Paegle, Peplowski Grab Big Ten Gold

Thursday, February 20

Columbus, Ohio

5 p.m.

Indiana University

Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships - Finals

2/20/2025 10:56:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Indiana senior Anna Peplowski and sophomore Kristina Paegle led IU's four-medal performance on day two of the 2025 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday (Feb. 20) inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University.

"We had a really great night," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. "I'm super proud of Anna and Kristina for their victories. We really lit the fuse tonight, and we need to ride that momentum into tomorrow morning."

Peplowski led off Thursday evening's session with her first 500-yard freestyle championship and seventh-career conference title. She broke a Big Ten record for the second consecutive evening, smashing her own conference standard with a winning time of 4:33.86 (previously 4:34.06).

The senior showed composure in her victory; after she built an early lead, USC junior Claire Tuggle sped in front through the 250 mark. Peplowski kept in touch with Tuggle for the next 150 yards and then blew past her competitor while splitting the final 100 in 53.63.

Peplowski tied the 200-yard freestyle conference record with a 1:40.69 to lead off IU's 800 freestyle relay Tuesday. She'll race the individual 200 free on Friday.

Paegle captured her first-career individual Big Ten Championship Tuesday night in the 50-yard freestyle. The Bloomington, Indiana, native reclaimed the program record with a 21.63 in the morning, then nearly matched it with a 21.64 to win the championship. Paegle previously broke the school standard during IU's 2023-24 midseason meet before then-fifth-year senior Ashley Turak went 21.73 at the 2024 NCAA Championships.

Indiana diving made its entrance at the 2025 championships by leading the conference with four qualifiers between the A and B finals on the 1-meter springboard. Sophomore Ella Roselli repeated as a medalist in the event, adding a bronze medal to complement her 2024 silver. Roselli scored 310.60 points in the final and was a picture of consistency with scores of 50.40, 54.60, 50.60, 50.40, 54.60 and 50.00.

"Our divers had a good day today," IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. "The expanded conference has made the event larger and deeper with talent.

"Ella did a great job returning to the A final and then improving her position in the final. That third place finish was hard fought all day."

Senior Skyler Liu, sophomore Lily Witte and freshman Mary Kate Cavanaugh all posted top-13 performances to help IU make up some ground on the team leaderboard.

"Skyler, Lily and Mary Kate scored a ton of points for the team in the B Final," Johansen said. "Mary Kate showed that she is ready for the pressure of the top diving conference in the country. You couldn't tell she was a freshman.

"This team gets better the higher we go. I'm looking forward to seeing them move to 3-meter and platform in the next two days."

Peplowski and Paegle bookended Indiana silver-medal performance in the 200-yard freestyle as the Hoosiers set the program's second-fastest time ever in 1:26.79. Peplowski kicked the relay off with a 21.85, becoming the third-fastest 50 freestyler in program history. Junior Mya DeWitt matched Peplowski's 21.85, and senior Kacey McKenna went 22.18. Paegle did her best to make up the difference with a 20.91, the fastest time in the field, but Michigan took the title in 1:26.13.

TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State – 480
2. Michigan – 431
3. Indiana – 378
4. Wisconsin – 301
5. USC – 292
6. Minnesota – 239
7. Purdue – 199
8. Northwestern – 182
9. Nebraska – 154
10. UCLA – 140
11. Rutgers – 139
12. Penn State – 110
13. Illinois – 105
14. Iowa - 84

RESULTS
500 FREESTYLE
1. Anna Peplowski – 4:33.86 (Big Ten Champion, Big Ten Record, Big Ten Championship Record, Program Record, Career Best, NCAA A Cut)
5. Ching Hwee Gan – 4:37.49 (Career Best, NCAA B Cut)
12. Mariah Denigan – 4:40.98 (NCAA B Cut)
14. Elyse Heiser – 4:41.55 (NCAA B Cut)

200 IM
17. Reese Tiltmann – 1:57.14 (NCAA B Cut)

50 FREE
1. Kristina Paegle – 21.64 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA B Cut)
13. Mya DeWitt – 22.41 (NCAA B Cut)
24. Kacey McKenna – 22.71

1-METER DIVING
3. Ella Roselli – 310.60 (Big Ten Bronze, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
10. Skyler Liu – 287.60 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
12. Lily Witte – 278.75 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
13. Mary Kate Cavanaugh – 278.55 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)

200 FREESTYLE RELAY
T2. Anna Peplowski, Mya DeWitt, Kacey McKenna, Kristina Paegle – 1:26.79 (Big Ten Silver, NCAA A Cut)

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 beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter dive and 400 medley relay will be contested.

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