Runge racks up another record to close out time in Texas

Saturday, December 3

Austin, TX

10 AM / 6 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Texas Invitational

Runge racks up another record to close out time in Texas

December 03, 2016 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Full Results

Sophomore sets fourth school record of weekend to lead Badgers

AUSTIN, Texas – After four days of intense competition at the Texas Invitational, Cierra Runge closed out her stay in Austin with a bang Saturday, notching her fourth school record of the weekend.

This time, the sophomore toppled the 1650-yard freestyle record, posting an automatic NCAA qualifying cut of 15 minutes, 52.22 seconds to take the win. Runge's time ranks No. 2 nationally, trailing only Katie Ledecky of Stanford.

The previous UW record (16:00.43) was set by teammate Danielle Valley at last year's NCAA Championships.

Runge now holds school records in the 800 freestyle relay, 200 free, 500 free and 1650 free, all of which were set during the four-day Texas Invitational.

Valley also notched an impressive NCAA provisional cut of 16:00.89 Saturday in the 1650 free to earn runner-up honors.

The Badgers men also saw success in the event, placing two swimmers in the top 10.

Matt Hutchins led UW with a third-place finish in a "B" cut time of 14:47.62, followed by Victor Goicoechea, who came in seventh with a "B" cut of 14:59.27.

Beata Nelson led the Wisconsin women in the 200 backstroke, placing fifth with a "B" cut time of 1:54.86. Jess Unicomb also came away with a provisional cut in the event, finishing 12th in 1:56.23.

Todd McCarthy garnered a 15th-place finish in the men's 200 backstroke, touching the wall with a "B" cut of 1:46.36.

The Wisconsin women came out firing in the 100 free, packing four Badgers into the top 15 -- with all coming away with "B" cut times.

Chase Kinney led the Badgers' charge, coming away with a seventh-place finish in 49.16. Not far behind her was Runge, who was eighth in 49.64. Marissa Berg finished 11th (49.67) and Abby Jagdfeld placed 12th (49.98).

On the men's side, Cannon Clifton came away with a fifth-place finish in the 100 free with a provisional cut of 43.26 while Brett Pinfold also recorded a provisional cut in 43.86 to take 13th.

The women also saw success in the 200 butterfly as three Badgers placed within the top-15.

Both Grace Wold and Dana Grindall earned provisional cuts in the event after Wold finished sixth (1:57.52) and Grindall placed seventh (1:58.32).

Megan Doty notched a 13th-place finish after recording a time of 2:00.34.

Both the men and women closed out the meet strong in the 400 freestyle relay.

The relay team of Kinney, Runge, Jagdfeld and Berg took fourth in the women's race in 3:17.94 while the men's team of Clifton, Ryan Stack, Ryan Barsanti and Pinfold finished fifth in 2:55.29.

The team will next see action in the New Year as they take on USC in dual-meet action on Jan. 13.