Saturday, February 22
Columbus, Ohio
Prelims: 10 AM | 1650 Final: 3:15 pm | Finals: 5 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Big Ten Championships
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Bailee Sturgill Returns To The Podium On Platform
Feb 22 | Women's Swimming & Diving
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rutgers women's swimming and diving saw six Scarlet Knights reach the finals on the final day of Big Ten Women's Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday with freshman Bailee Sturgill returning to the podium.
Sturgill, who placed seventh on 1M on Thursday, made another trip to the podium on Saturday night. The freshman Scarlet Knight took eighth on platform with a score of 251.25. She advanced after finishing eighth in prelims with a score of 265.30.
Junior Sephora Ford was also in the evening session, reaching the platform consolation finals, where she took third after totaling 244.70. In prelims, Ford scored 222.20, coming in 14th after five dives for her first Big Ten finals appearance.
Graduate Student Molly Urkiel appeared in her third final of the championship, winning the C final of the 200 breast. Urkiel, who also raced in the 100 breast and 400 IM finals, posted a time of 2:11.40.
Graduate Student Shannon Meadway returned to the finals for the second year in a row in the 200 back. Racing in the C final, Meadway finished sixth with a time of 1:56.02, capturing an NCAA B cut and collecting the sixth-fastest time in school history. She took .43 seconds off her previous best set during last year's Big Ten Championships final.
Two Scarlet Knights competed in the C final of the 200 fly. Sophomore Blanka Berecz made her second Big Ten final appearance in the event, joined by junior Ellie Schinsky. Berecz claimed third in the heat in a time of 1:58.92, while Schinsky was fifth in 1:59.73. In prelims, Schinsky posted the sixth fastest time in the Rutgers record books, logging a time of 1:59.09.
Rutgers finished 11th at the expanded championships ahead of Penn State, Illinois and Iowa.
The Rutgers women's swimming and diving team will return to action at the ECAC Last Chance Meet at Navy on Feb. 28 – Mar. 2 and the NCAA Zone A Championships at the Rutgers Aquatics Center on Mar. 10-12.
Follow Rutgers women's swimming & diving on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Sturgill, who placed seventh on 1M on Thursday, made another trip to the podium on Saturday night. The freshman Scarlet Knight took eighth on platform with a score of 251.25. She advanced after finishing eighth in prelims with a score of 265.30.
Junior Sephora Ford was also in the evening session, reaching the platform consolation finals, where she took third after totaling 244.70. In prelims, Ford scored 222.20, coming in 14th after five dives for her first Big Ten finals appearance.
Graduate Student Molly Urkiel appeared in her third final of the championship, winning the C final of the 200 breast. Urkiel, who also raced in the 100 breast and 400 IM finals, posted a time of 2:11.40.
Graduate Student Shannon Meadway returned to the finals for the second year in a row in the 200 back. Racing in the C final, Meadway finished sixth with a time of 1:56.02, capturing an NCAA B cut and collecting the sixth-fastest time in school history. She took .43 seconds off her previous best set during last year's Big Ten Championships final.
Two Scarlet Knights competed in the C final of the 200 fly. Sophomore Blanka Berecz made her second Big Ten final appearance in the event, joined by junior Ellie Schinsky. Berecz claimed third in the heat in a time of 1:58.92, while Schinsky was fifth in 1:59.73. In prelims, Schinsky posted the sixth fastest time in the Rutgers record books, logging a time of 1:59.09.
Rutgers finished 11th at the expanded championships ahead of Penn State, Illinois and Iowa.
The Rutgers women's swimming and diving team will return to action at the ECAC Last Chance Meet at Navy on Feb. 28 – Mar. 2 and the NCAA Zone A Championships at the Rutgers Aquatics Center on Mar. 10-12.
Follow Rutgers women's swimming & diving on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
Fly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Back/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Back/Fly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Breast
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