King, Dalesandro Lead Hoosiers at Big Ten Championships
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team added another two league titles to the team’s haul at the 2017 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday night at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind.
Heading in to the final day of competition on Saturday, the Hoosiers sit in second place with a total of 791.0 points, just 14.5 points behind first-place Michigan. Minnesota is in third place with 753.0 points, while Wisconsin is in fourth with a total of 741.0.
Lilly King put on a show in the Championship Final of the 100 breaststroke, defending her Big Ten title with the best time in the history of the event – 56.30. King’s mark breaks her own NCAA, American, U.S. Open, school, Big Ten and Big Ten meet records, as well as set the Boilermaker Aquatic Center pool mark.
King won the race by over 2.6 seconds and now owns the top three times in the NCAA this season. The Evansville, Ind. native now has won four individual Big Ten titles in her young career – the 100 and 200 breaststroke in 2016 and the 200 IM and 100 breast this season.
Laura Morley placed 14th overall in the 100 breast, placing sixth in the B Final with a NCAA B cut time of 1:01.54. Mackenzie Atencio was seventh in the C Final to take 23rd place with a NCAA B cut time of 1:02.36.
Gia Dalesandro had one of the best performance in the history of the 100 butterfly for the Hoosiers, winning Big Ten title with a school, Big Ten, Big Ten meet and Boilermaker Aquatic Center pool record time of 50.45. Her time is the fifth-best performance in the history of the event and the fastest time in the NCAA this year.
The title is the fourth individual crown for Dalesandro in her career and she becomes just the second Hoosier in Big Ten history to win the event, joining Rosie Wicht who won in 1984.
Also, in the Championship Final for Indiana, Christine Jensen took eighth place with a NCAA B cut time of 53.08.
Shelby Koontz won the C Final of the 100 fly with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 53.35 that ranks her as the sixth-best performer in the event in school history. Olivia Barker placed 19th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 53.83.
Kennedy Goss paced the Hoosiers in the 200 freestyle, placing fourth in the Championship Final with a NCAA B cut time of 1:44.30. Also in the A Final, freshman Maria Paula Heitmann took sixth overall with a NCAA B cut mark of 1:45.77.
In the B Final, Delaney Barnard touched third to place 11th overall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:46.38. With her time, Barnard ranks as the 10th-best performer in the event in school history.
Holly Spears won the C Final of the 200 freestyle for the Hoosiers, touching the wall first with a time of 1:48.02.
In the Championship Final of the 3-meter dive, Jessica Parratto placed fifth overall with a NCAA qualifying score of 358.95. Parratto was consistent throughout her list, scoring over 57 points on all six of her dives.
The redshirt junior will look to make it 3-for-3 on Championship Finals on Saturday in the platform dive. Parratto won both the NCAA and Big Ten titles in the event in 2015.
Dalesandro continued her great night, leading the Hoosiers with a sixth-place finish in the 100 backstroke Championship Final with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 52.68. With her mark, Dalesandro ranks as the eighth-best performer in the event in IU history. Also in the A Final, Ali Rockett took eighth place with a NCAA B cut time of 53.00.
Rachel Matsumura placed third in the B Final to finish 11th overall with a personal-best time of 53.73 that puts her as the 15th-best swimmer in school history in the event. Marie Chamberlain won the C Final to place 17th overall with a NCAA B cut mark of 54.11.
In the 400 IM, Sam Lisy led the charge for the Hoosiers, placing seventh in the Championship Final with a NCAA B cut time of 4:12.15.
In the B Final, Reagan Cook placed third to take 11th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 4:13.65, while Bailey Pressey placed 13th overall with a NCAA B cut mark of 4:14.97. Shelly Drozda touched third in the C Final to place 19th overall with a personal-best time of 4:16.79. With her time, Drozda ranks as the 14th-best swimmer in the event at IU.
The Hoosiers will continue at the 2017 Big Ten Championships on Saturday morning with the prelims of the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, platform dive and 1,650 freestyle. The action gets underway at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette at 11:00 a.m. ET.
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.
100 Butterfly
1. Gia Dalesandro – 50.45 (Personal Best, School, Big Ten, Big Ten meet and Pool record, NCAA A cut)
8. Christine Jensen – 53.08 (NCAA B cut)
17. Shelby Koontz – 53.35 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
19. Olivia Barker – 53.83 (NCAA B cut)
400 IM
7. Sam Lisy – 4:12.15 (NCAA B cut)
11. Reagan Cook – 4:13.65 (NCAA B cut)
13. Bailey Pressey – 4:14.97 (NCAA B cut)
19. Shelly Drozda – 4:16.79 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
200 Freestyle
4. Kennedy Goss – 1:44.30 (NCAA B cut)
6. Maria Paula Heitmann – 1:45.77 (NCAA B cut)
11. Delaney Barnard – 1:46.38 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
17. Holly Spears – 1:48.02
100 Breaststroke
1. Lilly King – 56.30 (Personal Best, NCAA, American, School, Big Ten, Big Ten meet and Pool record, NCAA A cut)
14. Laura Morley – 1:01.54 (NCAA B cut)
23. Mackenzie Atencio – 1:02.36 (NCAA B cut)
100 Backstroke
6. Gia Dalesandro – 52.68 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
8. Ali Rockett – 53.00 (NCAA B cut)
11. Rachel Matsumura – 53.73 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
17. Marie Chamberlain – 54.11 (NCAA B cut)
3-Meter Dive
5. Jessica Parratto – 358.95 (NCAA Qualifying score)
200 Freestyle Relay
4. Ali Rockett, Lilly King, Shelby Koontz, Holly Spears – 1:30.41
