The IU women’s swimming and diving team started the Big Ten Championships on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, by competing in the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay.
Freshmen Marie Chamberlain and Ali Rocket teamed up with sophomores Gia Dalesandro and Claudia Dicapua in the 200-yard medley relay to start the day. The Hoosiers finished in 1:39.23 to grab ninth place out of 13. It was a close race, as places six through 10 were separated by only 0.78 seconds. Wisconsin took first place with a time of 1:36.82.
IU bounced back in the 800 freestyle relay as freshmen Kennedy Goss and Grace Vertigans paired with juniors Haley Lips and Brooklyn Snodgrass to grab first place with a time of 6:59.10 seconds.
“We won a relay and set a new Big Ten record and a new school record as well,” IU Head Coach Ray Looze said. “So that was probably the highlight of the day.”
After two events, Michigan stands in first place out of 13 teams with 68 points. The Hoosiers are in fourth place with 58 points.
“That’s really irrelevant,” Looze said. “We have so much of the meet left. 98 percent of the meet remains. It was a good, solid first day. We had eight swimmers swim and we have 26 total, so 18 swimmers and divers still have to compete.”
Day two will kick off Thursday at 11 a.m. with the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley and the 50 freestyle. Diving will begin tomorrow as well with the 1-meter diving competition.
Goss currently holds the second-fastest time in the Big Ten in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:38.35, and Snodgrass has the fifth-fastest time in the 200 individual medley at 1:59.62.
