 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams got the 2016-17 season off to a great start on Friday, posting three wins in a long-course meters tri-meet with Texas and Florida at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Ind.
The Hoosier men posted two wins on Friday, beating two-time defending NCAA Champion Texas, 149-132, and taking down Florida, who placed third at last season’s NCAA Championships, 181-100. For the Indiana women, the Hoosiers beat Florida, 150-131, but fell to Texas, 170-106.
“I have to congratulate our men’s swimming and diving team,†IU head swimming coach Ray Looze remarked. “That’s the first win we have ever gotten over Texas or Florida in over 40 years. Our guys definitely came to race and I am super proud of them. Nobody was at full strength, but that happens this time of year and who show up with is who you have to compete with and I thought our guys were real competitive. I’m really proud of our men.
“I thought our women started off the meet great but faded. A lot of that has to do with taking care of your body during a meet and keeping that competitive edge and not easing up. I thought we got a little bit complacent. Overall, to have three wins against this level of competition is good and we can be a lot better.â€
In the men’s 200 medley relay, the Hoosier team of Bob Glover, Ian Finnerty, Vini Lanza and Ali Khalafalla won with a time of 1:41.58 – the fifth-best time in school history. On the women’s side, the IU team of Brooklyn Snodgrass, Lilly King, Gia Dalesandro and Gabriela Rajic took second with a school-record mark of 1:55.72.
Freshman Cassie Jernberg had a nice debut for the Hoosiers in the 800 freestyle, leading the team by placing third with a time of 8:58.60. Stephanie Marchuk was fourth overall with a mark of 8:59.68.
For the Hoosier men, transfer and 2016 Olympian for Egypt Marwan Elkamash won the 800 freestyle with a time of 8:19.42, while teammate Adam Destrampe finished fifth overall with a mark of 8:28.78.
The Hoosier men had a great showing in the 200 freestyle, with 2016 Rio gold medalist Blake Pieroni leading the way, coming in second with a time of 1:51.44. Elkamash was third in a time of 1:52.23, while 2016 Team Slovenia Olympian Anze Tavcar touched fifth with a mark of 1:53.73. A 2016 bronze medalist for Team Canada in Rio, Kennedy Goss paced IU in the women’s 200 freestyle, touching the wall third in a time of 2:03.65.
The Indiana men went 1-2 in the 100 backstroke, with Glover winning in a time of 57.36. Teammate Wilson Beckman was second overall with a mark of 58.40. On the women’s side, Snodgrass placed third with a time of 1:04.91.
The Hoosiers swept the 100 breaststroke on Saturday, with King winning for the women and Finnerty touching first on the men’s side. King, the 2016 Olympic champion in the event, won with a time of 1:09.05, while teammate Laura Morley placed fifth with a mark of 1:15.02. Finnerty won the men’s 100 breast with a time of 1:05.11.
Reagan Cook led the IU women in the 200 butterfly, placing fourth with a time of 2:18.29, while Dalesandro came in fifth with a mark of 2:18.88. On the men’s side, Lanza touched the wall fourth in a time of 2:07.10, while Max Irwin was fifth in 2:08.12.
Indiana swept the top-3 in the men’s 50 freestyle, with Khalafalla winning with a time of 22.61. The 2016 Team Egypt Olympian was followed by Pieroni in second at 23.01 and Tavcar in third in 23.45.
In the men’s 1m dive, 2016 Rio Summer Olympic silver medalist Michael Hixon made his return to Bloomington, winning the event with a NCAA qualifying score of 394.30. Fellow Olympian and teammate James Connor placed third
In the women’s 3m dive, IU’s Michal Bower placed second overall with a personal-best score of 335.15. With her NCAA qualifying mark, Bower now ranks as the 12th-best performer in the event in school history. Making her Hoosier debut, Taylor Pamplin placed sixth with a score of 271.30.
IU had another strong showing in the 100 freestyle, with Pieroni earning his second win of the day, touching first overall with a time of 50.14. Khalafalla was third in a time of 51.33, while Tavcar took fifth with a mark of 51.48.
In the 200 backstroke, Goss led the Hoosiers, winning with a time of 2:15.53, leading a trio of top-5 finishers. Shelly Drozda came in third with a mark of 2:18.71, while Rachel Matsumura took fifth in a time of 2:19.51. On the men’s side, Beckman led the IU charge, placing fourth with a time of 2:07.79.
Cody Taylor led the IU men in the 200 breaststroke, placing second overall with a time of 2:24.17. Freshman Jack Kucharczyk was fifth overall in a mark of 2:25.18. On the women’s side, King was third in a time of 2:36.38.
Elkamash continued his great debut for the Hoosiers, placing second in the men’s 400 freestyle with a time of 3:56.35. Matt Anderson was third in 4:05.08, while Destrampe took fifth in a mark of 4:06.04. On the women’s side, Marchuk led the way, placing third with a time of 4:23.00, while Jernberg took fifth in 4:26.61.
In the 100 butterfly, Lanza placed second for the IU men with a time of 54.71, while Dalesandro highlighted the Hoosier women’s effort, taking third with a mark of 1:01.87.
Lanza placed third overall in the men’s 200 IM with a time of 2:09.75, while Dalesandro led the IU women, taking fourth in the event with a time of 2:24.69. Sam Lisy was fifth with a time of 2:24.76.
The Hoosier women’s 400 freestyle relay team of Ali Rockett, Snodgrass, Shelby Koontz and Goss took second place with a time of 3:59.24.
In the final event of the night, the Hoosier men trotted out four Olympians – Pieroni, Khalafalla, Tavcar and Elkamash – with the quartet placing second overall with a time of 3:23.84. The relay’s time is the fourth-fastest in IU history.
The Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will be back in action on Saturday, October 22 when the team hosts Florida and Texas in a short-course yards tri-meet at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.
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