Day three of finals at the 2017 Big Ten Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Indiana is in the books. The six events competed today were the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, and 200 freestyle relay. As expected, Michigan and Minnesota set themselves up strongly in tonight’s finals, and moved up to the first and third position on the scoreboard.

100 BUTTERFLY

B1G Record: 51.42 (Zhesi Li – Ohio State, 2016) 50.45 (Gia D’Alessandro – Indiana, 2017)
B1G Meet: 51.61 (Becca Weiland – Minnesota, 2013) 50.45 (Gia D’Alessandro – Indiana, 2017)
Pool: 51.43 (Elaine Breeden – Stanford, 2010) 50.45 (Gia D’Alessandro – Indiana, 2017)
NCAA ‘A’: 51.49

And she does it! After three years of second place finishes in this event, Gia D’Alessandro takes the championship title in the 100 butterfly with a remarkable time of 50.45. Her swim crushed the NCAA Automatic qualifying time, B1G conference record, meet record, AND pool record. What an amazing moment for D’Alessandro and the Hoosiers. Coming in second place was Ohio State’s Zhesi Li with another sub 51 time of 50.92 and in third is Michigan’s Vanessa Krause with a 52.22.

Top 8 Results

1.) Gia D’Alessandro (Indiana): 50.45 (B1G RECORD)
2.) Zhesi Li (OSU): 50.90 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Vanessa Krause (Michigan): 52.22
4.) Elizabeth Nelson (Wisconsin): 52.36
5.) Dana Grindall (Wisconsin): 52.65
6.) Danielle Nack (Minnesota): 52.68
7.) Trevyn Waddell (Minnesota): 52.70
8.) Christine Jensen (Indiana): 53.08

400 IM

B1G Record: 4:01.41 (Allysa Vavra – Indiana, 2012)
B1G Meet: 4:01.41 (Allysa Vavra – Indiana, 2012)
Pool: 4:00.90 (Julia Smit – Stanford, 2010)
NCAA ‘A’: 4:05.36

Top 8 Results

1.) Lindsey Clary (OSU): 4:04.09 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Allyson McHugh (Penn State): 4:06.27
3.) Danielle Valley (Wisconsin): 4:08.33
4.) Meg Bailey (OSU): 4:08.35
5.) Kathrin Demler (OSU): 4:09.74 
6.) Yirong Bi (Michigan): 4:10.15
7.) Samantha Lisy (Indiana): 4:12.15 
8.) Breanne Siwicki (Minnesota): 4:12.87 

Ohio State’s defending champion Lindsey Clary crushes the A final by over a body length in the 400IM. Clary takes back her championship title for the second year in a row with an NCAA Automatic qualifying time of 4:04.09. With three women on the podium, these are very valuable points for Ohio State as they try to bump up their rank in tonight’s finals. Taking the second place title is Allyson McHugh of Penn State, with a time of 4:06.27. Danielle Valley of Wisconsin managed to move up from fifth to third place with a time of 4:08.33, barely out-touching Meg Bailey’s fourth place time of 4:08.35.

200 FREESTYLE

B1G Record: 1:42.93 (Siobhan Haughey – Michigan, 2016)​ 1:42.49 (Siobhan Haughey - Michigan, 2017)
B1G Meet: 1:42.93 (Siobhan Haughey – Michigan, 2016)​ 1:42.49 (Siobhan Haughey - Michigan, 2017)
Pool: 1:42.84 (Allison Schmitt – Georgia, 2010)​ 1:42.49 (Siobhan Haughey - Michigan, 2017)
NCAA ‘A’: 1:43.63

Top 8 Results

1.) Siobhan Haughey (Michigan): 1:42.49 (B1G RECORD)
2.) Cierra Runge (Wisconsin): 1:43.78
3.) Gabrielle Deloof (Michigan): 1:44.22
4.) Kennedy Goss (Indiana): 1:44.30
5.) Gillian Ryan (Michigan): 1:45.12
6.) Maria Heitmann (Indiana): 1:45.77
7.) Kaersten Meitz (Purdue): 1:46.09
8.) Rebecca Postoll (Michigan): 1:46.10

Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey bounces back from her 200 IM DQ last night and finishes first in the 200 freestyle A-final with an NCAA Automatic qualifying time of 1:42.49. She takes down her own B1G conference record, meet record, and slides under Allison Schmitt’s pool record of 1:42.84 back from 2010. Touching in second was Wisconsin’s Cierra Runge with a 1:43.78 and following a few tenths behind was Gabby Deloof of Michigan with a 1:44.22.

With four Wolverines on the podium, Michigan gained some serious points in this event, launching them into third place overall thus far.

100 BREASTSTROKE

B1G Record: 57.30 (Lilly King – Indiana, 2016) 56.30 (Lilly King – Indiana, 2017)
B1G Meet: 57.35 (Lilly King – Indiana, 2016) 56.30 (Lilly King – Indiana, 2017)
Pool: 57.46 (Lilly King – Indiana, 2017) 56.30 (Lilly King – Indiana, 2017)
NCAA ‘A’: 59.04

Top 8 Results

1.) Lilly King (Indiana): 56.30 (NCAA, AMERICAN, B1G RECORD)
2.) Lindsey Horejsi (Minnesota): 58.90 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Kierra Smith (Minnesota): 58.95
4.) Emma Sougstad (Iowa): 59.31
5.) Emily Kopas (Michigan): 59.54
6.) Maria Carlson (Wisconsin): 1:00.36
7.) Rachel Munson (Minnesota): 1:00.65
8.) Cady Farlow (Purdue): 1:00.80 

Indiana superstar Lilly King puts on another show in tonight’s A-final of the 100 breaststroke. With an outstanding time of 56.30, she shatters every record on the books - American, NCAA, B1G Conference, B1G Meet, and pool records. Minnesota takes both second and third place, with two sub 59 swims. Lindsey Horejsi finished with a 58.90 and Kierra Smith closely behind with a 58.95. King has been racking up points for the Hoosiers as they try to fight off Michigan on the scoreboard.

100 BACKSTROKE

B1G Record: 51.05 (Brooklynn Snodgrass – Indiana, 2014)
B1G Meet: 51.51 (Brooklynn Snodgrass – Indiana, 2015)
Pool: 50.84 (Gemma Spofforth – Florida, 2010)
NCAA ‘A’: 51.45

Top 8 Results

1.) Tevyn Waddell (Minnesota): 52.09
2.) Clara Smiddy (Michigan): 52.11
3.) Beata Nelson (Wisconsin): 52.18
4.) Zoe Avestruz (Minnesota): 52.49
5.) Jessica Unicomb (Wisconsin): 52.63
6.) Gia D'Alessandro (Indiana): 52.68
7.) Gabrielle Deloof (Michigan): 52.96
8.) Alexandra Rockett (Indiana): 53.00

This 100 backstroke A-final was nothing short of a thrill, as the top 3 swimmers all finished within one-tenth of each other. It turned out to be Minnesota’s Tevyn Waddell who earned the championship title with a time of 52.09. Following closely behind were Clara Smiddy of Michigan with a time of 52.11 and Beata Nelson of Wisconsin with a time of 52.18. With a second and seventh place finish in this event, Michigan is finally able to pass Indiana on the scoreboard.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY

B1G Record: 1:26.86 (Wisconsin, 2015)
B1G Meet: 1:27.70 (Wisconsin, 2015)
Pool: 1:27.70 (Stanford, 2010)
NCAA ‘A’: 1:28.98

Top 8 Results

1.) Wisconsin: 1:27.90 (NCAA 'A')
2.) Ohio State: 1:27.99 (NCAA 'A')
3.) Michigan: 1:28.37 (NCAA 'A')
4.) Indiana: 1:30.41
5.) Purdue: 1:30.88
6.) Penn State: 1:31.01
7.) Minnesota: 1:31.11,
8.) Northwestern: 1:31.11

After an intense battle against Ohio State, Wisconsin takes the 200 freestyle relay with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 1:27.90. Ohio State was barely touched-out with a 1:27.99 and coming in third was Michigan at a 1:28.37. Upon completion of 3-meter diving and the 200 freestyle relay, Michigan remains on top of the scoreboard with 805.5 points. Following behind are the Hoosiers with 791 points. Minnesota managed to make their way up to the third place position after a first, third, and fourth place finish in 3-meter diving.

TEAM SCORES

1.) Michigan: 805.5
2.) Indiana: 791
3.) Minnesota: 753
4.) Wisconsin: 741
5.) OSU: 529.5
6.) Purdue: 457
7.) Northwestern: 350
8.) Penn State: 333
9.) Rutgers: 310
10.) Nebraska: 279
11.) Iowa: 260
12.) Illinois: 152
13.) MSU: 149