Hoosiers Rip Program Records on Opening Night of Big Ten Championships

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 6-ranked Indiana swimming and diving set two program record as part of its second-straight 800-yard freestyle relay conference title Wednesday (Feb. 21) night at the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The Hoosiers earned two medals on the opening night of the conference meet.

Junior Anna Peplowski lead off Indiana’s 800 freestyle relay in 1:42.04, breaking her own 200-yard freestyle relay program record set during IU’s dual meet against Louisville and Wisconsin earlier this month. Senior Ella Ristic followed in 1:44.85, junior Ching Hwee Gan swam the third leg in 1:45.04 and sophomore Kristina Paegle closed in 1:43.52.

IU crushed the previous program standard (6:58.44) by just under three seconds, set at last year’s conference championships featuring three of the same athletes – Ristic replaced graduated Mackenzie Looze. The Hoosiers were also 5.63 seconds better than their midseason time of 7:01.08, the previous season best set by the same crew. Indiana also set the No. 4 time in the country this season.

“We had an awesome first night,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “Congratulations to our 800 freestyle relay. They got the win, destroyed the school record and almost got the pool record too. The good thing is everybody on that relay had the bare minimum of preparation. Most of our top swimmers just started to cut back either Saturday, if not Monday, of this week. So that’s nice to win a conference title like that.”

The Hoosiers went 2-for-2 on the medal table in Wednesday’s relays, picking up bronze in the 200-yard medley relay with a season-best 1:35.81. Juniors Kacey McKenna (23.70 split) and Brearna Crawford (27.12) led things off, giving way to sophomore Chiok Sze Yeo (23.68) and senior Ashley Turak (21.41). It marks the sixth-fastest 200 medley relay in program relay and IU’s quickest since 2019.

“I thought the medley relay, probably our best could have gotten second,” Looze said. “I think nerves were there, and that can happen in the first event. They’re into the meet now, so I’m looking forward to how all four of those ladies swim the rest of the meet.”

Through two events, Indiana leads the field with 118 points, followed by No. 8 Ohio State’s 116 and No. 16 Michigan’s 112.

The Big Ten trailed a team diving exhibition between the relays for a second-straight season. Three divers from each squad executed a total of six dives, two from each board.

“The team event was awesome today,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “It’s a new event that we hope to see scored as maybe a relay in the future. I thought our girls did great. We had our two freshmen in there really learning what it’s like to be in a Big Ten final and that energy and environment, and I know that they’re going to use that in the next three days when the points do matter. I was really pleased with the team event and hope to see it continue in the Big Ten.”

TEAM SCORES
1. Indiana – 118

  1. Ohio State – 116
  2. Michigan – 112
  3. Wisconsin – 106
  4. Northwestern – 100
  5. Penn State – 96
  6. Nebraska – 88
  7. Purdue – 86
  8. Illinois – 78
  9. Iowa – 72
  10. Rutgers – 64
  11. Penn State – 34

    RESULTS
    200 MEDLEY RELAY
    3. Kacey McKenna, Brearna Crawford, Chiok Sze Yeo, Ashley Turak – 1:35.81 (NCAA A Cut)

    800 FREESTYLE RELAY
    1. Anna Peplowski, Ella Ristic, Ching Hwee Gan, Kristina Paegle – 6:55.45 (NCAA A Cut, Program Record)

    Hoosiers Rip Program Records on Opening Night of Big Ten Championships

     

    Hoosiers Rip Program Records on Opening Night of Big Ten Championships

     

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