Swimming & Diving Wraps Up B1G Championships With Three More Podium Finishes

Saturday, February 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Prelims: 10 AM | Finals: 5 PM

Rutgers University

Big Ten Championships

Swimming & Diving Wraps Up B1G Championships With Three More Podium Finishes

Feb 18 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Complete Results

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Rutgers women's swimming and diving added another three podium finishes on the final day of the Big Ten Championships at Canham Natatorium on the campus of the University of Michigan.

Madison Murtagh in the 1650 free, Sofia Chichaikina in the 200 fly and the 400 free relay team each took eighth.

Also in finals action on day four was Valeria Egorova, who won the B final in the 200 back, Rachel Kimmel in the C final as well as Savana Trueb and Sephora Ford reaching the consolation finals on platform.

Chichaikina went to the podium twice on Saturday having made 10 career trips to the top eight during her career and her fourth trip of 2023 having also gone with the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay earlier in the championships.

The Scarlet Knights finished in ninth place ahead of Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

SPRINTS

Sofia Chichaikina landed in eighth in the 200 fly clocking in at 1:57.75 marking a Scarlet Knight appearance in the A final for the first time since 2018.
Valeria Egorova won the B final of the 200 back with the third-fastest time in the Rutgers record book in 1:54.14.
Rachel Kimmel was also in action during the evening session competing in the C final of the 200 breast. She finished third in the heat and 19^th overall with a time of 2:15.08.
Rutgers placed two divers in the consolation finals on platform. Savana Trueb came in fourth with a score of 258.85. Sephora Ford notched a PR of 254.70 in prelims and finished fifth in consolation round scoring a 254.60.
Sofia Chichaikina joined Alice Scarabelli, Martyna Piesko, and Sofia (Lobova) Maksimova on the 400 free squad that placed eighth in a season-best time of 3:18.96. The team reached the podium for the second consecutive year.

DISTANCE

It was the second time a Rutgers distance swimmer landed on the podium of the 1650 free. Madison Murtagh captured the second fastest time in Rutgers history going 16:15.36 besting her previous PR by 5.54 seconds.

RELAYS

Sofia Chichaikina joined Alice Scarabelli, Martyna Piesko, and Sofia Maksimova on the 400 free squad that placed eighth in a season-best time of 3:18.96. The team reached the podium for the second consecutive year.

DIVING

Rutgers placed two divers in the consolation finals on platform. Savana Trueb came in fourth with a score of 258.85. Sephora Ford notched a PR of 254.70 in prelims and finished fifth in consolation round scoring a 254.60.

B1G CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS - DAY FOUR

1650 Free
8. Madison Murtagh - 16:15.36

200 Fly - A Final
8. Sofia Chichaikina - 1:57.75

200 Back - B Final
9. Valeria Egorova - 1:54.14

200 Breast - C Final
19. Rachel Kimmel - 2:15:08

400 Free Relay
8. Sofia Chichaikina, Alice Scarabelli, Martyna Piesko, Sofia (Lobova) Maksimova - 3:18.96

Platform– Consolation Final
12. Savana Trueb - 258.85
13. Sephora Ford - 254.70

UP NEXT

Rutgers women's swimming & diving has one final opportunity to collect times to send Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Championships at the ECAC Last Chance Meet o Feb. 24-16 in East Meadow, N.Y.
NCAA Zone A competition takes place Mar. 6-8 in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The 2023 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships will be held March 15-18 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Follow Rutgers women's swimming & diving on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

- RU -