Michigan
Big Ten Championships - Day 1
U-M Wins 800 Freestyle Relay, Tied For First After One Session at Big Tens
2/23/2021 10:07:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» After one day at the Big Ten Championships, Michigan is tied for first place (118 points).
» The 800-yard freestyle relay of Sophie Housey, Kathryn Ackerman, Megan Glass and Sierra Schmidt won gold for the fifth time in six years (7:02.22).
» That victory came on the heels of a bronze medal-winning performance in the 200-yard medley relay (1:36.34). Per SwimSwam, Maggie MacNeil put up the fastest 50-yard backstroke split in history (23.02).
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center)
Event: Big Ten Championships (Day 1 of 5)
U-M Team Standing: T-1st place of 13 Teams (118 points)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Feb. 24 -- at Big Ten Championships - Day Two (Minneapolis, Minn.), 11 a.m./6:30 p.m. CST
• Complete Results (PDF)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team won two medals -- including a gold in the 800-yard freestyle relay -- to open the Big Ten Championships on Tuesday (Feb. 23) at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. After the first day, the Wolverines sit in a tie for first place (118 points) with Ohio State.
"We're here. That's what I kept saying to the team. We're here, so let's see what we can do," said head coach Mike Bottom. "I told the 800-yard freestyle relay before they swam that they were the toughest people in the pool and they showed it tonight. We have a team of fighters."
The 800-yard freestyle relay featured two freshmen (Sophie Housey, Kathryn Ackerman) and one sophomore (Megan Glass) in front of senior Sierra Schmidt, who swam the anchor leg. Housey led off in 1:45.46, becoming the 10th-fastest performer for a 200-yard freestyle in school history. Ackerman followed (1:46.51), but it was the third leg from Glass (1:44.24) that vaulted Michigan into contention. Schmidt anchored in 1:46.01, getting to the wall at 7:02.22 -- an NCAA 'B' cut and .40 seconds faster than second-place Indiana.
The Wolverines kicked off the meet with a bronze medal in the 200-yard medley, sneaking inside the NCAA 'A' cut (1:36.34). Junior Maggie MacNeil led off with a 23.02 backstroke split, followed by freshman Claire Tuttle on breaststroke (28.33), junior Olivia Carter on butterfly (23.26) and senior Daria Pyshnenko on freestyle (21.73).
According to SwimSwam, MacNeil's split is the fastest in history. She previously held that record, a 23.05 from last year's Big Ten Championships.
The Big Ten Championships continue Wednesday (Feb. 24) in Minneapolis. Preliminaries begin at 11 a.m. (CST) with finals following at 6:30 p.m.
Career Bests
200-yard Freestyle -- Sophie Housey (1:45.46)
Players Mentioned
