ATHENS, Ga. – Two silver medals and four All-America finishes pushed Indiana up the team leaderboard Friday (March 22) night at the 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia.
Indiana moved back into seventh, totaling 138 points through the three days. The Hoosiers are within striking distance of USC, trailing the Trojans by 19 points going into the final day. IU is the highest scoring team from the Big Ten so far, ahead of Ohio State (104) and Michigan (102.5). Last season, Indiana’s seventh-place finish tied a program record as the Hoosiers earned 219 points.
Peplowski earned her second medal in two days, finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:40.97. It was a photo finish with Florida freshman and Olympian Bella Sims, who touched in 1:40.90. The Indiana junior allowed the Gator to take an early lead, intending to finish strong, and nearly caught her in the final 50 yards with a 25.52 final lap.
“It was another good day for the Hoosiers at the NCAA meet,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “Anna was spectacular tonight, and I think she’s taken that next step as a swimmer. Although she didn’t win the national title, she did everything she could have done – except maybe she shouldn’t have cut her fingernails! I’m so proud of her, and I think that really lends itself to a bright future for Anna.”
Peplowski has seen the podium in four of her five races this week – she also led off the fifth-place 400-yard freestyle relay Wednesday night and the eighth-place 200-yard freestyle relay.
Senior Anne Fowler wrote her final collegiate chapter to a memorable conclusion, earning her second-straight silver medal on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 342.45. Fowler qualified for the championship final just four-tenths of a point better than the ninth-place prelim placement. She finishes her career a six-time All-American, two-time NCAA medalist and three-time Big Ten Champion.
“Wow! what a day!” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen. “I’m so proud of Anne showing us one last time how tough of a competitor she is. She is one of our all-time greats.
“It’s an emotional thing to be able to perform at anything, at any level. The emotion from the team today was unbelievable. The girls were amazing in the morning swims, and the emotion was with us – excitement, nerves, anxiety all working for us. An injury scare for Skyler (Liu) in the diving warmup for the preliminary created a new emotion for the team – concern, love, thankfulness. Everyone on the team responded and left it all in the pool.”
“Anne was awesome,” Looze said. “She had to overcome a lot just to make the A final and then moved herself all the way with grit and determination and perseverance to second. And that really encapsulates our team: grit, determination, perseverance and togetherness.”
Junior Kacey McKenna earned her first-career NCAA podium finish, placing sixth in the 100-yard backstroke. McKenna set a program record in 50.23 during prelims to glide into the championship heat. IU’s Big Ten Champion is the first Hoosier ever to swim under 51 seconds and has done so four times this season and did so three times Friday.
“Kacey was phenomenal, making her first A final and scoring her first points at an NCAA meet,” Looze said. “Her development is truly remarkable. This is a young woman that went 55 at Big Tens last year and is now in the A final – went 50.2 this morning!”
McKenna went 50.97 to lead off Indiana’s 400-yard medley relay that finished 15th. The Hoosier quartet of McKenna, junior Brearna Crawford, Peplowski and sophomore Kristina Paegle actually improved the program’s season-best time by seven tenths but were perhaps unfortunate to finish below their seed.
“We would have liked to push that baby higher,” Looze said, “but I have no doubt we gave everything we could and left it in the pool. We have one important day left, and I believe it’s our best day.
RESULTS
200 FREESTYLE
- Anna Peplowski – 1:40.97 (NCAA Silver, All-America, Program Record, Career Best)
100 BACKSTROKE
- Kacey McKenna – 50.65 (All-America)
3-METER DIVING
- Anne Fowler – 342.45 (NCAA Silver, All-America)
400 MEDLEY RELAY
- Kacey McKenna, Brearna Crawford, Anna Peplowski, Kristina Paegle – 3:29.65 (Second-team All-America)
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Brearna Crawford (200 medley relay*, 400 medley relay*)
Ching Hwee Gan (800 freestyle relay)
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*)
Anna Peplowski (800 freestyle relay, 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 200 freestyle, 400 medley relay*)
Ella Ristic (800 freestyle relay)
Chiok Sze Yeo (200 medley relay*)
Ashley Turak (50 freestyle*, 200 freestyle relay)
