2024 Women’s Big Ten Champs: Wisconsin’s McConagha Chooses 200 BK Over 200 FL for Day 4

2024 WOMEN’S BIG TEN SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Feb. 21-24, 2024
• Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center
  • West Lafayette, Indiana
• Defending champions:
  • Women: Ohio State (4x)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Live stream (B1G+)
• Live results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap

Day 4 Prelims Heat Sheets

The third finals session of the 2024 Women’s Big Ten Championships came to a thrilling conclusion on Friday night, as Indiana and Michigan kept within striking distance of four-time defending champion Ohio State thanks to a stunning disqualification in the 200 freestyle relay.

Now that the Day 4 prelims heat sheets have dropped, let’s take a look which events are being contested by a handful of versatile swimmers with decisions to make.

There weren’t many surprises aside from Wisconsin junior Mackenzie McConagha, who chose the 200 backstroke over the 200 butterfly despite being ranked higher in the Big Ten this season in the latter event. She enters the 200 back as the No. 5 seed (1:53.88), but she would have been the No. 3 seed in the 200 fly with her season-best 1:55.60.

Indiana junior Anna Peplowski also had a difficult decision between the 200 back and 100 free. She owned the third-fastest times in the Big Ten across both events this season, but she ended up entering the 100 free. Peplowski won the 200 free on Friday and placed 2nd in the 500 free on Thursday.

Ohio State fifth-year Amy Fulmer also chose the 100 free over the 200 back, where she would have been seeded 8th. Instead, she’s the No. 2 seed in the 100 free at 47.68 behind only Michigan freshman Stephanie Balduccini (47.26).

The top 10 swimmers in the conference are all swimming in both the 100 free and 200 breast, so both events should be stacked tomorrow.