CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON BEGINS THIS WEEK AT BIG TENS 
Having ended its regular season on a high note, the No. 17-ranked Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team can finally turn its focus to championship season, which begins this week with the 2016 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The four-day meet is set to begin on Wednesday and will run through Saturday at Canham Natatorium.

2016 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
Date	Wednesday-Sunday  |  Prelims (10 a.m.) / Finals (5:30 p.m.)
Location	Ann Arbor, Mich.  |  Canham Natatorium
Watch	BTN2GO  |  Tape Delay: BTN, Feb. 22
Follow	Live Results  |  Twitter
More Info	Big Ten Championships Central Page
Notes	Wisconsin  |  Big Ten Conference

Seven Badgers are ranked among the top 10 of the conference individually in their respective events, plus three UW relay teams stand atop the Big Ten heading into the conference championship.

Junior sprinter Chase Kinney ranks No. 2 among Big Ten swimmers for both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Kinney's time of 22.22 seconds in the 50 is second to only Ohio State's Zhesi Li, who recorded a time of 21.83 earlier this season. Kinney is second in the 100 free (48.38) behind Michigan's Siobhan Haughey (48.07). 

Kinney looks to keep intact a streak that has seen a Badger win the women's 50 freestyle at the Big Ten meet in each of head coach Whitney Hite's seasons at Wisconsin. Beckie Thompson won the crown in 2012 and Ivy Martin won three straight titles from 2013-15.

At last year's Big Ten championships, Martin set the meet on fire by winning seven Big Ten titles -- every single event in which she raced. Martin was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships for the second-straight year.

The Wisconsin school record-holder in the 200 butterfly, Dana Grindall is ranked second in a pair of events, as well. Grindall holds times of 52.93 seconds in the 100 butterfly and 1 minute, 57.11 seconds in the 200-yard event. Grindall narrowly trails Indiana's Gia Dalesandro in both events, as the Hoosiers swimmer has recorded times of 52.58 and 1:56.85 in the 100 and 200, respectively. 

UW's Danielle Valley looks to make her mark in a trio of distance events in Ann Arbor. Valley holds the No. 2 rank in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:43.37. Michigan's Yirong Bi leads the pack by just over a second (9:42.32). 

Valley is fourth in the Big Ten in the 500 freestyle (4:41.25), an event in which Indiana's Haley Lips leads the conference with a time of 4:39.24. In the 1,650 freestyle, Valley ranks eighth with a time of 16:14.59. Her teammate and distance partner, Jenny Holtzen, stands ninth with her time of 16:16.26. 

Jess Unicomb has been one to watch this season, as the freshman has had a breakout collegiate debut. Unicomb is seeded fifth in both the 50 free (22.47) and 100 backstroke (53.31), while also ranking ninth in the 200 back (1:57.01). 

Wisconsin's Grace Wold holds a fourth-place ranking in the 200 butterfly. The junior recorded a time of 1:57.87 earlier this season.

Badgers senior Anna Meinholz clinched a pair of top-10 ranks in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, recording times of 1:01.02 and 2:10.97, respectively. 

Wisconsin can always be counted on to bring competitive relay teams to the conference championships each and every season. This year is no exception, as the Badgers have Big Ten-leading groups in the 200 freestyle (1:30.12), 200 medley (1:38.82) and 400 medley (3:35.85) relays. UW has a 400 freestyle relay team that ranks third (3:18.27) in the conference and another that is fourth in the 800 freestyle relay (7:13.85).

Swimming events begin Wednesday with the final heats of the 200 medley and 800 free relays at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Wisconsin divers begin their competition Thursday afternoon with the 1-meter diving preliminaries at 1 p.m.

Swimming finals begin 5:30 p.m. each night. Swimming preliminaries are held Thursday through Saturday at 10 a.m. each day. Fans can stream the meet live with BTN Plus via BTN2Go. The meet will also air on tape-delay on BTN at 6 p.m. on Feb. 22.