The No. 3-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team claimed another title on Friday night at the 2018 NCAA Championships at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
The Hoosiers continue to sit atop the team standings headed in to the fourth and final day of the NCAA Championships on Saturday with a total of 325 points. Texas is second with 306 points, while California is third with 291.5.
Ian Finnerty became the fastest man in history in the 100 breaststroke on Friday night, becoming the first person to break the 50-second barrier in winning the NCAA title with a time of 49.69. With his historic swim, Finnerty set the American, NCAA, NCAA Meet, U.S. Open, Big Ten, school and pool record.
Finnerty is only the second man to win a NCAA crown in the 100 breast, joining Don McKenzie who won the title in 1969. With Finnerty’s win, the Hoosiers have won three NCAA championships in one season for the first time since 1976. Michael Hixon won the 1-meter dive on Thursday, while the IU 400 medley relay also took home a NCAA crown.
Also in the Championship of the 100 breast, senior Levi Brock touched the wall fifth overall with a personal-best time of 51.38. Brock’s time ranks as the fifth-fastest in school history.
The Hoosiers had a great showing in the Championship Final of the 200 freestyle, as Blake Pieroni took second with a time of 1:30.23. After posting the fastest time in history on Wednesday in the event, it took a new American and NCAA record of 1:29.50 from Townley Haas of Texas to beat Pieroni.
Pieroni is the first Hoosier to reach the Championship Final of the 200 freestyle in four-consecutive years since Jim Montgomery from 1974-77. The senior’s time of 1:30.23 is the second-fastest in school history.
Mohamed Samy had a career swim in the event, taking fourth place out of lane 1 with a personal-best time of 1:31.73. Samy’s time ranks as the sixth-fastest all-time.
Hoosier diving was on display in the Championship Final of the 3-meter dive, as the trio of Michael Hixon, James Connor and Andrew Capobianco scored 40 points for IU. Indiana had three divers qualify for the A-Final of the 3-meter dive for the first time since 1968.
Hixon led the way, placing third overall with a total score of 481.90. The newly-crowned 1-meter dive NCAA champion from Thursday, Hixon finishes his illustrious career as a three-time NCAA Champion.
Connor took sixth overall in the event with a score of 433.25, while the rookie Capobianco was eighth with a total of 381.60.
Vini Lanza broke the Big Ten and school record in the 100 butterfly for the second-time on Friday, finishing third overall in the Championship Final with a time of 44.50. Lanza is the first Hoosier to place top-8 in the 100 butterfly in back-to-back seasons since Jim Hersey in 1977-78. His third-place finish is the best for a Hoosier in the event since Gary Hall took second in 1973.
Indiana posted the best result in the 200 medley relay in program history on Friday, as the IU team of Gabriel Fantoni, Finnerty, Lanza and Bruno Blaskovic placed fourth with a school record time of 1:22.87. The previous best finish was fifth in 2008.
In the Consolation Final of the 100 backstroke, Samy accomplished an impressive double, taking 13th overall in the event with a personal-best time of 45.52. Samy improved four spots from his seed time of No. 17 to earn critical points for the Hoosiers.
A total of 10 Hoosiers earned All-America or Honorable-Mention All-America honors on Friday. Pieroni earned his fifth of the week to give him 17 for his career, while both Lanza (14th career) and Finnerty (9th career) earned their fifth of the week as well.
Hixon notched the eighth of his career, while Connor earned his seventh. With two accolades, on Friday, Samy tallied the fourth and fifth of his career. Blaskovic, Fantoni and Capobianco all earned their second, while Brock recorded his first.
The No. 3-ranked Indiana University Hoosiers will continue competition at the 2018 NCAA Championships on Saturday morning with the prelims of the 1,650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 400 freestyle relay and platform dive. Action gets underway at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at 11:00 a.m. ET.
