Hoosiers Win Three More Titles at Big Ten Championships
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 4-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team continued the team’s great performance at the 2017 Big Ten Championships on Thursday night at the McCorkle Aquatic Center in Columbus, Ohio, winning three conference titles.
After two days of competition at the Big Ten Championships, Indiana sits atop the team standings with a total of 562 points. Michigan is second with 461.5, while Ohio State is third with a score of 430 points.
Indiana was dominant in the 200 IM Championship Final on Thursday night, finishing first, second and fourth overall. Vini Lanza took home the gold, touching the wall first with a school and pool record time of 1:41.59. Lanza’s time is a NCAA A cut that ranks third in the nation so far this season.
The victory in the 200 IM is the first for Indiana since 1992. The Hoosiers have now won the event 17 times in program history.
Ian Finnerty was right behind Lanza, winning the silver medal with a personal-best and NCAA A cut time of 1:41.86 that ranks third all-time in school history. Blake Pieroni placed fourth overall for IU, coming in with a personal-best and NCAA B cut mark of 1:43.50 that ranks him as the sixth-best performer in the event in school history.
Bob Glover placed 14th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 1:46.02, while Mohamed Samy won the C Final to take 17th overall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:45.17. With his mark, Samy now ranks as the ninth-best swimmer in the event at IU.
The Hoosiers also flexed their muscle in the 1-meter dive, as Michael Hixon won gold and James Connor took home the silver medal. Cody Coldren placed eighth overall with a total of 310.25 as IU had a league-best three divers in the Championship Final.
Hixon and Connor were both brilliant on Thursday, as the two posted the best two scores in Big Ten and Indiana history. Hixon won with a total of 488.65 that also set the Big Ten Meet and pool record, while Connor took second with a score of 487.50. With Hixon’s victory, IU has now won the event four of the last five seasons.
Hixon took home the gold thanks in part to his final two dives – a 87.45 in the fifth and incredible 90.10 in the sixth and final round. Connor was consistent throughout his list, with all six dives scoring more the 76 points, including three dives over 80 points.
Also for Indiana, Joshua Arndt placed sixth in the Consolation Final with a total of 312.95 to finish 14th overall.
In the 400 medley relay, the Hoosiers defended their title from a year ago, winning the gold with a Big Ten, Big Ten Meet and school record time of 3:03.28. The team of Glover, Finnerty, Lanza and Pieroni earned a NCAA A cut with their mark that ranks first in the country so far this season.
Glover got the Hoosiers off to a great start with a NCAA B cut time of 46.11 in his 100 back. IU then reeled off the best splits in each of the last three legs – Finnerty in 51.18, Lanza in 44.64 and Pieroni in 41.35.
With the victory in the 400 medley relay, the Hoosiers have now won the event 23 times in program history.
In the 50 freestyle, Ali Khalafalla broke the school record for a second time on the day, winning silver with his NCAA A cut time of 18.94. Khalafalla becomes the first Hoosier to break 19 seconds in school history and also becomes the second-best performer in the event in Big Ten history.
Also in the Championship Final, Sam Lorentz placed eighth overall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 19.53 that ranks him as the fourth-best performer in the event in IU history.
In the B Final, Anze Tavcar placed second to take 10th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 19.66, while Josh Romany placed 13th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 19.83.
Marwan Elkamash was terrific in the Championship Final of the 500 freestyle, winning the bronze medal with a school record and NCAA A cut time of 4:12.11. In only one year for the Hoosiers, Elkamash now owns the top-three times in school history in the event.
Also in the 500 free A Final, Jackson Miller took seventh place with a NCAA B cut time of 4:17.36.
In the B Final of the 500 freestyle, Adam Destrampe placed sixth to finish 14th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 4:23.12. Trey Hubbuch touched 16th overall with a NCAA B cut of 4:23.23, while Max Irwin took 16th with a mark of 4:23.23.
The Indiana Hoosiers will continue competition at the 2017 Big Ten Championships on Friday morning with the prelims of the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 3-meter dive. The action gets started at 11:00 a.m. ET at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.
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500 Freestyle
3. Marwan Elkamash – 4:12.11 (Personal Best, School Record, NCAA A cut)
7. Jackson Miller – 4:17.36 (NCAA B cut)
14. Adam Destrampe – 4:23.12 (NCAA B cut)
15. Max Irwin – 4:24.39 (NCAA B cut)
16. Trey Hubbuch – 4:23.23 (NCAA B cut)
200 IM
1. Vini Lanza – 1:41.59 (Personal Best, School and Pool Record, NCAA A cut)
2. Ian Finnerty – 1:41.86 (Personal Best, NCAA A cut)
4. Blake Pieroni – 1:43.50 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
14. Bob Glover – 1:46.02 (NCAA B cut)
17. Mohamed Samy – 1:45.17 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
50 Freestyle
2. Ali Khalafalla – 18.94 (Personal Best, School Record, NCAA A cut)
8. Sam Lorentz – 19.53 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
10. Anze Tavcar – 19.66 (NCAA B cut)
13. Josh Romany – 19.83 (NCAA B cut)
1-Meter Diving
1. Michael Hixon – 488.65 (Big Ten, Big Ten Meet and Pool Record, NCAA Qualifying score)
2. James Connor – 487.50 (NCAA Qualifying score)
8. Cody Coldren – 310.25 (NCAA Qualifying score)
14. Joshua Arndt – 312.95 (NCAA Qualifying score)
400 Medley Relay
1. Bob Glover, Ian Finnerty, Vini Lanza, Blake Pieroni – 3:03.28 (Big Ten, Big Ten Meet and School Record, NCAA
