Coming off a program record-tying seventh-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships, No. 6 Indiana women’s swimming opened its 2024-25 season at home against the University of Notre Dame in a dual meet Oct. 23 at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.
Over the summer, the NCAA released the time standards for the 2025 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships. “A Cut” and “B Cut” times are utilized to determine qualification and eligibility for the championships. A swimmer with an A Cut time is guaranteed an invitation to the NCAAs, where they can then enter up to three more events in which they have posted a B Cut time. The cutline for the NCAAs always falls between the two standards.
The meet began with the 200-yard medley relay, in which Hoosier seniors Kacey McKenna and Brearna Crawford joined sophomore Miranda Grana and junior Kristina Paegle to pace the field with a 1:39.38.
Next up was the 1000-yard freestyle in which Indiana seniors Mariah Denigan and Elyse Heiser took first and second, respectively. Senior Ching Hwee Gan continued the Hoosiers’ winning ways with a narrow victory in the 200-yard freestyle.
Grana dominated the 100-yard backstroke with an NCAA B Cut time of 51.62, and Crawford got the win in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 1:02.27.
Sophomore Ava Whitaker kept Indiana’s momentum going in the 200-yard butterfly, claiming the victory with a B Cut time of 1:57.14.
In the 50-yard freestyle, Indiana junior Chiok Sze Yeo edged out a win by 0.03 seconds over teammates Paegle and senior Anna Peplowski. Peplowski followed it up with a 49.55 to win the 100-yard freestyle.
Next was the 200-yard backstroke, in which Grana continued her dominance in the pool with a 1:52.81, earning her a second B Cut time of the day.
Crawford got the victory in the 200-yard breaststroke, and Denigan took first in the 500-yard freestyle.
Keeping pace with her previous swims, Grana won the 100-yard butterfly and put up her third B Cut time of the day with a 53.04.
Graduate student Anna Freed won the last individual event for the Hoosiers, posting a 2:03.12 in the 200-yard individual medley.
The day came to a close with Peplowski, McKenna, Paegle and junior Mya Dewitt winning the 400-yard freestyle relay, setting the final score at 167-134 in favor of Indiana.
Next, the Hoosiers will look to build on their successful season opener in an away meet with sessions at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday at the University of Texas at Austin.
