Top-seeded Runge leads Badgers into loaded Santa Clara showcase
May 31, 2017 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
Ten current, former Wisconsin athletes set for Arena Pro Swim Series event
MADISON, Wis. — The top seed in two separate events, Cierra Runge leads a group of 10 current and former Wisconsin swimmers into the final stop on the Arena Pro Swim Series calendar this week in Santa Clara, California.
Runge, who earned All-America honors and set six school records in her first season at Wisconsin after competing in last summer's Olympic Games, is among the headliners for an event featuring many of the United States' top swimmers. She enters the competition with the top seed marks in both the 400-meter freestyle (4:07.04) and 800-meter freestyle (8:28.64), and also is seeded third in the 200 free (1:57.16).
The fifth and final Arena Pro Swim Series event of the season includes four days of competition Thursday through Sunday. The Badgers will be represented over each of the final three days, which will feature preliminary rounds at 11 a.m. (CT) and finals sessions beginning at 7 p.m.
Runge is one of five UW women set to compete. She joins fellow returning Badgers Marissa Berg, Emmy Sehmann and Jess Unicomb, as well as Maria Carlson, who concluded her collegiate eligibility at the NCAA championships in March.
Carlson enters the meet seeded 10th in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:09.70).
Five Wisconsin men also are slated to compete, including three All-Americans who exhausted their eligibility this season: Cannon Clifton, Matt Hutchins and Brett Pinfold. They join teammate Victor Goicoechea and former UW All-American Michael Weiss.
Hutchins, a 2016 Olympian for New Zealand, holds the No. 4 seed in the 400 freestyle (3:48.25). Weiss is seeded fourth in the 400 individual medley (4:15.21) and fifth in the 200 IM (1:58.97).
NBC Sports Network will have live coverage of the finals sessions on Friday and Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m. All three finals sessions will be streamed at NBCSports.com and via the NBC Sports app. A live webcast also will be available at usaswimming.org.
The Santa Clara event is the last major national meet before next month's USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, which will set the Team USA roster for the FINA World Championships in July. The national meet also will serve to fill out the roster UW coach Whitney Hite will lead as head coach of the U.S. men's team at the World University Games in August.
Players Mentioned
