Big 12 Weekly Recap: Vicky Xu Breaks Big 12 Diving Record as Kansas Downs Iowa State

Photo Courtesy: Kansas Athletics

We saw very little Big 12 action this weekend, with only one dual on the docket with the Kansas University Jayhawks (7-1, 2-0 Big 12) hosting the Iowa State Cyclones (7-4, 2-1 Big 12) in a two-day dual at the Robinson Natatorium.

Ultimately the Jayhawks emerged as the victors in this conference showdown by a score of 201-93, marking the Jayhawks’ final dual meet win for this year’s season.

A major highlight of the meet was the Jayhawk’s senior diver, Vicky Xu, breaking the Big 12 Conference record, along with team and Natatorium records, in the women’s 3-meter competition. Xu’s score of 420.60 was just 17.15 points away from the current NCAA record, which belongs to Indiana’s Christina Loukas, set in 2009.

Kansas was able to win all but one individual event; the 200 fly, where Iowa State’s Lucia Rizzo touched first in a time of 2:03.67. Rizzo was able to get past a fleet of Jayhawks, including just out-touching Greta Olsen (2:03.74) and getting by Ellie Flanagan (2:06.78) and Paige Reikhof (2:06.89).

The Jayhawks saw standout performances from Jenny Nusbaum (1:48.05) in the 200 free, which started a 1-2-3 finish for Kansas including a 1:51.26 from Lauryn Parrish and a 1:52.02 from Claire Campbell.

Kansas produced another 1-2-3 finish at the meet, which included a sub-2:00 200 backstroke swim from Elizabeth Amato-Hanner (1:59.02). Following Amato-Hanner was Manon Manning (2:01.77) and Parrish (2:02.46).

Jayhawk Crissie Blomquist posted the only sub-5:00 time in the 500 free by posting a 4:56.73, which got her well ahead of Iowa State’s Haley Ruegemer who swam a 5:04.41 to earn second.

Iowa State’s standout diver and lone NCAA Qualifier, Dana Liva, was topped by her teammate Sydney Ronald (306.38) and Jayhawk Vicky Xu (420.60) on the 3-meter board. In the 1-meter competition, Liva earned second with her score of 259.20 while Xu earned first with a 330.15.

Up next on the schedule for both the Jayhawks and Cyclones, along with the rest of the Big 12 conference, will be the 2019 Big 12 Conference Championship taking place inside the Jamail Texas Swimming Center starting Feb. 27 through March 2.

Full Press Release

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Senior diver Vicky Xu broke three records and set a new lifetime-best Saturday morning inside Robinson Natatorium, as the Kansas swimming and diving team defeated Iowa State, 201.5-93.5.

Xu took down the Big 12 Conference, Kansas and Robinson Natatorium records on the three-meter board with a personal-best performance of 420.60 to claim her fifth first-place finish in six events since joining the team in January.

Xu outscored her opponents by 114.22 points en route to that record-breaking performance, as Iowa State’s Sydney Ronald finished in second with a mark of 306.38.

In addition, Xu’s score of 420.60 was 6.40 points greater than the previous Big 12 mark (Maren Taylor, 414.20, Texas, 2014) and 17.15 points off the NCAA total set by Christina Loukas of Indiana in 2009.

In the pool, the Jayhawks posted a first-place finish in each of the eight events on the day and racked up 11 top-three finishes.

KEY RESULTS

Junior Jenny Nusbaum earned KU’s first gold with a time of 50.99 in the 100-yard freestyle.

Junior Elizabeth Amato-Hanner followed with a win in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing with a time of 1:59.02.

Freshman Kate Steward earned the victory in the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:17.14 performance.

Sophomore Crissie Blomquist took first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:56.73.

Freshman Greta Olsen swam to a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 56.24.

Senior Vicky Xu broke the Big 12, Kansas and Robinson Natatorium records in the three-meter dive with a score of 420.60.

Amato-Hanner took her second first-place finish on the day in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:05.63.

The Kansas 400-yard freestyle relay (Nusbaum, sophomore Manon Manning, freshman Claire Campbell and junior Carly Straight) took the top spot with a time of 4:26.85.

Quotes

Head Coach Clark Campbell:

On the confidence the team gained after winning all eight events this morning heading into the Big 12 Championship:

“Other than how we placed, we swam really well. It is important at the Big 12 Championship that we swim all morning. This meet and Arkansas were both at 10 a.m., and we are a good morning racing team –that is critical at Big 12 Championship. How you do a championship meet is dependent on how you do in prelims because you have to get your time in the morning and swim for glory at night. We are really happy with how everyone preformed this morning so it is a good way to go into the championship season.”

For complete results of this weekend’s action, click here.

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