Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Swimmers Third After First Day at Big Tens
2/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 17, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - Bolstered by Courtney Allen's win in the 50-yard freestyle, the Northwestern women's swimming and diving team is in third place after one day of competition at the Big Ten Championships in Indianapolis.
The Wildcats scored 156 points on the first day. Defending champion Minnesota is at the top of the table with 174 points, while Michigan -- winner of the 12 previous Big Ten titles before last year -- is second with 166. The other teams with more than 100 points are Wisconsin (135), Indiana (117) and Penn State (114).
Allen, a senior, captured her first individual Big Ten title by dethroning Indiana's Jennifer Christy. Allen's time of 22.58 was a Big Ten record and an NCAA Championship `A' standard, automatically qualifying her for next month's national championships. Christy finished second in 22.65, while Jennifer Crisman of Michigan also broke the 23-second barrier with a 22.79 clocking. Two other NU athletes swam in the championship final, as Lauren Moore finished fifth overall in 23.37 and Dominique Diezi was sixth overall in 23.39. Both times set an NCAA `B' standard.
Senior Amy Balcerzak finished second in the 200 IM, losing to Michigan's Shannon Shakespeare who won the event for the fourth year in a row. Balcerzak's time of 2:00.56 set an NCAA `B' standard but was well behind Shakespeare's Big Ten-record 1:57.66. Rachel Johnson won the consolation final with a time of 2:02.85, also an NCAA `B' standard.
Northwestern finished second to Michigan in both of Thursdays' relay events, the 200 free relay and the 400 medley relay. The Wolverines (1:31.04) barely nipped the Wildcats (1:31.09) in the free relay, then beat NU by .72 seconds in the medley relay with a Big Ten-record time of 3:39.80.
NU also scored points in the 500 freestyle, as Brianne Fowles was 10th overall in an NCAA `B' standard time of 4:54.80 and Hyun Soo Suh was 14th in 4:56.88.
The Big Ten championships will continue tomorrow and Saturday in Indianapolis.
*MEET RESULTS*
Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
Day One (February 17, 2000)
COURSE: short-course yards
** = NCAA 'A' standard, * = NCAA 'B' standard
TEAM SCORES
1. Minnesota 174, 2. Michigan 166, 3. NORTHWESTERN 156, 4. Wisconsin 135, 5. Indiana 117, 6. Penn State 114, 7. Ohio State 66, 8. Iowa 62, 9. Illinois 60, 10. Purdue 57, 11. Michigan State 47.
EVENT 1 - 200 FREE RELAY
1. Michigan 1:31.04, 2. NORTHWESTERN 1:31.09*, 3. Indiana 1:32.52, 4. Penn State 1:32.55, 5. Minnesota 1:32.59, 6. Wisconsin 1:33.06, 7. Iowa 1:34.12, 8. Purdue 1:34.15, 9. Illinois 1:34.58. Michigan State and Ohio State disqualified.
EVENT 2 - 500 FREESTYLE
1. Stonebraker (Wis.), 4:46.69, 2. Loehandorf (Iowa), 4:47.21, 3. Smedstad (Minn.), 4:48.84, 4. Anderson (PSU), 4:49.62, 5. Baum (Minn.), 4:50.60, 6. Karlson (Mich.), 4:50.80, 7. Belfor (Wis.), 4:51.51, 8. Sveum (Mich.), 4:53.37.
10. Brianne Fowles (NU), 4:54.80*, 14. Hyun Soo Suh (NU), 4:56.88.
EVENT 3 - 200 IM
1. Shakespeare (Mich.), 1:57.66 (Big Ten Record), 2. Amy Balcerzak (NU), 2:00.56*, 3. Christoferson (Minn.), 2:02.03, 4. Deppe (Minn.), 2:03.23, 5. Munz (Wis.), 2:03.33, 6. Kulka (PSU), 2:03.62, 7. Jashinsky (Minn.), 2:03.87, 8. Panighetti (Wis.), 2:03.90.
9. Rachel Johnson (NU), 2:02.85*.
EVENT 4 - 50 FREESTYLE
1. Courtney Allen (NU), 22.58** (Big Ten Record), 2. Cristy (IU), 22.65, 3. Crisman (Mich.), 22.79, 4. Chamberlain (PSU), 23.24, 5. Lauren Moore (NU), 23.37*, 6. Dominique Diezi (NU), 23.39*, 7. Oliver (MSU), 23.40, 8. Sugar (Mich.), 23.74.
EVENT 5 - 1-METER DIVING
No Northwestern athletes scored in this event.
EVENT 6 - 400 MEDLEY RELAY
1. Michigan 3:39.80 (Big Ten Record), 2. NORTHWESTERN 3:40.52*, 3. Minnesota 3:43.13, 4. Wisconsin 3:44.58, 5. Indiana 3:45.71, 6. Purdue 3:46.51, 7. Illinois 3:47.33, 8. Penn State 3:47.42, 9. Ohio State 3:48.40, 10. Iowa 3:49.76, 11. Michigan State 3:52.30.
