What to watch as Wisconsin heads to NCAA championships

Wednesday, March 14

Columbus, OH

5 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

NCAA Championships

Emmy Sehmann - Red-White Intrasquad 2017

Photo by: David Stluka

What to watch as Wisconsin heads to NCAA championships

March 14, 2018 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Seven things to know about the Badgers’ push for gold in Columbus

For months, Wisconsin coach Whitney Hite has been preparing his team for success during the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. "All year we've faced the best. I think we're prepared. It's been a year in the making.," he said. "The time is now, place is here."

Things get rolling in Columbus Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT) with the 800-yard freestyle relay, and every moment of the championships will be streamed or aired live. Check the schedule for links to each day's stream and live results feed.

Here are seven things to know as the Badgers — who have qualified all five relays and individuals in seven events — prepare to go for gold.

BEATA NELSON
Sophomore Beata Nelson will return to the pool where, one month ago, she was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships for winning the league's 100- and 200-yard backstroke titles, and is expected to have a similarly strong performance.

"We're really excited about what Beata will do these next couple of days," Hite said. "We're hoping what happened at conference was just a preview of things to come."

The sophomore will compete in three individual events (100 backstoke, 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley), as well as four of the five relay squads.

"She's in a great spot, and it will be a great time to sit back and watch her do her thing," Hite said.

She enters the national championships as the No. 1 seed in the 100 back, an event in which she recorded the second-fastest mark in history with her time of 49.78 seconds at the Big Ten meet. Nelson also is seeded third in the 200 back and seventh in the 200 IM.

JESS UNICOMB
Junior Jess Unicomb returns to the NCAA championships and will compete in the 100 and 200 backstroke events for the second consecutive season. Unicomb was an All-American last year as part of the Badgers' 200 free relay team and has earned All-America honorable mention four other times in her career.

"Jess has gotten better each year," Hite said. "She's been great on relays, and she will be a huge part of the success we have in the next couple days. We're hoping for some points in the individual events, but we're really excited for her in those relays."

KATIE COUGHLIN
Katie Coughlin will make it three Badgers in the 100 back, entering the championships with the nation's 25th-fastest time (52.23). The Baraboo, Wisconsin, native is in her first season at UW after transferring from Alabama.

"To make it on her own is an incredible honor," Hite said. "She is another example of someone who has gotten better each and every time out this year. This is her first year in the program, and she's done a terrific job."

MARISSA BERG
The senior captain saved her best for last, qualifying for her first individual NCAA championship event in the 50 freestyle. This isn't her first time at national meet, however. She represented the Badgers on two All-America relays last year, and also competed on two NCAA relay squads as a freshman.

"She's one of the best racers we've ever had," Hite said. "She has been really, really clutch on relays. She's going to have a huge effect on our team. She's our rock on relays.

"This is the fastest meet in the country every year. And Marissa — someone who came out of a small town in Wisconsin — made it on her own and worked very hard to get here. She deserves this, she earned it."

FIVE FORMIDABLE RELAYS
Wisconsin will be represented in all five relay events, headlined by its ninth-seeded entry in the 200 medley relay. Unicomb, Berg and Nelson were joined by Emmy Sehmann in recording the Badgers' season-best time of 1:36.23 en route to a third-place finish at the Big Ten championships.

"We've got a great shot to score in all five relays. How our relays go will define how our team does — and that's a good thing," Hite said. "The girls know that, and they always step up. They perform better in the relays than on their own, and I think that speaks to the character of this team."

The same quartet also finished third in the 200 free relay in 1:28.41, a time that has the Badgers seeded 12th for the NCAA championships in that event.

Wisconsin also is seeded 12th in the 400 free relay, in which Berg, Sehmann, Unicomb and Abby Jagdfeld scored a third-place Big Ten finish in 3:14.12.

The Badgers' team of Nelson, Berg, Sehmann and Ari Saghafi finished fifth in the 400 medley relay at the Big Ten meet in 3:31.22 and enters the NCAA meet as the No. 14 seed.

Jagdfeld, Unicomb, Sehmann and Nelson were fourth at the Big Ten championships in the 800 free relay and enter the NCAA meet as the No. 17 seed at 7:02.95.

"Relays are double points, so they're twice as important," Hite said. "Having Emmy, Ari and Abby jump in for those will be huge."

BACKSTROKE TRIO
If you were paying attention, you would have counted three Badgers competing in the 100 back event. Nelson (No. 1 seed), Coughlin (No. 25) and Unicomb (No. 36) will look to build on their dominant performance at the Big Ten championships, when the trio accounted for three of the top seven spots in the event.

"They are a great group. They work hard and have pushed each other all year," Hite said. "I think they've helped each other by trying to keep up with each other. They compete each practice, and lift each other up."

Nelson and Unicomb also give the Badgers multiple entries in the 200 backstroke, with Nelson seeded third and Unicomb seeded 24th.

INVALUABLE ALTERNATES
They may not see race action this week, but Maddie Martin and Megan Doty will be a big part of any success the Badgers have at the NCAA meet. The senior and the sophomore will serve as alternates for the Badgers, but will also be valuable resources for their teammates.

"They're with us for a reason. They embody the spirit of the team and are two very unselfish kids. Simply put, they make us better," Hite said. "There are a lot of ways you can help a team, and we're lucky that they're a part of the team."