Minnesota Scene: Gophers' lead in Big Ten women's swim meet grows

The Gophers' lead in the Big Ten women's swimming and diving meet keeps getting bigger. After leading by 42 points after Day 2 at the University Aquatic Center, now it's 116 points through 11 events.

The host team has 432 points, Indiana 316 and Penn State 267.

Minnesota, the two-time defending champion, is building its point total with high finishes. It has had only one first-place finish so far. That was in the 800 freestyle relay on Wednesday.

On Day 3, the Gophers were third in the 400 medley relay (3:34.00). Becca Weiland, a member of that relay, also took third in the 100 butterfly (52.11).

Teammates Jessica Plant and Breann Siwicki also had top five finishes. Plant was second in the 200 freestyle (1:45.22), Siwicki fifth in the 400 individual medley (4:10.17).

The Gophers scored six runs in the fifth inning to rally past Creighton 10-5 in nonconference baseball in Fort Myers, Fla.

Minnesota trailed 5-1 before their big inning which was put together with five walks and only two hits.

The Gophers scored three more runs in the eight inning on doubles by Bobby Juan, Austin Athmann and Dan Olinger, and Handel's single.

Minnesota starter Alec Crawford gave up all five of Creighton's runs in 4⅓ innings. Tyler Hanson got the victory, giving up one hit in 2⅓ scoreless innings.

The Gophers beat George Washington 3-0 in softball on Sara Moulton's one-hitter in the UNC-Greensboro Spartan Classic. Moulton struck out 11 and walked one.

Minnesota (9-1) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, scratching for the first run when Tyler Walker was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout. Then Sara Groenewegen hit a two-out solo homer.

Kayla Wenner had an RBI single for the Gophers in the fourth inning.

Averaging a 195.854 score, the Gophers' best event has been the floor exercise, where they average a 49.296, the fifth-best mark in the nation. Minnesota ranks15th on vault with a 49.121 average and 17th is on balance beam with a 48.739 average.

Lindsay Mable, who tied a school and personal record with a 39.600 all-around score this season, averages a 9.929 on the floor exercise, which ranks third in the country.