Northwestern
Big Ten Championships
DAY FOUR: #B1GCats Finish Seventh at B1G Championships
2/18/2017 1:20:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Four Wildcats broke school records and the Northwestern women's swimming and diving team finished seventh in the team standings with 534 points to wrap up the 2017 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships Saturday night.
The Wildcats have made strides in the first two years under head coach Abby Steketee, moving up from their eighth-place finish a year ago and 10th-place finish in the season before her arrival.
Sophomore Olivia Rosendahl picked up her second silver medal of the Big Ten Championships with a school record 368.05 in the platform, missing the gold by just nine points. Rosendahl claimed a silver medal in the 1-meter competition on Thursday, earning her Second-Team All-Big Ten Honors.
Freshman Valerie Gruest Slowing got things going for the Wildcats in the final session, finishing fifth in the 1,650 free. Slowing came in seeded seventh, but moved up two spots to score 25 key points. The first-year Wildcats' 1,000 free split during the race broke her own school record set earlier this season.Silver Medal x2! Sophomore Olivia Rosendahl sets a SCHOOL RECORD in the platform to finish second at #B1GSD Championships! #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/kSwtaH17Qz
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 19, 2017
Freshman Valerie Gruest Slowing finishes fifth in the 1,650 free at the #B1GSD championships! #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/ukS7d4SURi
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 19, 2017
Freshman Valerie Gruest Slowing's 1,000 free split in the 1,650 final broke her own #B1GCats school record. pic.twitter.com/zv3aAUfBRD
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 19, 2017
Senior Annika Winsnes picked up the Wildcats' another top-five finish with when she finished fifth in the 100 free final in 48.82. Winsnes also led off the 400 free relay team featuring junior Mary Warren, freshman Malorie Han and senior Melissa Postoll that finished seventh to earn the 'Cats 46 team points.
Junior Mary Warren finished second in her bonus final to finish 18th in the 100 free, touching the wall with a NCAA 'B' cut time of 49.72.Senior Annika Winsnes picks up a fifth-place finish in the 100 free final at the #B1GSD championships. #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/t61x9gGvtE
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 19, 2017
Senior Melissa Postoll capped her impressive showing at the Big Ten Championships with a school record in the 200 back. Postoll broke her record in the prelims earlier in the day, but once again set a new standard in the consolation final with a 1:55.09 to finish 10th in the event. Senior Lacey Locke finished 22nd in the event in a NCAA 'B' cut time of 1:57.83.
For the second time today, senior Melissa Postoll has broke the #B1GCats school record in the 200 backstroke! #B1GSD pic.twitter.com/vrY9SvYcIz
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 19, 2017
After a 16th-place finish in the 200 breaststroke by Peyton Greenberg earned the Wildcats 11 team points, senior Ellen Stello capped the night with another school-record breaking performance.
Stello finished 11th in the 200 fly, setting a new school record and marking a NCAA 'B' cut with a 1:57.82. Gruest Slowing also picked up points in the 200 fly with a time of 2:01.91 to finish 23rd.
School records keep falling at the #B1GSD Championships. Senior Ellen Stello sets a new standard in the 200 fly! pic.twitter.com/oY6hUuPHsA
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 19, 2017
Preliminary Session
Prelim Results
Senior Melissa Postoll broke her third school record of the championships with a 1:55.52 in the prelims of the 200 backstroke. Postoll qualified 11th for to earn a spot in the consolation final, while classmate Lacey Locke will compete in the bonus final after qualifying 21st with a time of 1:57.46.
This isn't the same graphic. Melissa Postoll just keeps breaking school records at the #B1GSD Championships! #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/FblkFQ3Q6h
— NorthwesternSwimDive (@NUSwimDive) February 18, 2017
Freshman Nicole Aarts notched a NCAA 'B' cut standard in the 200 back prelims, just missing out on the top 24. She will be the first alternate in tonight's final session as she qualified 25th with a season-best time of 1:58.32.
200 Back
11th: Melissa Postoll, 1:55.52 (NCAA 'B' Cut; personal best; school record)
21st: Lacey Locke, 1:57.46 (NCAA 'B' cut; season best)
25th: Nicole Aarts, 1:58.32 (NCAA 'B' cut; season best)
T-52nd: Sandra Freeman, 2:02.90 (season best)
Platform Dive
5th: Olivia Rosendahl, 300.95
25th: Eryn Scannell, 199.40
26th: Monique Demaisip, 194.40
28th: Janicia Ng, 170.90
A pair of Wildcats advanced to the finals of the 100 free, led by senior Annika Winsnes who will compete in the championship final after qualifying eighth with a season-best and NCAA 'B' cut time of 49.33. She will be joined by junior Mary Warren, who also hit a NCAA 'B' cut standard with a 49.78 to qualify 17th and earn a spot in the bonus final. Juniors Anna Keane and Katherine Senseman also swam personal best times in the prelims.
100 Free
8th: Annika Winsnes, 49.33 (NCAA 'B' Cut; season best)
T-17th: Mary Warren, 49.78 (NCAA 'B' Cut; personal best; 6th on NU Top 10 Performers List)
39th: Malorie Han, 50.73 (season best)
43rd: Anna Keane, 50.94 (personal best)
54th: Lacey Smith, 51.45
59th: Katherine Senseman, 51.73 (personal best)
200 Breast
15th: Peyton Greenberg, 2:13.51 (NCAA 'B' Cut)
25th: Georgie Pettibone, 2:15.45 (NCAA 'B' Cut; personal best; 7th on NU Top 10 Performers List)
40th: Emma Hruby, 2:18.95
46th: Irune Andres, 2:20.73
47th: Katie Branch, 2:21.56
Saturday's preliminary session concluded with a pair of Wildcats earning spots in the evening session in the 200 fly as senior Ellen Stello swam a season-best 1:58.86 to qualify 14th and freshman Valerie Gruest Slowing qualified 20th with a 1:59.36. Slowing will also compete for a Big Ten Championship in the 1,650 free Saturday night as she is seeded seventh in the event.
200 Fly
14th: Ellen Stello, 1:58.86 (NCAA 'B' Cut; season best)
20th: Valerie Gruest Slowing, 1:59.36 (NCAA 'B' Cut)
37th: Megan Purdy, 2:03.05 (personal best)
45th: Georgie Pettibone, 2:06.67 (season best)
The final session of the 2017 Big Ten Championships will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT and can be watched live on BTN Plus on BTN2Go.
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Players Mentioned
