University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers in Second Place at Big Tens
2/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
The No. 10 University of Minnesota women’s swimming and diving team is in second place after two events of the Big Ten Championships, held today in West Lafayette, Ind., at Purdue. Indiana leads with 72 points, followed by the Golden Gophers in second with 64 points and Purdue and Wisconsin tied for third with 62. Action continues tomorrow with prelims at 11 a.m. (ET), followed by diving at 1 p.m. and finals at 6:30 p.m.
The Gophers opened the championships with a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of Hannah Whitehead, Jillian Tyler, Kaylee Jamison and Alison Eggers combined for a season-best time and a provisional qualifying time of 1:38.50. However, Wisconsin posted an automatic qualifying time of 1:37.34 and a new facility record to win the event. The Gophers gained 34 points to Wisconsin’s 40 in the event.
Lauren Weis, Megan Braun, Kristen Steenvoorden and Marissa Davies finished fourth in the 800 free relay. The foursome held a season-best and provisional time of 7:09.14, but the Hoosiers were victorious in the event when they posted a time of 7:06.66 for the early lead. With the Hoosier win, it ended the four-year reign the Gophers had in winning the 800 free relay as the Gophers graduated all four from last year’s winning relay.
“We’re very happy with how things went tonight,” co-head Coach Terry Nieszner said. “We did a great job in the 200 medley relay and were close to beating our time of 1:38.33 that we put up last year. We’re excited about the first night and we are swimming well. We have a lot of great swimmers with us and our team is done with the first day and got some anxiousness out of the way. Now they can relax and take control and show what they can do.”
“We did as good as we could do tonight and with our times in the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay, we’re hopeful that we get an invite to the NCAAs,” co-head coach Kelly Kremer said. “In the 800 free relay, we had four new swimmers, who had never swam the event at Big Tens before and they did a great job. The 200 medley relay really gave us momentum for the 800 free relay. It’s nice to have the relays on the first day because it settles everyone down and they see that we can swim well. However, tomorrow is a new day and a new session and we have some big swims coming up.”
Tomorrow’s events include the 500 free, the 200 IM, the 50 free and the 200 free relay, while in diving it will be the 1-meter competition.
The Gophers opened the championships with a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of Hannah Whitehead, Jillian Tyler, Kaylee Jamison and Alison Eggers combined for a season-best time and a provisional qualifying time of 1:38.50. However, Wisconsin posted an automatic qualifying time of 1:37.34 and a new facility record to win the event. The Gophers gained 34 points to Wisconsin’s 40 in the event.
Lauren Weis, Megan Braun, Kristen Steenvoorden and Marissa Davies finished fourth in the 800 free relay. The foursome held a season-best and provisional time of 7:09.14, but the Hoosiers were victorious in the event when they posted a time of 7:06.66 for the early lead. With the Hoosier win, it ended the four-year reign the Gophers had in winning the 800 free relay as the Gophers graduated all four from last year’s winning relay.
“We’re very happy with how things went tonight,” co-head Coach Terry Nieszner said. “We did a great job in the 200 medley relay and were close to beating our time of 1:38.33 that we put up last year. We’re excited about the first night and we are swimming well. We have a lot of great swimmers with us and our team is done with the first day and got some anxiousness out of the way. Now they can relax and take control and show what they can do.”
“We did as good as we could do tonight and with our times in the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay, we’re hopeful that we get an invite to the NCAAs,” co-head coach Kelly Kremer said. “In the 800 free relay, we had four new swimmers, who had never swam the event at Big Tens before and they did a great job. The 200 medley relay really gave us momentum for the 800 free relay. It’s nice to have the relays on the first day because it settles everyone down and they see that we can swim well. However, tomorrow is a new day and a new session and we have some big swims coming up.”
Tomorrow’s events include the 500 free, the 200 IM, the 50 free and the 200 free relay, while in diving it will be the 1-meter competition.
Players Mentioned
Free/Fly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & DivingFree
/ Women's Swimming & DivingSpr Free/Fly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
IM
/ Women's Swimming & DivingBreast/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
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