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 diving championships at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Knapton, a fifth-year senior from Omaha, Neb., capped a remarkable performance over the 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 event to finish the championships with 92 team points.

A three-time first-team All-American on the 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 accomplishment’s continue to grow for the redshirt-senior. All three of her dives will give her a chance to compete at the NCAA Championship in each event, making it the fourth time in her four years of competition that she has gone to the postseason.

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 last night. It’s also the first time since the 2000 Big 12 Championships where Nebraska had three or more individual titles in the same meet.

Sara Troyer, the junior from Goshen, IN, also performed very well in her home state. She collects a podium spot in the Big Ten one-meter, placing third in the conference. 

Troyer’s dive gives her a chance to compete in the postseason, where she qualified last season as well. At the 2020 Big Ten Championship, she placed fourth in the three-meter dive and was named a CSCAA All-American for both the three-meter and the one-meter.

The 2021 Big Ten Championship meet concludes tonight after the final evening of swimming races. More coverage and the complete recap of this week will follow later this evening.