Knapton Captures Second Big Ten Title

West Lafayette, Ind. - Nebraska's Abi Knapton made history on Saturday when she claimed the Big Ten title in the one-meter diving event at the conference championships at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Knapton's historic performance helped Nebraska produce its best team finish at the conference meet since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12. The Huskers closed the championships in seventh place with 542.5 points, just 12.5 points behind sixth-place Minnesota. Ohio State won the team title, while Michigan took second.

Nebraska's 542.5 points smashed its previous Big Ten-best point total of 428 in 2019, when the Huskers finished eighth as a team. NU's 2021 total also marked its best total since posting 565 points on its way to a third-place finish at the 2001 Big 12 Conference Championships.

Knapton, a fifth-year senior from Omaha, Neb., capped a remarkable performance over three days at the 2021 Big Ten Championships with her second Big Ten title in as many days after capturing the platform crown on Friday night. She opened the meet with a runner-up finish on the three-meter to finish the championships with 92 team points.

The overall performance by Knapton earned her Big Ten Diver-of-the-Meet honors, making her the first Husker in history to claim the conference's top diving honor. Knapton also joined fellow Husker Big Ten champion Autumn Haebig (200 free) in capturing first-team all-conference honors.

A three-time first-team All-American on platform, Knapton became the first Husker diver to win two conference diving titles in the same meet since Julie May swept the one and three-meter events at the 1989 Big Eight Championships.

The last time Nebraska won two diving championships at the same conference meet came in 1993 when Jennifer Harnley (one meter) and Cheryl Kartye (three meter) combined for two titles. Knapton is the first Husker to win a one-meter conference title since Harnley added a second straight Big Eight one-meter title in 1994. 

Knapton became the first Nebraska diver or swimmer to win two conference championships in the same meet since the 2000 Big 12 Championships when Shandra Johnson (500 free, 200 back) and Elvira Fischer (100, 200 breast) each claimed a pair of titles.

The list of accomplishments continues to grow for Knapton, who could compete in all three events at the 2021 NCAA Championships.

With Knapton's title, Nebraska racks up its third conference championship in the last three days, after Autumn Haebig won the 200 freestyle on Thursday and Knapton secured the platform title Friday. It is also the first time since the 2000 Big 12 Championships that Nebraska has claimed three or more individual titles in the same meet.

Sara Troyer, a junior from Goshen, Ind., also performed at a high level in her home state. Troyer took third in the one-meter to earn a bronze medal and big points for the Huskers in the team standings. Troyer was a CSCAA All-American in both the one and three-meter events as a sophomore last season and could contend for All-America honors again in 2021. 

In Minnesota, the Husker swimmers finished off the 2021 Big Ten Championship meet with quality swims on Saturday.

Autumn Haebig found herself swimming in another final, this time in the B-final of the 100 freestyle. Haebig improved on her time in the preliminary race and found herself as the B-final heat champion, placing 9th in the Big Ten in the event (49.14), adding to the weeks impressive total. She finished in the Big Ten's top ten in three races, including a fifth place finish in the 500 free and first in the 200 free.

Lexi Kucera also snagged a final spot in the 100 free, racing in the C-final. Kucera tied for 23rd in the Big Ten (50.33), drawing with Claire Newman, a fellow freshman from Michigan.

The Huskers also saw some impressive times from the long distance swimmers. Audrey Coffey led the Huskers through the 1,650 free, placing top ten in the conference, claiming 10th (16:19.73). The time was also an NCAA B-cut qualifier for Coffey, giving her a chance to make an appearance in the post-season.

Katelyn Kilpatrick cleared the top 25 for the Huskers, capturing 22nd place (16:43.49), while Molly Rosenthal took 32nd (16:58.50).

In the 200 backstroke, Nebraska saw a C-final appearance from Madesyn Ronquillio, the team's leader in the event. Ronquillio raced to a 23rd place finish (1:58.87) for the Huskers.

Freshman Ella Stein continued a strong week, scoring a spot in the B-final of the 200 breaststroke. Stein captured a top 15 finish in the Big Ten, placing her at 15th with a time of 2:15.20.

To finish the meet, the Huskers swam the final relay, the 400 yard free. Nebraska built a team made up of Lexi Kucera, Shannon Stott, Caitlin Cairns and Autumn Haebig as the anchor. The relay placed 9th in the conference with a time 3:20.45.

The 2021 Big Ten Championships were completed with an award ceremony in the evening after the final relay race. 

The historic season featured a Husker team peaking after a solid regular season with potential to send a few swimmers and divers to the NCAA Championships slated for Wednesday, March 17, through Saturday, March 20 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Final Big Ten Standings
1. Ohio State 1584
2. Michigan 1326.5
3. Indiana 1066.5
4. Northwestern 992
5. Wisconsin 749.5
6. Minnesota 555
7. Nebraska 542.5
8. Iowa 424
9. Purdue 414
10. Penn State 410
11. Michigan State 217
12. Illinois 177
13. Rutgers 60