Knapton Wins Big Ten Platform Title

West Lafayette, Ind. – Nebraska senior Abi Knapton captured the first Big Ten Conference diving title in school history on Friday night, when she took first in the platform dive with 343.55 points at the 2021 Big Ten Championships at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center. 

The most accomplished diver in Nebraska history, Knapton added to a Big Ten championship to an impressive list of career accomplishment that continues to grow. A three-time first-team All-American on the platform, Knapton's first Big Ten individual title came just one day after capturing a runner-up finish on the three-meter dive. Her final score of 343.55 marked the second-best platform total in her career, trailing only her 343.85 at the Hawkeye Invitational in 2018.

Knapton's win on the platform on Friday marked her fifth career top-eight finish at the Big Ten Championships, including a fourth-place finish on the platform in 2019. She also finished fifth in the three-meter and sixth in the one-meter dive in 2019.

Knapton's title marked Nebraska's first-ever conference title on platform and NU's first conference diving championship on any event since Julie Grimmer won the three-meter dive at the 1995 Big Eight Championships.

Knapton, a redshirt senior from Omaha, Neb., is in the hunt for Big Ten Diver of the Meet honors entering Saturday's one-meter diving competition.

Knapton became Nebraska's second Big Ten champion for the swimming and diving team in as many days, following fellow senior Autumn Haebig's victory in the 200 freestyle in Minneapolis on Thursday.

It is the first time since 2001 that Nebraska has had two conference swimming and diving champions in the same meet, when Elvira Fischer (200 breaststroke) and Rebecca Wolfe (200 butterfly) claimed individual titles.

The fourth day at the Big Ten Championships included several other performances in the pool.

Boise State transfer Madesyn Ronquillio got her first Big Ten finals action, as she took 24th with a time of 55.83 while competing in the C-final.

Maggie Berning scored for the Huskers by taking 15th in the B-final of the 200 butterfly in a time of 1:59.82. Berning was joined by a strong 200 fly group that included Izzie Murray, Shannon Stott and Madison Coughlen, who all competed in the C-final. Murray won the C-final to take 17th with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:58.86. Stott touched the wall second in the heat, placing 18th with a time of 1:59.58. Madison Coughlen finished the race out for the Huskers, nabbing 22nd with a time of 2:00.09.

In the only relay of the night, the Husker quartet of Lexi Kucera, Caitlin Cairns, Kaitlyn Barth and Autumn Haebig took ninth in 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:31.59. 

Nebraska junior swimmer, Katelyn Kilpatrick, was also honored for the Huskers. She was one of 13 honorees throughout the conference to capture a Big Ten Sportsmanship award. Kilpatrick, a native of Ocala, Fla., has been a key long-distance swimmer for Nebraska though her time in the program.

Nebraska has one more day to compete in the Big Ten Championships, sitting in position to make history. The Huskers are currently in seventh place with 382 points in the Big Ten standings, which would be the team's best finish since joining the conference in 2011-12. 

Big Ten Swimming & Diving Team Standings
1. Ohio State (1139.5)
2. Michigan (940.5)
3. Indiana (705)
4. Northwestern (694.5)
5. Wisconsin (511)
6. Minnesota (427)
7. Nebraska (382)
8. Iowa (354.5)
T9. Penn State (309)
T9. Purdue (309)
11. Michigan State (181)
12. Illinois (145)
13. Rutgers (60)

The final day of the Big Ten meet takes place tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 26, with the first preliminary race beginning at 11 a.m. The swimming finals are set to take place at 6:30 p.m. For the divers, action is set to begin with the one-meter dive at 11:20 a.m., the consolation finals at 2:05 p.m. and the finals at 6:40 p.m.

In Minneapolis, swimmers will compete in the 100 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 1,650 free and the 400 free relay, while competition in West Lafayette, Ind., wraps up with the one-meter diving competition.