Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Michigan Opens Big Tens with 800-Yard Freestyle Relay Win
2/14/2018 8:17:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» The Wolverines won the 800-yard freestyle relay for the third consecutive year (6:56.28) behind the foursome of Yirong Bi, Gabby DeLoof, Catie DeLoof and G Ryan.
Site: Columbus, Ohio (McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion)
Event: Big Ten Championships (Day 1 of 4)
U-M Team Standing: T-10th of 13 Teams (64 points)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Feb. 15 -- at Big Ten Championships, Day Two (Columbus, Ohio), 11 a.m./6:30 p.m.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team won the 800-yard freestyle relay for the third consecutive season to open the Big Ten Championships on Wednesday (Feb. 14) at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Wolverines sit in a tie for 10th place after the first night of competition (64 points).
The Wolverines hit a bump in the very first event of the meet, getting disqualified in the 200-yard medley relay. Despite the setback, the foursome of junior Yirong Bi, senior Gabby DeLoof, junior Catie DeLoof and senior G Ryan issued a strong response in the 800-yard freestyle relay, touching about a second-and-a-half off the Big Ten Championships record.
The eight teams in the water were close after Bi's first leg, but it was Gabby DeLoof who gave Michigan some separation, splitting 1:42.30 on the second leg. Catie DeLoof followed with a 1:44.24 split and Ryan held off a late Minnesota push to secure the win (6:56.28).
"That last relay showed a lot of heart," said head coach Mike Bottom. "We got hit early on, but those swimmers looked over to the team before the race started and swam a heck of a race. They battled for Michigan and that's what we're going to need to do these next three days."
The Wolverines return to action tomorrow for the second day of the Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Preliminaries begin at 11 a.m., with finals following at 6:30 p.m. Both sessions will be streamed live via BTN2Go.
TEAM STANDINGS (After Day 1)
1. Indiana 118
2. Minnesota 112
3. Ohio State 104
Wisconsin 104
5. Purdue 96
6. Penn State 94
7. Northwestern 88
Iowa 88
9. Nebraska 74
10. MICHIGAN 64
Michigan State 64
Rutgers 64
13. Illinois 58
200-yard Medley Relay
1. Indiana 1:34.16*^B! (Ali Rockett, Lilly King, Christine Jensen, Grace Haskett) -- Michigan DQ (Taylor Garcia, Miranda Tucker Vanessa Krause, Daria Pyshnenko)
800-yard Freestyle Relay
1. Michigan 6:56.28* (Yirong Bi, Gabby DeLoof, Catie DeLoof, G Ryan)
* NCAA A
# NCAA B
& NCAA Zone Diving cut
^ Pool Record
M School Record
B Big Ten Record
! Big Ten Championships Record
Players Mentioned
