BREAKING NEWS: Lilly King’s NCAA Title Highlights Indiana’s Night at NCAA Championships

0
  • King’s NCAA Title Highlights Indiana’s Night at NCAA Championships
  • NDIANAPOLIS – The No. 15-ranked Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team had a record-breaking night at the 2017 NCAA Championships at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind. on Friday.After three days of competition, the Hoosiers sit in eighth place at the NCAA Championships with a total score of 125 points.Lilly King was once again dominant in the Championship Final of the 100 breaststroke, winning here second-straight NCAA title in the event with a NCAA meet record time of 56.71. King’s time ranks as the second-fastest time in history and second all-time at IU.In winning back-to-back NCAA crowns in the 100 breast, King is the first woman in Big Ten history to win consecutive national championships in league history. The Evansville, Ind. native is also the first swimmer or diver to win three individual NCAA titles in Big Ten history.Also with King’s championship, Indiana becomes the first women’s swimming and diving program in Big Ten history to win a NCAA title four-straight years – King in 2017 and 2016, Jessica Parratto in 2015 and Brooklyn Snodgrass in 2014.In the Championship Final of the 100 butterfly, Gia Dalesandro took eighth place with a time of 51.59. Her mark is the third-best in school history and gives the senior the top-10 times in the event at Indiana.

    Dalesandro is the first swimmer in program history to earn a spot in the Championship Final of the 100 fly at a NCAA Championships and her eighth-place finish is the best for any IU swimmer in the event.

    The Hoosiers put an exclamation point on a terrific night, as the team of Ali Rockett, King, Dalesandro and Holly Spears placed fourth overall in the 200 medley relay with a school and Big Ten record time of 1:35.26.

    All four swimmers had terrific splits for the Hoosiers, highlighted by King’s 50 breast time of 25.62 which was the fastest in the field.

    IU’s fourth place finish in the 200 medley relay is the best in Indiana history, surpassing the eighth place finish for the Hoosiers in 2008.

    In the 3-meter dive Consolation Final, Jessica Parratto placed sixth to finish 14th overall with a total of 311.20. Parratto, who placed 10 in the 1-meter dive on Thursday, will look reclaim her platform dive title she won as a freshman in 2015 on Saturday. Parratto did not participate in the NCAA Championships in 2016 after taking an Olympic redshirt season.

    With their performances on Friday, Dalesandro earned her eighth All-America honor, King her seventh, Parratto her fourth, while Rockett and Spears each notched their second.

    The Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team will continue competition at the 2017 NCAA Championships on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. ET with the prelims of the 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, platform dive and 1,650 freestyle.

    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
    8. Gia Dalesandro – 51.59 (All-America)

    100 Breaststroke
    1. Lilly King 56.71 – (NCAA Meet Record, All-America)

    200 Medley Relay
    4. Ali Rockett, Lilly King, Gia Dalesandro, Holly Spears – 1:35.26 (Big Ten Record, School Record, All-America)

    3-Meter Dive
    14. Jessica Parratto – 311.20 (Honorable Mention All-America)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR