Burns, Capobianco National Titles Part of IU’s Momentous Friday

MINNEAPOLIS – Indiana men’s swimming and diving won two national championships and earned six medal finishes on Friday (March 24) night at the 2023 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Jane K. Freeman Aquatic Center.

The No. 6-ranked Hoosiers were the top-scoring team on the third day of the national meet, earning 160 points, moving from sixth to fourth in the standings and showing quality in all three disciplines – swimming, diving and relay. Complementing the NCAA titles, IU had two silver medalists and two bronze medalists. Four program records were broken on Friday.

“I’m just so proud of everyone tonight,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “What a fantastic night of, not only swimming, but diving too, and then just a scintillating relay to end it.”

In his final NCAA 3-meter diving final, Andrew Capobianco gave a dominant performance to win his third national championship in the event. The senior’s lowest-scoring dive earned him 81.00 points as he tallied a program record 522.60 and outscored the field by 74.3 points. He ended the performance with an exclamation mark, earning 91.20 points on a forward 4 ½ somersault tuck.

“What a day for IU swimming and diving,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Andrew put together the best list of his life in a moment that had so much meaning. That rarely happens in sport. He was amazing.”

Capobianco led what became a dominant team finish on the 3-meter board. Three Hoosiers were top-four finishers, as sophomores Quinn Henninger (425.40) and Carson Tyler (415.50) placed third and fourth, respectively. IU earned 51 points from the diving event.

“Quinn and Carson pushed the field today the same way that they push Andrew every day in practice,” Johansen said. “It was a great day to be a Hoosier. One more day!”

“The divers, oh my!” Looze said. “Andrew, what’s he going to do, score 600 points next? He could have almost been done after five rounds and still won!”

Capobianco is now a three-time NCAA Champion, six-time NCAA medalist and 12-time All-American. He’ll compete for the final time collegiately on Saturday in the platform diving event.

Senior Brendan Burns captured his second-career national title, this time in the 100-yard backstroke. Burns set the program record at 44.15 while finishing as the runner-up a year ago. A year later, he’s the national champion with a 43.61 – the nation’s third-fastest time ever. Burns is IU’s seventh different swimmer to win the 100 back and first since Ben Hesen in 2008.

“Brendan Burns was honest in his ESPN interview. He told (assistant coach Luke Ryan), ‘I don’t think I can be competitive in the 100 back,’” Looze said. “We both got on him for that and told him, hey, this is what you need to do. You have speed, go out with these guys, and good things will happen. He trusted us, and we’re humbled that he would do that in a moment where you’re not sure or believing in yourself.”

Burns’ 100 back performance came after he had earned maximum points in the 100-yard butterfly consolation final. He’ll look to defend his first title in the 200 fly on Saturday, the last individual swimming event of the meet.

Indiana has totaled 12 individual national titles over the last five championships.

Coming into the day, program record holder Ian Finnerty was the only Hoosier to swim the 100-yard breaststroke under 51 seconds. He’s not so lonely anymore. Senior Van Mathias, whose personal best at the start of the season was 54.74, dropped a 50.57 in the prelim and then won silver in the event Friday night with a 50.60. In the consolation final, sophomore Josh Matheny earned maximum points for his first time under 51.00 as he posted a career-best 50.99.

“In the 100 breast, Josh Matheny going 50.99 was a big barrier for him that he wanted to accomplish, and then Van, getting second place as a new breaststroker,” Looze said, “people are really shocked around the country at Van and what he’s swimming here and how well he’s doing, but he’s a special kid.”

Junior Tomer Frankel broke the program record in the 100-yard butterfly twice on Friday. He came into the meet a hundredth of a second short of the mark but quickly took put himself in front. The No. 7 seed in the event, Frankel swam a 44.26 to earn the No. 4 spot in the final where he trimmed his time down to 44.04 and dropped into bronze medal position. The performance was Frankel’s first individual medal.

“Brendan was really upset about being in the consolation again and took care of business and won that,” Looze said. “Tomer stepped up and moved all the way to third with a school record, again.

Sophomore Rafael Miroslaw ended up racing the 200-yard freestyle three times on Friday between his prelim, swim-off and consolation final and came out of it 13th in the country.

“I was really pleased with Rafa’s performance,” Looze said. “I know he fell back, but he had just an exhausting, heartbreaking morning, so we really praised him for getting 13th and just fighting. I think it really helped him turn the corner for what he would later do in the relay.”

The night ended with a thrilling 400-yard medley relay in which IU earned its second straight national runner-up finish. The same quartet of Burns, Matheny, Frankel and Miroslaw – who all had busy evenings – was one of three teams that swam better than the NCAA record. Florida set the new standard at 2:58.32, but the Hoosiers got a brand-new program record in 2:59.09 with splits of 43.82, 50.32, 43.70 and 41.26. Despite having swam that 100 fly, 100 back double, Burns posted the field’s top backstroke leg.

“It’s not often that you get second and break the NCAA record,” Looze said. “I’m happy with what they did. I don’t think we could have gone any faster. Overall, I’m just super proud of the program. The coaches, trainers, massage therapists, everybody’s pulling in the same direction, and that makes me happiest.”

RESULTS
100 BUTTERFLY
3. Tomer Frankel – 44.04 (NCAA Bronze, Program Record, All-America)

9. Brendan Burns – 44.60 (Honorable Mention All-America)

200 FREESTYLE

13. Rafael Miroslaw – 1:32.65 (Honorable Mention All-America)

100 BREASTSTROKE

2. Van Mathias – 50.60 (NCAA Silver, All-America)
3. Josh Matheny – 50.99 (Honorable Mention All-America)

100 BACKSTROKE

1. Brendan Burns – 43.61 (NCAA Champion, Program Record, Pool Record, All-America)

3-METER

1. Andrew Capobianco – 522.50 (NCAA Champion, Program Record, All-America)
2. Quinn Henninger – 425.40 (NCAA Bronze, All-America)
3. Carson Tyler – 415.50 (All-America)

400 MEDLEY RELAY

2. Brendan Burns, Josh Matheny, Tomer Frankel, Rafael Miroslaw – 2:59.09 (NCAA Silver, Program Record, All-America)

HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS

Finn Brooks (200 Freestyle Relay*)
Brendan Burns (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 100 Butterfly*, 100 Backstroke, 400 Medley Relay)

Andrew Capobianco (1-meter, 3-meter)

Tomer Frankel (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 100 Butterfly, 400 Medley Relay)

Quinn Henninger (3-meter)

Josh Matheny (100 Breaststroke*, 400 Medley Relay)

Van Mathias (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle*, 200 Freestyle Relay*, 100 Breaststroke)

Rafael Miroslaw (800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay*, 200 Freestyle*, 400 Medley Relay)

Carson Tyler (3-meter)

Gavin Wight (200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay*)

* – Denotes Honorable Mention

UP NEXT
Saturday is the last day of competition at the NCAA Championships. Prelims will kick off at 11 a.m. ET in preparation for the final session on the meet, set to begin at 6 p.m.