University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, February 17
Madison, Wis.
10:00 AM/5:30 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Big Ten Championships
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/Sprint Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Sprint Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Backstroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/Butterfly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
IM/Butterfly/Breaststroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Photo by: Andy Manis
Bacon Claims Big Ten 1-Meter Title
2/17/2022 8:41:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
MINNEAPOLIS – Sarah Bacon showed once again why she's one of the best divers in NCAA history by winning the 1-meter in record-setting fashion as the second day of competition wrapped up Thursday at the 2022 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Madison, Wis.
Advancing out of the prelims as the top seed following a total of 329.30, Bacon broke both the Big Ten Championship record and the Minnesota school record with a 376.10 in the finals. Her performance was over 45 points better than second place and broke the mark of 370.30 set by former Gopher Kelci Bryant at the 2011 Big Ten Championships.
It's the second time that Bacon has won the 1-meter at Big Tens, also doing so in 2018. She also captured first on the 3-meter in 2019.
In addition to Bacon's performance, senior Joy Zhu also medaled by taking home third place with a personal record of 327.40.
The Golden Gophers' swimming performances were highlighted by sophomore Megan Van Berkom.
The Chatham, Ill., native broke the school record twice in the 200 IM and finished as the runner-up in the event. After setting the mark at the Minnesota Invite in December, Van Berkom lowered it in Thursday's prelims with the top time of 1:55.87. She then took nearly a second off of that in the finals by touching second at 1:54.92.
Van Berkom's second-place finish was the best by a Minnesota women's swimmer at the Big Tens since Chantal Nack won the 500 free at the 2019 Championships.
As a team, Minnesota sits in fifth place with 320.5 points. Ohio State leads the way with 425 points, followed by Michigan (411.5), Indiana (405) and host-Wisconsin (371). The Golden Gophers hold a 25.5 point lead over sixth-place Northwestern, while seventh-place Rutgers is 130.5 points back.
"We are off to a good start," Minnesota head coach Kelly Kremer said. "I thought we had a very nice prelim this morning and then started tonight a little flat, but then got it rolling again to finish the session with school records from Van Berkom and Sarah.
"We need to take this momentum into tomorrow and put together two great sessions in a row. We would like to see more 'A' finalists and I know we are capable, we just need to do it."
Also reaching the finals of the 200 IM were junior Jordan McGinty, who placed 16th (1:59.11), while senior Kelli McCarthy was 21st (1:59.89) and junior Rachel Butler was 23rd (2:00.81).
Minnesota also put four swimmers into the finals of the 50 free, including three in the 'B' final. Freshman Hannah Cornish led the pack at 22.19, while juniors Maggie Summit (22.45) and Grace Bennin (22.46) finished in 13th and 14th, respectively. In the 'C' final, senior Olivia Bloomer took 18th with a time of 22.48.
Both entrants into the 500 free also reached the finals for Minnesota.
Senior Kate Sullivan claimed 16th (4:49.76), while fellow senior Abbey Kilgallon placed 24th (4:54.33).
In the final event of the night, the Gophers finished fifth in the 400 medley relay. Senior Emily Cook (52.60 back split), Bennin (1:00.06 breast), Van Berkom (52.15 fly) and Cornish (48.53 free) combined for a finish of 3:33.34 to lower their 'B' cut on the season.
Minnesota returns to the pool Friday for Day Three of the 2022 Big Ten Championships. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back on the schedule. Three-meter diving starts at noon, while the finals start at 5:30 with the addition of the 200 free relay.
Advancing out of the prelims as the top seed following a total of 329.30, Bacon broke both the Big Ten Championship record and the Minnesota school record with a 376.10 in the finals. Her performance was over 45 points better than second place and broke the mark of 370.30 set by former Gopher Kelci Bryant at the 2011 Big Ten Championships.
It's the second time that Bacon has won the 1-meter at Big Tens, also doing so in 2018. She also captured first on the 3-meter in 2019.
In addition to Bacon's performance, senior Joy Zhu also medaled by taking home third place with a personal record of 327.40.
The Golden Gophers' swimming performances were highlighted by sophomore Megan Van Berkom.
The Chatham, Ill., native broke the school record twice in the 200 IM and finished as the runner-up in the event. After setting the mark at the Minnesota Invite in December, Van Berkom lowered it in Thursday's prelims with the top time of 1:55.87. She then took nearly a second off of that in the finals by touching second at 1:54.92.
Van Berkom's second-place finish was the best by a Minnesota women's swimmer at the Big Tens since Chantal Nack won the 500 free at the 2019 Championships.
As a team, Minnesota sits in fifth place with 320.5 points. Ohio State leads the way with 425 points, followed by Michigan (411.5), Indiana (405) and host-Wisconsin (371). The Golden Gophers hold a 25.5 point lead over sixth-place Northwestern, while seventh-place Rutgers is 130.5 points back.
"We are off to a good start," Minnesota head coach Kelly Kremer said. "I thought we had a very nice prelim this morning and then started tonight a little flat, but then got it rolling again to finish the session with school records from Van Berkom and Sarah.
"We need to take this momentum into tomorrow and put together two great sessions in a row. We would like to see more 'A' finalists and I know we are capable, we just need to do it."
Also reaching the finals of the 200 IM were junior Jordan McGinty, who placed 16th (1:59.11), while senior Kelli McCarthy was 21st (1:59.89) and junior Rachel Butler was 23rd (2:00.81).
Minnesota also put four swimmers into the finals of the 50 free, including three in the 'B' final. Freshman Hannah Cornish led the pack at 22.19, while juniors Maggie Summit (22.45) and Grace Bennin (22.46) finished in 13th and 14th, respectively. In the 'C' final, senior Olivia Bloomer took 18th with a time of 22.48.
Both entrants into the 500 free also reached the finals for Minnesota.
Senior Kate Sullivan claimed 16th (4:49.76), while fellow senior Abbey Kilgallon placed 24th (4:54.33).
In the final event of the night, the Gophers finished fifth in the 400 medley relay. Senior Emily Cook (52.60 back split), Bennin (1:00.06 breast), Van Berkom (52.15 fly) and Cornish (48.53 free) combined for a finish of 3:33.34 to lower their 'B' cut on the season.
Minnesota returns to the pool Friday for Day Three of the 2022 Big Ten Championships. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back on the schedule. Three-meter diving starts at noon, while the finals start at 5:30 with the addition of the 200 free relay.
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Monday, February 26