BLOOMINGTON – The Indiana women’s swimming and diving team sits second after one day of the Ohio State Invitational, highlighted by two program records and the performances of junior Anna Peplowski and sophomore Kristina Paegle Thursday (Nov. 16) night inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers lead the scoring on the men’s side, capturing 803 points from their opening day of midseason despite winning only the 400-yard medley relay – the event they placed second in at last year’s NCAA Championships. But the Indiana men showed their depth – most notably, five Hoosiers placed in the top seven spots of the 200-yard IM.
Paegle and Peplowski led off the night with a victory and NCAA A cut in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Peplowski led off the race in 22.19, giving way to senior Ashley Turak (21.67) and Chiok Sze Yeo (22.11). Paegle had water to make up as the anchor and did she ever. The sophomore blasted a 20.89 – the race’s only split under 21 seconds – to touch in a program record 1:26.86, .14 seconds faster than Ohio State.
IU placed second in the men’s 200 freestyle relay by seven hundredths, with the quartet of freshman Mikkel Lee (19.75), junior Finn Brooks (18.97), senior Gavin Wight (19.28) and junior Rafael Miroslaw (18.91) finishing in 1:16.91.
In the diving well, junior Skyler Liu finished second on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 330.65 after entering the night as the top qualifier. Sophomore Morgan Casey finished seventh with a 243.85.
Right after her sprint to open the night, Peplowski got right back into the pool and won the 500-yard freestyle in 4:38.29. The Hoosiers went 1-2-3, with juniors Ching Hwee Gan (4:40.09) and Elyse Heiser (4:40.87) taking the next two spots. Senior Ella Ristic took fifth in 4:43.03. Peplowski’s time was a personal best by 10 seconds – she had last raced the 500 free in January during a dual a meet at Purdue, where she finished in 4:48.80. No woman in the country had swum the event faster this season coming into the week.
Junior Luke Barr led the way for IU in the 200 IM, taking second in 1:42.88. Senior Jassen Yep (1:44.93) was third, freshman Toby Barnett fourth (1:45.00), Maxwell Reich fifth (1:45.07) and sophomore Drew Reiter seventh (1:45.61). Freshmen Collin McKenzie (1:46.00) and Dylan Smiley (1:46.39) and junior Josh Matheny (1:48.06) all finished in the B final as the Hoosiers stacked points.
The IU women won their third event as Paegle broke the 50-yard freestyle record in 21.76, five hundredths faster than the time set by Turak at last year’s NCAA Championships. Turak went 22.22 Thursday night to place eighth.
Four men had top-seven times in the 50 free. Lee went 19.43 to finish third. Miroslaw and Brooks both touched in 19.57 to share fifth, and Wight took seventh in 19.62.
The familiar quartet of senior Brendan Burns, Matheny, senior Tomer Frankel and Miroslaw posted an NCAA A cut time of 3:02.81 to win the 400-yard medley relay by 2.72 seconds. Burns’ 45.13, Matheny’s 50.96 and Frankel’s 45.04 were all the quickest splits for their respective legs.
TEAM SCORES
Men
- Indiana – 803
- Ohio State – 760
- Louisville – 579.5
- Notre Dame – 491.5
- Cincinnati – 337
- Pittsburgh – 103
- Cal – 62
Women
- Ohio State – 791
- Indiana – 711
- Louisville – 646
- Notre Dame – 386
- Cincinnati – 355
- Ohio – 112
- Pittsburgh – 63
- Cal – 60
HOOSIER WINNERS
Men
Brendan Burns – 400 Medley Relay (3:02.81)
Tomer Frankel – 400 Medley Relay (3:02.81)
Josh Matheny – 400 Medley Relay (3:02.81)
Rafael Miroslaw – 400 Medley Relay (3:02.81)
Women
Anna Peplowski – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:26.86), 500 Freestyle (4:38.29)
Ashley Turak – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:26.86)
Chiok Sze Yeo – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:26.86)
Kristina Paegle – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:26.86), 50 Freestyle (21.76)
NCAA CUTS
A: Women’s 200 freestyle relay (1:26.86); Women’s 400 medley relay (3:30.33); Men’s 400 medley relay (3:02.81).
B: Men’s 200 freestyle relay (1:16.91); Toby Barnett – 200 IM (1:45.00); Luke Barr – 200 IM (1:42.88); Warren Briggs – 500 free (4:18.80); Finn Brooks – 50 free (19.57); Jackson Carlile – 500 free (4:19.81); Katie Carson – 500 free (4:47.03); Tristan DeWitt – 500 free (4:21.18); Anna Freed – 200 IM (1:58.27); Ching Hwee Gan – 500 free (4:40.09); Elyse Heiser – 500 free (4:40.87); Mikkel Lee – 50 free (19.43); MacKenna Lieske – 200 IM (1:59.55); Collin McKenzie – 200 IM (1:46.00); Rafael Miroslaw – 50 free (19.57); Kristina Paegle – 50 free (21.76); Anna Peplowski – 500 free (4:38.29); Maxwell Reich – 200 IM (1:45.07); Drew Reiter -200 IM (1:45.61); Ella Ristic – 500 free (4:43.03); Ashley Turak – 50 free (22.22); Gavin Wight – 50 free (19.62); Jassen Yep – 200 IM (1:44.93).
NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES (FINALS)
1-meter: None.
3-meter: Skyler Liu (330.65).
UP NEXT
The OSU Invitational resumes Friday morning in at 9:30 a.m. ET with the second preliminary session. The 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, men’s 3-meter springboard, women’s 1-meter springboard, 200 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay will all be contested Friday.
