By Sam Kienzle
It has been a gorgeous setting in Iowa City the past three days at the immaculate University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The hometown Hawks are hosting the 2012 Big Ten women’s and men’s swimming and diving championships, the first time as acting hosts in quite a while. The sparklingly new and dynamic CRWC stands as an absolute contrast to the vacated UI Field House pool that looked like it belonged in The Great Gatsby. It even had black and white photographs of Iowa’s long gone Big Ten champions and record holders lining the walls of the catwalk entrance. It was time for a change of place and a striking change of scenery.
Despite Iowa’s new hut, the aqua Hawks have been an afterthought in Big Ten championship competition. Through days 2 and 3, Indiana, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have racked up much of the individual and team honors. A few Penn State fishes have slipped their way into the top three. Allysa Vavra of Indiana has been an all-star thus far, winning the 200 Yard Individual Medley on Thursday night with a time of 1:55:44. That stands as a Big Ten championship record and pool record. Friday night, she captured another championship with a victory in the 400 Yard IM (a hair over four minutes at 4:01:41), again a conference record and pool record.
In the deep end, diver Bianca Alvarez of Ohio State has phased out the competition with her decisive form and movement, winning the 1 Meter dive (score: 360.65) on Thursday night before taking the 3 Meter dive Friday night with a score of 410.65.
Officially, through day 3 (Friday) of competition, the team standings are as follows:
1. Minnesota
2. Indiana
3. Ohio State
4. Wisconsin
5. Penn State
6. Purdue
7. Michigan
8. IOWA
9. Northwestern
10. Illinois
11. Nebraska
12. Michigan State
Results of day’s 2 and 3:
Day 2 (Thursday), Event 3: Women 200 Yd Freestyle Relay
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio State
3. Minnesota
Day 2, Event 4: Women 500 Yd Freestyle
1. Ashley Steenvoorden, Minnesota (4:38:00)
2. Lindsay Vrooman, Indiana
3. Rebecca Stoughton, Iowa (4:40:82)
Day 2, Event 5: Women 200 Yd Individual Medley
1. Allysa Vavra, Indiana (1:55:44)
2. Merritt Krawczyk (1:57:77)
3. Tori Simence (1:58:43)
Day 2, Event 6: Women 50 Yd Freestyle
1. Rebecca Thompson, Wisconsin (22:04) *Big Ten record *Fourth Big Ten championship in a row for Thompson *New pool record
2. Sam Palser, Penn State (22:41)
3. Ivy Martin, Wisconsin (22:60)
Day 2, Event 7: Women 1 Meter diving
1. Bianca Alvarez (360.65)
2. Margaret Keefer (334.40)
3. Cheyenne Cousineau (332.55)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Day 3 (Friday), Event 8: Women 400 Yd Medley Relay
1. Penn State (3:33:50)
2. Wisconsin (3:33:94)
3. Minnesota (3:34:09)
Day 3, Event 9: Women 400 Yd IM
1. Allysa Vavra, Indiana (4:01:41) *Big Ten record and pool record
2. Monika Stitski, Wisconsin (4:11:63)
3. Hannah Points, Northwestern (4:12:30)
Day 3, Event 10: Women 100 Yd Butterfly
1. Mackenzie Powers, Penn State (52:25)
2. Caitlin Dauw, Michigan (52:66)
3. Rebecka Palm, Wisconsin (53:15)
Day 3, Event 11: Women 200 Yd Freestyle
1. Hannah Whitehead, Minnesota (1:45:77)
2. Brittany Strumbel, Indiana (1:45:96)
3. Jessica Plant, Minnesota (1:46:07)
Day 3, Event 12: Women 100 Yd Breaststroke
1. Ashley Wanland, Wisconsin (59:17)
2. Haley Spencer, Minnesota (59:52)
3. Emily Fogle, Purdue (59:53)
Day 3, Event 13: Women 100 Yd Backstroke
1. Tess Behrens, Minnesota (52:35)
2. Justine Ress, Indiana (53:02)
3. Kelsey Moran, Ohio State (53:14)
Day 3, Event 14: Women 3 Meter diving
1. Bianca Alvarez, Ohio State (410.65)
2. Margaret Keefer, Minnesota (370.25)
3. Gabriella Agostino, Indiana
