Day 3 Results
Feb. 16, 2018
COLUMBUS, Ohio — At a highly competitive meet, it's not usual for a team to dominate a single event the way the Badgers handled the 100-yard backstroke at the Big Ten Championships.
The fifth event of Friday's finals saw Wisconsin claim three of the top seven spots.
Madison native Beata Nelson emerged victorious, becoming the second UW swimmer to win a Big Ten title in the 100 back, just a day after she recorded the Big Ten's fastest-ever time in the event with her relay split of 49.78 seconds.
Nelson came through Friday morning's prelims as the top seed with her mark of 50.57 and clocked in at 51.05 in the final to take her first Big Ten title.
"That was amazing," Nelson said. "I've been waiting to stand up there with a medal around my neck my whole life. And to do it representing Wisconsin was truly awesome."
Katie Coughlin finished sixth (52.69) and Jess Unicomb finished seventh (52.77) for the Badgers. Coughlin's preliminary time of 52.51 stands as the third-fastest time in school history.
"We did a great job in that race tonight," said Wisconsin head coach Whitney Hite. "Any time you can get an individual Big Ten champion it's something special. This is one of the best conferences, regardless of the sport."
The No. 1 recruit in the country as a high school senior, Nelson made the decision to stay at home for her collegiate career.
"I looked at a lot of different schools, but when you know, you know. I've always dreamed of wearing that 'W,'" she said. "And to be able to say that I'm from Wisconsin, I represent Wisconsin and that I was able to win a Big Ten title for them — it's truly a dream come true."
Hite shared his pride for Nelson's maturity during the Big Ten championships.
"Last night, she went out and swam the second-fastest 100 back in the history of our sport," he said. "Today, she came out and performed well again. It wasn't her best time ever, but at the end of the day she found a way to win. That's what it's all about."
"Honestly, that race was crazy. I was on an adrenaline high for a lot of last night, I had a lot of trouble sleeping, my heart rate was really high," said Nelson. "I'm not totally rested, so I was surprised to have a best time by that much, let alone a 49. It was just as unbelievable for me as it was for everyone else.
Wisconsin saw success beyond Nelson and her teammates in the 100 back, however.
Megan Doty continued her impressive run at the Big Ten championships, opening up the finals with a personal best in the 100 butterfly, at 53.11. She finished 11th in the event, and now owns the seventh-fastest time in school history.
"Megan Doty has been absolutely fantastic," said Hite. "I couldn't be more proud of her. Her progression as an athlete has been awesome. She really is the quintessential Wisconsin athlete."
Marissa Berg added another personal-best time to her resume, finishing the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.99, the fourth-fastest time in school history.
That same event saw Ari Saghafi finish 18th with a time of 53.49 and Katie Coughlin (53.60) also logged a PR in the same event. Coughlin now owns the 10th-fastest 100 fly in Wisconsin history.
"Katie Coughlin and Marissa Berg are some more in-state kids who have done a great job," Hite said. "These really are great kids. The kids from Wisconsin understand and value hard work. And you are can see where it's getting them on nights like tonight."
Notable
• Sydney Lofquist stood out in the 400 individual medley, finishing in 4:13.77, the sixth-fastest time in school history.
• Abby Jagdfeld impressed in the 200 freestyle. She finished fifth (1:45.07), missing her own personal best by just 0.16 seconds. Maddi Tew set a personal best during prelims earlier in the day, finishing in 1:47.73.
• The Badgers wrapped Day 3 of the meet with a third-place finish in the 200 free relay. Berg, Sehmann, Unicomb and Nelson finish in 1:28.41, good for the eighth-fastest time in school history.
Up Next
The Big Ten Championships conclude Saturday, with prelims beginning at 10 a.m. (CT) and finals at 5:30 p.m.
