Blaskovic Golden on Day Two of Big Ten Championships

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The No. 4-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team added two more gold medals to the program’s tally during the 2020 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on Thursday night.

After two days of competition, the Hoosiers drop to third in the team standings behind No. 3 Michigan (555.0 points) and No. 17 Ohio State (401.0 points). Indiana enters the third day of action with 397.0 points.

 

Junior Bruno Blaskovic proved he is the fastest man in the Big Ten Conference with a blistering time of 18.97 to win the 50 Freestyle Championship Final. Blaskovic became the first Hoosier to win gold in the event since Sam Gasowski during the 1996 championships. He was the lone swimmer in the race to under 19 seconds.

 

Sophomore Jack Franzman finished sixth overall with a time of 19.56.

 

The Indiana 400 Medley Relay team consisting of junior Gabriel Fantoni, sophomore Zane Backes, freshman Brendan Burns, and Blaskovic once again topped the podium with a time of 3:02.27. The Hoosiers have won the event in five-straight seasons dating back to the championships in the 2016 season. The time posted by IU ranks third in the country this season.

 

Senior Mohamed Samy turned in a career-best mark of 1:42.85 in a fourth-place effort in the Championships Final of the 200 IM. Sophomore Van Mathias, also in the A Final, shaved time off his previous career best to swim a 1:43.50 in a sixth-place finish.

 

Junior Jacob Steele finished 12th out of the Consolation Final with a time of 1:45.22. Junior Thomas Vanderbrook won the C Final with a time of 1:45.29 to finish 17th overall, while junior Spencer Lehman placed 24th overall with a time of 1:47.07.

 

Sophomore Mikey Calvillo claimed the sixth spot in the overall standings in the Championship Final of the 500 Freestyle with a time of 4:19.75. Freshman Will Gallant (4:21.35) and freshman Kai Bathurst (4:23.05) finished 13th and 14th, respectively, out of the Consolation Final of the event. Sophomore Jakub Karl cruised to the victory in the C Final to place 17th overall with a time of 4:21.50.

 

After just missing out on the Championship Final, sophomore Cole VanDevender turned in a great performance in the Consolation Final of the 1-Meter Dive. He tallied a six-dive score of 328.80 to win the heat to finished ninth overall in the event.

 

UP NEXT

The 2020 Big Ten Men’s Championships continue on Friday with the second morning of prelims. The action gets underway at 11:00 a.m. ET with the prelims of the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 3-meter dive.

 

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RESULTS

500 Freestyle

  1. Mikey Calvillo – 4:19.75 (NCAA B Cut)
  2. Will Gallant – 4:21.35 (NCAA B Cut)
  3. Kai Bathurst – 4:23.05 (NCAA B Cut)
  4. Jakub Karl – 4:21.50 (NCAA B Cut)

 

200 IM

  1. Mohamed Samy – 1:42.85 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
  2. Van Mathias – 1:43.50 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
  3. Jacob Steele – 1:45.22 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
  4. Thomas Vanderbrook – 1:45.29 (NCAA B Cut)
  5. Spencer Lehman – 1:47.07

50 Freestyle

  1. Bruno Blaskovic – 18.97 (NCAA B Cut)
  2. Jack Franzman – 19.56 (NCAA B Cut)

Time Trial – Brandon Hamblin – 19.59 (NCAA B Cut)

1-Meter Dive

  1. Cole VanDevender – 328.80 (NCAA Zone Qualifying score)

400 Medley Relay

  1. Gabriel Fantoni, Zane Backes, Brendan Burns, Bruno Blaskovic – 3:02.27 (NCAA A Cut, Pool Record)

 

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