University of Illinois
Big Ten Championships
Orange and Blue Gear Up for Big Ten Championships
February 12, 2018 | Swimming & Diving
| Big Ten Swimming & Diving Championships | |
|---|---|
| When | Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 14-17, 2018 |
| Where | McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion // Columbus, Ohio |
| Follow Live | Live Results |
| Admission | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Watch |
Wednesday // 5:30 p.m. CT // BTN Plus |
| More Info | Championship Central | Illinois Season Stats |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team will be back in the pool for the Big Ten Championships, held in Columbus, Ohio. The three-day event, hosted by Ohio State, is set to begin on Wednesday, February 14, and will conclude on Saturday, February 17. The first day of competition will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
"The team is looking good and is training well heading into the Big Ten Championships," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "They are recovering well and are excited to head over to the meet. We are keeping the focus on ourselves as we get ready to compete."
The Orange and Blue will see competition from six teams that are currently ranked in the top-25 nationally (according to the CSCAA poll) including, No. 4 Michigan, No. 10 Indiana, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 16 Minnesota, No. 18 Wisconsin and No. 23 Purdue. Although the Illini didn't compete against any of those teams in the regular season, the team will also face off against familiar foes Northwestern, Rutgers, Michigan State and Nebraska.
A Year Ago
UI made a number of changes to the record book at the event a year ago, including school record times in the 400 medley relay, the 800 freestyle relay, as well as the 200 butterfly en route to a 12th place finish (197). Michigan won the event (1287), followed by Indiana (1125), Wisconsin (1101.5), Minnesota (1086), Ohio State (837), Purdue (656), Northwestern (534), Penn State (453), Rutgers (446), Nebraska (385) and Iowa (357). Michigan State rounded out the group, finishing 13th with a 195.5 total.
Watch the Championships
The Big Ten Championships will be streamed live via BTN Plus on BTN2Go. Viewers connected to the internet network of a Big Ten university will have complimentary access to BTN2Go. Fans elsewhere can sign up for the pay-per-view webcasts. Saturday's finals will also be televised on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.
"It is important to take each session one at a time and not look ahead," Novitsky added. "Recovery is key following each session, so nutrition, hydration and getting rest are all paramount. The team has been put in challenging situations throughout the year and they hopefully have paid attention to what helps them recover and stay at their best."
Follow the Illini
Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Swimming and Diving. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for even more coverage.
