The Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team had a great performance in the Thursday morning prelims at the 2017 Big Ten Championships at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Hoosiers qualified 15 swimmers and divers for the evening finals – four in the A Finals, seven in the B Finals and four in the C Finals. IU enters Thursday night in fourth place with a total of 108 points.
500 Freestyle
The Hoosiers will bring back four swimmers for tonight’s finals of the 500 freestyle, led by Stephanie Marchuk who qualified 10th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 4:42.18. Joining her in the B Final will be freshman Cassie Jernberg, who qualified 13th overall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 4:44.32.
Kennedy Goss finished 18th overall to earn a spot in the C Final with a NCAA B cut time of 4:46.08, while Delaney Barnard was 20th overall with a mark of 4:46.25 to join her in the C Final.
Jernberg’s time ties her as the 11th-fastest swimmer in the event at IU, while Barnard’s mark makes her the 15th-best performer in school history.
Shelly Drozda placed 37th overall with a time of 4:50.56, while Maria Paula Heitmann took home 38th place with a personal-best time of 4:51.25. Hannah Sakaluk was 53rd overall with a time of 4:56.45.
200 IM
Indiana had an impressive showing in the 200 IM prelims, as the team brought back all six swimmers for the evening finals.
Lilly King was the top qualifier in the event, touching the wall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:55.49 that is the second-fastest mark in school history. Christine Jensen will join King in the A Final after posting a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:58.85 that ranks her as the 12th-best performer in the event at Indiana.
IU will have four swimmers in the B Final of the 200 IM, led by Bailey Pressey, who touched the wall in a time of 1:59.09. Sam Lisy also posted a NCAA B cut time (1:59.18) to qualify, while Reagan Cook had a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:59.69. Rounding out the four swimmers in the B Final for the Hoosiers will be Rachel Matsumura, who touched in a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:59.75.
Cook’s time ranks her as the 12th-best swimmer in the event in school history, while Matsumura’s mark puts her at 15th all-time.
50 Freestyle
Ali Rockett will lead three IU swimmers back for the finals of the 50 freestyle on Thursday night. Keller qualified for the B Final with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 22.80 that ranks her as the sixth-fastest swimmer in the event in school history.
Both Holly Spears and Shelby Koontz for the C Final with personal-best times. Spears touched the wall with a NCAA B cut time of 22.85, while Koontz finished in 23.01. Spears’ time ranks her eighth all-time at IU, while Koontz’s mark puts her in a tie for 11th in IU history.
Katherine Keller tied for 87th in the 50 freestyle with a personal-best time of 24.33.
1-Meter Dive
IU received two big-time performances from Jessica Parratto and Michal Bower in the 1-meter dive prelims, as both earned a spot in Thursday night’s A Final.
Parratto qualified third overall with a NCAA qualifying score of 297.25, while Bower qualified seventh with a NCAA qualifying total of 285.75.
Parratto was solid throughout, scoring four of her six dives over 48 points. Bower had a great final effort, scoring a 54.60 on her last dive to move from 10th to seventh and earn a spot in the championship final.
The Hoosiers will continue at the 2017 Big Ten Championships on Thursday evening with the finals of the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 1-meter dive and 400 medley relay. The action gets underway at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette at 6:30 p.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.
500 Freestyle
Stephanie Marchuk – 4:42.18 (NCAA B cut – B Final)
Cassie Jernberg – 4:44.32 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – B Final)
Kennedy Goss – 4:46.08 (NCAA B cut – C Final)
Delaney Barnard – 4:46.25 (NCAA B cut – C Final)
- Shelly Drozda – 4:50.56
- Maria Paula Heitmann – 4:51.25 (Personal Best)
- Hannah Sakaluk – 4:56.45
200 IM
Lilly King – 1:55.49 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – A Final)
Christine Jensen – 1:58.85 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – A Final)
Bailey Pressey – 1:59.09 (NCAA B cut – B Final)
Sam Lisy – 1:59.18 (NCAA B cut – B Final)
Reagan Cook – 1:59.69 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – B Final)
Rachel Matsumura – 1:59.75 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – B Final)
50 Freestyle
Ali Rockett – 22.80 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – B Final)
Holly Spears – 22.85 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – C Final)
Shelby Koontz – 23.01 (Personal Best – C Final)
T-87. Katherine Keller – 24.33 (Personal Best)
1-Meter Dive
Jessica Parratto – 297.25 (NCAA Qualifying score)
Michal Bower – 285.75 (NCAA Qualifying score)
