Hoosiers Win Four Big Ten Championships Titles

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The No. 3-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team won four more conference titles on Friday night at the 2018 Big Ten Championships at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

With the great night, the Hoosiers reclaimed the lead over Michigan by 10 points, 1,090-1,080. Ohio State sits in third place with a score of 870 points. With the four titles on Friday, Indiana has won nine of the 14 events headed in to the fourth and final night on Saturday.

For a second time on Friday, Ian Finnerty rewrote the record book in the 100 breaststroke, winning his third-straight Big Ten title with a school record, conference record, pool record and NCAA A cut time of 50.72. The junior’s great mark ranks as the second-fastest time in the event in the nation this year.

Right behind him was senior Levi Brock, who placed second in the Championship Final with a personal-best and NCAA A cut time of 51.45. Brock’s career mark is the fourth-best in school history and moves him ahead of 2016 Rio Olympian Cody Miller as the second-best performer in the event in IU history.

Senior Sam Apa was 12th overall with a personal-best time of 53.36, while freshman Matthew Jerden won the C Final, touching the wall with a PR of 53.79. Also in the C Final, classmate Jack Kucharczyk was third to finish 19th overall with a personal-best time of 54.40.

In the Championship Final of the 100 backstroke, freshman Gabriel Fantoni led four Hoosiers in the race, winning his first individual Big Ten title with a time of 45.79. Fantoni’s win in the event is the first for IU since James Wells in 2013.

Sophomore Mohamed Samy won silver, touching the wall with a personal-best time of 45.84. Wilson Beckman was fifth overall with a PR of 46.87, while freshman Jacob Steele rounded out the quartet in sixth place with a personal-best mark of 47.33.

Senior Ali Khalafalla made the most of his appearance in the C Final, winning with a personal-best time of 47.33.

Indiana recorded a third 1-2 finish on the night in the Championship Final of the 200 freestyle, as Blake Pieroni won his third-straight Big Ten crown in the event. The senior touched first with a Big Ten meet record and pool record time of 1:31.14. Pieroni’s time was also a NCAA A cut that ranks as the second-best time in the country.

Mohamed Samy earned his second silver medal of the night, capping an impressive double with a personal-best time of 1:32.56. Samy’s mark is the ninth-best all-time in school history.

Vini Lanza continued his remarkable week, winning his fifth Big Ten title in three days, touching first in the 100 butterfly Championship Final with a school record, Big Ten record and NCAA A cut time of 44.79. Lanza is the first Hoosier to break the 45-second mark in IU history and his time is the second-best in the nation.

Nikola Miljenic took second in the B Final to place 10th overall with a personal-best time of 46.44, while Bruno Blaskovic was sixth to finish 14th overall with a mark of 46.78. Also in the B Final, Gabriel Fantoni was seventh to finish 15th.

Josh Romany posted a PR in the C Final, winning with a time of 47.02. Corey Gambardella was sixth in the C Final to finish 22nd overall with a personal-best mark of 47.45.

For a second event on the night, the Hoosiers had four athletes in the Championship Final. This time, IU divers stole the show and posted 105 points for IU in the team standings.

After winning the gold medal in the 1-meter dive on Thursday, Michael Hixon took silver in the 3-meter, scoring a 509.95. Hixon’s total is the second-best in IU history. Freshman Andrew Capobianco announced his presence in a star-studded field, winning bronze with a career-best score of 488.40. The rookie’s total is the seventh-best in school history.

James Connor was fourth overall with a total of 479.65, while senior Cody Coldren was seventh with a score of 414.95. Connor’s mark is the 10th-best in IU history. Earlier, Clark Carter scored for IU in the C Final, placing 24th with a score of 334.00.

In the 200 freestyle relay, the Hoosier team of Ali Khalafalla, Blake Pieroni, Bruno Blaskovic and Nikola Miljenic were just out-touched at the wall by Michigan, earning silver with a NCAA A cut time of 1:16.56. The time is the second-best mark in school history.

Freshman Spencer Lehman placed eighth overall in the Championship Final of the 400 IM, touching the wall with a personal-best time of 3:47.12. Lehman’s finish was the best for a Hoosier swimmer in the event since 2015.

In the B Final of the 400 IM, Matthew Jerden touched sixth to finish 14th overall with a personal-best time of 3:49.08, while Trey Hubbuch took 16th overall with a mark of 3:51.05.

The No. 3-ranked Hoosiers will continue competition at the 2018 Big Ten Championships on Saturday morning with the prelims of the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and platform dive. The action gets started at 12:00 p.m. ET at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.