Abby Carlson crowned Big Ten champion in 500 free

Abby Carlson crowned Big Ten champion in 500 free

February 16, 2023 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Bacon earns silver medal in 200 IM

By: Olivia Bozich

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 24th-ranked Wisconsin women's swim and dive team ended the second day of the Big Ten Conference Championships in fourth place in the team standings after seven events. The Badgers have 347 points. No. 5 Ohio State leads with 441 points, followed by No. 8 Indiana with 429.5 points and No. 16 Michigan with 423.5 points.

Wisconsin crowned one champion as sophomore Abby Carlson claimed her first Big Ten title, winning the 500 free. Junior Phoebe Bacon finished as the runner-up in the 200 individual medley to lead the team.

Carlson wins title

Carlson entered the finals of the 500 freestyle with the day's top time and proved that in the final, hitting the wall in a personal best time of 4 minutes, 38.15 seconds for the win. The Waukesha native's time was nearly six seconds faster than her previous best and ranks fourth on the UW all-time performance lists. It was also an NCAA "B" cut and marked the second-straight Wisconsin winner in the event. Defending champion Paige McKenna finished fifth in 4:40.98 while freshman Blair Stoneburg took seventh in 4:42.54.Two Badgers also advanced to the C final of the 500 free as senior Alivia Lindorfer placed 18th a personal best time of 4:45.24 and Elle Braun took 20th in 4:47.42.

Bacon finishes second

Continuing the momentum for the Badgers was Bacon, who placed second in the 200 IM in 1:55.06. She finished just one-tenth of a second out of first, which was won by Josie Panitz of Ohio State in 1:54.96. Junior Callahan Dunn won the B final in 1:57.58, beating her previous best by over two seconds and swimming the seventh-fastest time in Wisconsin's history. Wisconsin had three other scorers in the B final as senior Mallory Jump took 10th in 1:57.83 and senior Elizabeth Moore placed 13th in 1:59.36. Freshman Hazal Ozkan finished 14th in a personal best time of 1:59.57. In the C final, sophomore Katie McClintock took 17th in 1;58.67.

The Badgers wrapped up the night with a fourth-place finish in the 400 medley relay. The team of Bacon, Moore, Jump and Andrea Wanezek earned an NCAA "B" cut with a time of 3:31.75. The time is the fifth fastest in program history.

UP NEXT

The third day of the Big Ten championships kicks off on Friday from Canham Natatorium on the University of Michigan campus. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. CT with finals starting at 4:30 p.m. CT. The championship is streamed live on B1G+.

Team Scores (After 7 events)
1. Ohio State 441
2. Indiana 429.5
3. Michigan 423.5
4. Wisconsin 347
5. Minnesota 297
6. Northwestern 244
7. Penn State 200
8. Rutgers 188
9. Nebraska 164
10. Purdue 151
11. Iowa 107
12. Illinois 106

500 free
1. Abby Carlson - 4:38.15 B
5. Paige McKenna - 4:40.98 B
7. Blair Stoneburg - 4:42.54 B
18. Alivia Lindorfer - 4:45.24 B
20. Elle Braun - 4:47.42

200 IM
2. Phoebe Bacon - 1:55.06 B
9. Callahan Dunn - 1:57.58 B
10. Mallory Jump - 1:57.83 B
13. Elizabeth Moore - 1:59.36 B
14. Hazal Ozkan - 1:59.57 B
17. Katie McClintock - 1:58.67

800 Free Relay
4. Wisconsin (Bacon, Moore, Jump, Wanezek) - 3:31.75 B