And that's a wrap for day 4 of prelims at the 2017 Big Ten Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Indiana. The five events featured in today's prelims were the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, and the 1650. The Hoosiers will take the top seed going into finals of the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly. King takes the second place position going into the 200 breaststroke final.

200 BACKSTROKE

B1G Record: 1:49.92 (Kate Fesenko -- Indiana, 2010) 
B1G Meet: 1:51.32 (Kate Fesenko -- Indiana, 2010)
Pool: 1:49.92 (Kate Fesenko -- Indiana, 2010)
NCAA 'A': 1:51.95

1.) Kennedy Goss (Indiana): 1:52.02
2.) Beata Nelson (Wisconsin): 1:52.31
3.) Clara Smiddy (Michigan): 1:52.43
4.) Gabby Deloof (Michigan): 1:54.31
5.) Vera Koprivova (Rutgers): 1:54.66 
6.) Tevyn Waddell (Minnesota): 1:54.85
7.) Erin Oeltjen (Nebraska): 1:55.17 
8.) Chantal Nack (Minnesota): 1:55.24
16th: Rebecca Postoll (Michigan): 1:56.48
24th: Shelly Drozda (Indiana): 1:57.77 

As expected from the 100 backstroke in prelims yesterday, the 200 backstroke was another tight race to earn a spot in the top eight. Kennedy Goss of Indiana took the win in prelims with a 1:52.02 and following closely behind are Wisconsin's Beata Nelson at a 1:52.31 and Michigan's Clara Smiddy at a 1:52.43. We are expecting a very competitive race tonight in that A-final and will be keeping a close eye on Minnesota's Tevyn Waddell who took the championship title in the 100 backstroke last night.

100 FREESTYLE

B1G Record: 47.24 (Ivy Martin -- Wisconsin, 2015)
B1G Meet: 47.58 (Ivy Martin -- Wisconsin, 2015)
Pool: 47.50 (Kara Lynn Joyce -- Georgia, 2005)
NCAA 'A': 47.69

1.) Zhesi Li (Ohio): 48.08
2.) Siobhan Haughey (Michigan): 48.17
3.) Zoe Avestruz (Minnesota): 48.33 
4.) Chase Kinney (Wisconsin): 48.38
5.) Catherine Deloof (Michigan): 48.95
6.) Emmy Sehmann (Wisconsin): 49.02
7.) Marissa Berg (Wisconsin): 49.03
8.) Annika Winsnes (NU): 49.33
16th: Maria Heitmann (Indiana): 49.76
24th: Julia Roller (Nebraska): 50.05

We are about to see a battle to the finish in the 100 freestyle A-final tonight as the top two seeded, Ohio State's Zhesi Li and Michigan's Siobhan Haughey have both had phenomenal races so far this week. Li earned the top time this morning with a 48.08, but after Haughey's speedy 1:42.49 split in last night's 200 freestyle final, we can expect her to drop the hammer in this 100 tonight. Trailing closely behind Li and Haughey in the third place position from this morning's prelims is Minnesota's Zoe Avestruz with a 48.33. 

After Wisconsin's win in the 200 freestyle relay last night, it is no surprise they have taken three of the top eight positions in the 100 freestyle A-final.

200 BREASTSTROKE

B1G Record: 2:05.64 (Lilly King -- Indiana, 2016)
B1G Meet: 2:05.98 (Haley Spencer -- Minnesota, 2013)
Pool: 2:07.30 (Emily Fogle -- Purdue, 2015)
NCAA 'A': 2:07.33

1.) Kierra Smith (Minnesota): 2:06.81
2.) Lilly King (Indiana): 2:07.67
3.) Taylor Vargo (OSU): 2:08.56 
4.) Maria Carlson (Wisconsin): 2:08.89
5.) Emily Kopas (Michigan): 2:09.99
6.) Emma Sougstad (Iowa): 2:10.62
7.) Lindsey Horejsi (Minnesota): 2:10.75
8.) Laura Morely (Indiana): 2:11.50 
16th: Rachel Stoddard (Rutgers): 2:13.70 
24th: Jamie Zhen Yeung (Michigan): 2:15.02 

Minnesota's Kierra Smith is putting up a fight after a third place finish in last night's 100 breaststroke final. She finished prelims in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:06.81, almost a full second faster than Hoosier Lilly King's 2:07.67 finishing time. Smith has already earned herself an NCAA automatic qualifying time in this event and we will be looking to her for a further improvement tonight. But don't count out King... The Hoosier threw down the fastest 100 breaststroke in history last night with a 56.30, so you can expect her to be the favorite in the 200 as well. After all, she does hold the fastest time in history in this distance. Taking the third place position in tonight's final is Ohio State's Taylor Vargo with a 2:08.56.

200 BUTTERFLY

B1G Record: 1:53.95 (Gia D'alessandro -- Indiana, 2014)
B1G Meet: 1:53.95 (Gia D'alessandro -- Indiana, 2014)
Pool: 1:52.39 (Elaine Breeden -- Stanford, 2010)
NCAA 'A': 1:54.01

1.) Gia D'alessandro (Indiana): 1:56.26
2.)  Swensen (Michigan): 1:56.30 
3.) Danielle Nack (Minnesota): 1:56.46
4.) Vanessa Krause (Michigan): 1:56.68
5.) Katelyn Sowinski (Penn State): 1:56.78 
6.) Taite Kitchel (Purdue): 1:56.91 
7.) Bailey Pressey (Indiana): 1:56.93 
8.) Meg Bailey (OSU): 1:56.99
16th: Meagan Lim (Purdue): 1:59.10
24th: Federica Greco (Rutgers): 2:00.01

Defending champion Gia D'alessandro of Indiana barely out-touched Michigan's Astrid Swensen for the top position going into tonight's A-final of the 200 butterfly with a 1:56.26. D'alessandro has taken the championship title in this event the last three years in a row, so we will be watching tonight if she can win it for her fourth and final year at the Big Ten Championships. However, Swensen and third place finisher Danielle Nack won't be going down without a fight, as they both finished only a couple tenths behind D'alessandro. This A-final will be another tight race worth paying attention to.     

1650 FREESTYLE

B1G Record: 15:44.00 (Brooke Zeiger -- Minnesota, 2016)
B1G Meet: 15:49.98 (Lindsey Clary -- Ohio State, 2016)
Pool: 15:46.94 (Flavia Rigamonti -- Southern Methodist, 2005)
NCAA 'A': 15:53.50