MADISON, Wis. – The Badgers chosen to represent the Big Ten in the USA College Challenge showed why they are all-stars Saturday, with each recording season-best times that rank among the fastest in the country on Saturday.
 

The two-day event, a short-course yards dual meet pitting a group of the Big Ten Conference's best against members of the USA Swimming national team, is being held in Indianapolis.
 

Wisconsin senior Matt Hutchins had quite the showing in the star-studded event, securing the nation's top collegiate time this year in the 500-yard freestyle.
 

The senior led the Big Ten in the 500 free, placing runner-up in 4 minutes, 16.33 seconds, a half second behind Zane Grothe of the USA squad, who won in 4:15.87.

UW's Cannon Clifton also notched a national top-10 time with his performance in the 100 free. The senior climbed the rankings to grab the No. 9 mark in the country with his time of 43.62 to take third.
 

On the women's side, Badgers senior Chase Kinney attained the 12th-fastest time in the country in the 100 free, sprinting to a time of 49.27, good enough for eighth place.
 

Beata Nelson was able to crack the top-50 times list in the 100 butterfly, recording the No. 49 in the nation after touching the wall in 54.73 to place seventh.
 

Five of the six Wisconsin representatives also saw relay action during the first day of competition.
 

Cierra Runge was a part of the Big Ten 'A' relay team that took second in the women's 800 freestyle relay. Runge and relay mates Siobhan Haughley and Gabby DeLoof of Michigan and Indiana's Kennedy Goss notched a time of 7:00.40 to finish runner-up behind Team USA, which included 2016 Olympians Kelsi Worrell and Leah Smith.
 

Kinney also saw action in the women's 800 free relay, leading off the Big Ten 'B' team to a fourth-place showing in 7:14.07.
 

Brett Pinfold also led the Big Ten men to runner-up status in the men's 800 free relay, swimming the third leg to help the 'A' team attain a time of 6:19.80.
 

Pinfold and his teammates, Blake Pieroni and Anze Tovcar of Indiana and Josh Fleagle of Ohio State, finished a mere .18 seconds back of Team USA, which featured 2016 Olympian Jacob Pebley.
 

Clifton led off the Big Ten 'B' team in the men's 800 free relay, which clocked in at 6:31.82 to place third.
 

Nelson and Kinney were paired up in the women's 400 medley relay along with Clara Smiddy of Michigan and Minnesota's Lindsey Horejsi. The team finished fourth with a time of 3:35.82.
 

Team USA holds a 185-111 advantage over the Big Ten through the first day of competition, but the conference has a chance to close the gap as the event concludes Sunday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. (CT).
 

The action will be air live on BTN, including a stream via BTN2Go.com and the BTN2Go mobile app.