COLUMBUS, Ohio — Minnesota women’s swim and dive team collected a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships with an overall score of 1,049 points. Sarah Bacon earned Co-Diver of the Championship and All-Big Ten First Team honors, while six other Gophers earned All-Big Ten Second Team accolades. The Gophers closed out competition by earning two medals, setting a new school record and recording numerous personal records.

“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of this group,” said head coach Kelly Kremer. “Many lessons were learned well beyond the pool this weekend. We had some people really step up and lead us athletically at this meet. Our relays were amazing and we will need more of that in a few weeks at the NCAA meet.”

The evening started off with the 1,650 freestyle finals, where three Gophers swam to NCAA “B” cut times. Brooke Zeiger took 10th place with a time of 16:19.80, Abbey Erwin came in 12th hitting the wall at 16:25.66 — which was a new personal record, and Erin Emery placed 13th swimming 16:26.58.

In the 200 backstroke, sophomore Tevyn Waddell and junior Chantal Nack both had NCAA “B” cut times. Waddell (1:54.84) made the podium with a seventh-place finish and Nack (1:53.51) came in ninth.

Zoe Avestruz was the lone wolf in the 100 freestyle, but she swam a 48.61 and represented Minnesota on the podium with her fifth-place finish.

Both Lindsey (Horejsi) Kozelsky — an Albert Lea graduate — and Rachel Munson swam in the A final for the 200 breaststroke, where they both set new personal records and made the podium with NCAA “B” cut times.  Kozelsky came in third place with a time of 2:07.37 and Munson wasn’t too far behind, sitting in fifth with a time of 2:10.49.

Minnesota was light in swimmers in the 200 butterfly, but Danielle Nack made a splash when she came in second place with a time of 1:54.72, setting a new personal and school record with the NCAA “B” cut time.

Kristen Hayden led the way for the Gophers in the platform diving finishing sixth with a score of 296.95. Mariam Khamis competed in the B final and finished with 225.05 points.

Minnesota closed out the Big Ten Championships with a fourth-place showing in the 400 freestyle relays. The team of D. Nack, Avestruz, Mackenzie Padington and C. Nack ended with a NCAA “A” qualifying time of 3:14.38, setting a new school record in the process.

Gophers’ final medal count: 9

GOLD

1-meter: Sarah Bacon, 353.80 (personal record) (Thursday)

SILVER

200 Medley Relay: Waddell, Kozelsky, D. Nack, Avestruz, 1:35.06 (school record) (Wednesday)

800 Free Relay: C. Nack, D. Nack, Padington, Avestruz, 6:59.53 (school record) (Wednesday)

400 Medley Relay: Waddell, Kozelsky, D. Nack, Avestruz, 3:28.96 (school record) (Thursday)

50 Free: Danielle Nack, 22.10 (NCAA “B” Cut, personal record) (Thursday)

100 Fly: Danielle Nack, 51.15 (NCAA “A” Cut, school record, personal record) (Friday)

100 Breaststroke: Lindsey Kozelsky, 57.91(NCAA “A” Cut, school record, personal record) (Friday)

3-Meter Diving: Sarah Bacon- 383.40 (NCAA “A” qualifying) (Friday)

200 Butterfly: Danielle Nack- 1:54.72 (NCAA “B” Cut, school record, personal record) (Saturday)

BRONZE

200 Breaststroke: Lindsey Kozelsky, 2:07.37 (NCAA “B” Cut, personal record) (Saturday)

Big Ten Awards

Co-Diver of the Championships: Sarah Bacon

All-Big Ten First Team: Sarah Bacon

All-Big Ten Second Team: Tevyn Waddell, Lindsey Kozelsky, Danielle Nack, Zoe Avestruz, Chantal Nack, Mackenzie Padington

Sportsmanship Award Honoree: Kaia Grobe