90 – a season best. Denigan has collected consecutive seventh-place finishes, touching this year in 15:55.41. Saturday's swim was just her second 1,650 free of the campaign, making her season debut with a bronze medal performance at the Big Ten Championships due to a busy international schedule.

As well as the No. 7 in the country, Indiana also finishes its season as Big Ten Champions for the first time since 2019 after winning the conference title by one half of a point over Ohio State in February. The Hoosier women also boasted a perfect dual meet record, going 8-0 in the regular season.

RESULTS
1,650 FREESTYLE
3. Ching Hwee Gan – 15:46.90 (NCAA Bronze, All-America)
7. Mariah Denigan – 15:55.41 (All-America)
24. Elyse Heiser – 16:09.04 (Career Best)

100 FREESTYLE
7. Anna Peplowski – 47.31 (All-America)
11. Kristina Paegle – 47.57(Second-Team All-America, Career Best)

400 FREESTYLE RELAY
8. Anna Peplowski, Ashley Turak, Ella Ristic, Kristina Paegle – 3:10.68 (All-America, Program Record)

HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Brearna Crawford (200 medley relay*, 400 medley relay*)
Mariah Denigan (1,650 freestyle)
Ching Hwee Gan (800 freestyle relay, 1,650 freestyle)
Anne Fowler (1-meter*, 3-meter)
Kacey McKenna (200 medley relay*, 200 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 400 medley relay*)
Kristina Paegle (200 medley relay*, 800 freestyle relay, 50 freestyle*, 200 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay*, 100 freestyle*, 400 freestyle relay)
Anna Peplowski (800 freestyle relay, 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 200 freestyle, 400 medley relay*, 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay)
Ella Ristic (800 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay)
Chiok Sze Yeo (200 medley relay*)
Ashley Turak (50 freestyle*, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay)

@IndianaSwimDive
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men's and women's swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#GoIU