BLOOMINGTON – Indiana swimming and diving completed the second day of the Ohio State Invitational on Friday (Nov. 17) as the men’s team extended its lead, and the women remained steady in second. IU won nine events Friday night inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
The IU women opened the night with an NCAA A cut in the 200 medley relay, going 1:36.20. Indiana finished fourth but swam faster than the previous meet record (1:36.42) set in 2013. Indiana’s quartet was junior Kacey McKenna (24.41), junior Brearna Crawford (27.33) and sophomores Chiok Sze Yeo (23.44) and Kristina Paegle (21.02).
The Hoosier men had the two best 200 medley relays as a Louisville and Ohio State each had their ‘A’ relays disqualified for false starts. Indiana’s ‘A’ group of senior Brendan Burns (21.40), junior Josh Matheny (23.39) and seniors Tomer Frankel (19.83) and Gavin Wight (19.22) finished in 1:23.84, just .13 seconds short of the NCAA A standard.
In the very next event, Frankel and Burns were part of a top-three sweep of the men’s 100-yard butterfly. Frankel, the bronze medalist at last year’s NCAA Championships, finished first in 45.26, followed by junior Finn Brooks (45.99) and Burns (45.97). The trio smashed the previous pool record of 47.98.
Freshman Toby Barnett was the runner-up in the 400 IM, recording a 3:42.54 as four Hoosiers finished in the top 10. Junior Ching Hwee Gan was the top Hoosier in the women’s race, placing third in 4:12.21. Senior Anna Freed (4:12.94) took fifth and freshman Reese Tiltmann (4:13.21) was sixth.
After taking the 500 free on Thursday, junior Anna Peplowski captured her second individual win of the week in the 200-yard race in 1:42.97. She led a 1-3-4 finish for the Hoosiers, as Paegle went 1:45.43 and senior Ella Ristic got in at 1:45.91.
Competitors at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano and IU junior Rafael Miroslaw battled it out in the men’s 200 free. Miroslaw led through 150 yards, but Guiliano pulled in front on the final leg to win in 1:32.14. The Hoosier came in at 1:32.52 as both swimmers finished under the pool and meet record times.
The Hoosier men swept again in the 100-yard breaststroke. The trio of senior Jassen Yep (51.49), junior Josh Matheny (51.81) and Maxwell Reich (51.87) all swam under the meet record time (51.88) and were the only three under 52 seconds. It was also the first time either Yep or Reich had ever swum under 52 seconds.
Junior Kacey McKenna and sophomore Mya DeWitt shared a special moment in the 100-yard backstroke, tying for first in 52.47. The two Hoosiers were never separated by more than .18 seconds. On the men’s side, senior and reigning NCAA Champion Brendan Burns flexed his muscles by dropping a 45.29 and setting a meet record. He was half a second faster than the field.
Junior Skyler Liu was stellar on the boards again, taking her first win of the week on the 3-meter springboard with a 297.25 – 13.8 points better than second place. Liu was second in the 1-meter competition Thursday. Sophomore Morgan Casey was third with an NCAA Zone Qualifying mark of 275.70.
Both winning teams in the 800 freestyle relay won by over four seconds. All four women’s splits were under 1:46.20, and Peplowski (1:43.52 split) was the only woman under 1:44. Ristic, Gan, Peplowski and Paegle recorded a 7:01.08, enough for an NCAA ‘B’ cut. For the men, Miroslaw (1:32.53), sophomore Kai Van Westering (1:34.41), Frankel (1:33.98) and Burns (1:34.63) captured a meet record and ‘A’ cut in 6:15.55. Miroslaw’s opening split was one of two under 1:33 and just one hundredth of a second short of his 200 free earlier in the evening.
TEAM SCORES
Men
- Indiana – 1,903
- Ohio State – 1,655
- Louisville – 1,354.5
- Notre Dame – 1,222.5
- Cincinnati – 808
- Pittsburgh – 238
- Cal – 131
Women
- Ohio State – 1,830
- Indiana – 1,693.5
- Louisville – 1,421
- Notre Dame – 966
- Cincinnati – 866.5
- Ohio – 199
- Pittsburgh – 197
- Cal – 116
HOOSIER WINNERS
Men
Brendan Burns – 200 Medley Relay (1:23.84), 800 Freestyle Relay (6:15.55), 100 Backstroke (45.29)
Tomer Frankel – 200 Medley Relay (1:23.84), 100 Butterfly (45.26), 800 Freestyle Relay (6:15.55)
Josh Matheny – 200 Medley Relay (1:23.84)
Rafael Miroslaw – 800 Freestyle Relay (6:15.55)
Kai Van Westering – 800 Freestyle Relay (6:15.55)
Gavin Wight – 200 Medley Relay (1:23.84)
Jassen Yep – 100 Breaststroke (51.49)
Women
Mya DeWitt – 100 Backstroke (52.47)
Ching Hwee Gan – 800 Freestyle Relay (7:01.08)
Skyler Liu – 1-Meter (297.25)
Kacey McKenna – 100 backstroke (52.47)
Kristina Paegle – 800 Freestyle Relay (7:01.08)
Anna Peplowski – 200 Freestyle (1:42.97), 800 Freestyle Relay (7:01.08)
Ella Ristic – 800 Freestyle Relay (7:01.08)
NCAA CUTS
A: Women’s 200 medley relay (1:36.20), men’s 800 freestyle relay (6:15.55).
B: Men’s 200 medley relay (1:23.84); women’s 800 freestyle relay (7:01.08); Toby Barnett – 400 IM (3:42.54); Luke Barr – 100 back (46.04); Finn Brooks – 100 fly (45.88); Brendan Burns – 100 fly (45.97), 100 back (45.29); Kabria Chapman – 100 breast (1:01.11); Brearna Crawford – 100 breast (1:00.04); Mya DeWitt – 100 back (52.47); Tristan DeWitt – 400 IM (3:47.86); Tomer Frankel – 100 fly (45.26), 100 back (47.37); Anna Freed – 400 IM (4:12.94); Ching Hwee Gan – 400 IM (4:12.21); Josh Matheny – 100 breast (51.81); Kacey McKenna – 100 back (52.47); Rafael Miroslaw – 200 free (1:32.52); Kristina Paegle – 200 free (1:45.43); Anna Peplowski – 200 free (1:42.97); Lucas Piunti – 400 IM (3:49.50); Maxwell Reich – 100 breast (51.87); Drew Reiter – 400 IM (3:47.22); Ella Ristic – 200 free (1:45.91); Reese Tiltmann – 400 IM (4:13.21); Kai Van Westering – 100 back (46.72); Gavin Wight – 100 back (47.02); Chiok Sze Yeo – 100 fly (52.81); Jassen Yep – 100 breast (51.49).
NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES (FINALS)
1-meter: Maxwell Weinrich (333.10).
3-meter: Morgan Casey (275.70), Skyler Liu (297.25).
