Related Links: Day 2 Results | Women’s Roster
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team continued its winning ways as it earned four medals on Thursday evening at the 2022 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. With titles in the 200 individual medley and 400 medley relay and another silver and bronze medal finish, the Buckeyes remain in the lead after two days of competition with 425 points, 13.5 points ahead of second-place Michigan.
Fourteen Buckeye swimmers advanced to this evening’s finals out of the morning preliminary session, the most of any school at the meet. Four women raced for individual podium finishes in the A finals.
200 Individual Medley
Kristen Romano successfully defended her 200 individual medley crown, winning the event in a season-best time of 1:54.43. Ohio State is the repeat champion in the event for the first time since Janelle Bosse won the conference crown in 1987 and 1988. Romano, a fifth-year member of the team, is also the eighth woman to win consecutive 200 IM Big Ten titles.
Three Buckeyes swam in the B final of the event, with graduate Katie Trace (1:57.06) taking third to finish 11th overall. Junior Josie Panitz (1:58.34) finished 13th and freshman Paige Hall (1:58.71) earned 13 points with a 14th-place result. In her second Big Ten Championships, Kyra Sommerstad picked up six points for Ohio State in a career-best time of 1:59.26. All four Buckeyes in the event raced NCAA B qualifying times.
400 Medley Relay
Winning its third straight relay title of the championships, Ohio State raced to a school record time of 3:26.35 for the 400 medley relay title. The win is the second title in as many years for the Buckeye relay and the quartet of Emily Crane, Hannah Bach, Katherine Zenick and Amy Fulmer set a Big Ten meet record along the way. Ohio State’s finish is the best time in the NCAA this season.
50 Freestyle
Amy Fulmer earned the Buckeyes’ best finish in the 50 freestyle since the 2018 championships with a silver-medal result in a time of 21.71. The junior’s time is a career-best and an NCAA B cut. Katherine Zenick, a sophomore for the Scarlet and Gray, also raced in the A final, taking fifth in a personal-best time of 21.96 for the NCAA B standard finish.
In the B final, graduate Emily Crane (22.21) and freshman Teresa Ivan (22.23) took second and third to combine for 33 points for the Buckeyes. The duo raced to personal-bests as well.
500 Freestyle
Sophomore Maya Geringer led Ohio State with a bronze medal finish in the 500 freestyle. She raced to a time of 4:39.55 for a career-best finish, an NCAA B qualifying time and a six-spot jump from her finish at last year’s conference championship.
Senior Sally Tafuto (4:44.47) and freshman Gwen Woodbury (4:45.05) raced in the B final, earning 15 and 13 points for the Buckeyes, respectively. Mia Rankin, an Ohio State freshman, also advanced to Thursday’s finals in her first Big Ten Championships. Both Rankin (4:47.19) and Woodbury recorded career-best finishes.
1-Meter Dive
The Buckeye diving contingent of Mackenzie Crawford, Ciara McGing, Jackie Brenn and Amanda Ling debuted on the 1-meter board on Thursday. The women battled through their first dives of the championships, but ultimately did not qualify for the finals. McGing (245.65) and Crawford (245.60) earned the best scores for Ohio State.
Up Next
Friday’s competition includes the 100 butterfly, 400 individual medley, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 3-meter diving and 200 freestyle relay. Preliminary heats begin at 11 a.m. ET and finals will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.
2022 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships Results
Thursday, Feb. 17 | Soderholm Family Aquatic Center
All Ohio State point scorers listed
500 Freestyle – 3. Maya Geringer, 4:39.55; 12. Sally Tafuto, 44.67; 14. Gwen Woodbury, 4:45.05; 19. Mia Rankin, 4:47.19
200 IM – 1. Kristen Romano, 1:54.43; 11. Katie Trace, 1:57.06; 13. Josie Panitz, 1:58.34; 14. Paige Hall, 1:58.71
50 Freestyle – 2. Amy Fulmer, 21.71; 5. Katherine Zenick, 21.96; 10. Emily Crane, 22.21; 11. Terea Ivan, 22.23; 20. Catherine Russo, 22.60
400 Medley Relay – 1. Ohio State – Crane, Bach, Zenick, Fulmer, 3:26.35*
*Ohio State school record
Team Scores
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