IOWA CITY, Iowa – The No. 2-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team captured the team’s third-straight Big Ten Championship at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday night.
Indiana’s three-straight titles are a first for the program since also winning three-in-a-row from 1983-85. The team championship is the 27th in program history. Also, with the Hoosier women’s team winning the Big Ten Championship last week, it marks the first time in school history that both the men’s and women’s programs won the conference title in the same season.
IU won the team title with a total score of 1,705 points. Michigan finished in second place with a score of 1,464, while Ohio State took third with a total of 1,243.5 points.
For the week, IU won a total of 24 medals – 13 gold, six silver, and five bronze. Indiana also won four of the five relays at the Big Ten Championships for a second-straight year – a program first.
Vini Lanza became the first man in Big Ten history to be named Swimmer of the Championships for three-straight years. Lanza won titles in the 200 IM, 200 butterflies, 200 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay, and 400 medley relay this week, along with two silver medals.
For the second time in his career, James Connor was named the Diver of the Championships. Connor won Big Ten titles in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives this week. A Hoosier has been named Diver of the Championships six of the last eight seasons.
Joining Connor and Lanza on the All-Big Ten First-Team were Zach Apple, Bruno Blaskovic, Gabriel Fantoni, Ian Finnerty, Brandon Hamblin, and Mohamed Samy. Andrew Capobianco was named Second-Team All-Big Ten.
Lanza let the NCAA know that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the 200 butterflies at the NCAA Championships later this month, posting the fastest time in Big Ten history en route to winning his third-straight Big Ten crown in the 200 fly with a time of 1:39.28.
Lanza set the Big Ten record, Big Ten Meet record, the school record and pool record with his NCAA A cut time. The senior’s mark is also the fastest time in the nation this season.
Also for IU in the Championship Final of the 200 butterflies, freshman Van Mathias took bronze with a time of 1:42.53, while Corey Gambardella was fifth in 1:42.99. In the C Final, Jakub Karl was fourth in a career-best time of 1:46.88.
 Gabriel Fantoni made it a sweep of the backstroke events this week, as the sophomore champion in the 100 backstroke won the Big Ten title in the 200 backstroke on Saturday night with a career-best time of 1:39.53.
Sophomore Jacob Steele had a personal-best time in the Championship Final as well, taking the bronze medal with a time of 1:41.52. Mohamed Samy was fifth overall with a time of 1:41.93. Wilson Beckman placed 20th with a time of 1:45.24.
Ian Finnerty dominated the Championship Final of the 200 breaststroke, winning his second-straight title in the event with an NCAA A cut and Big Ten Meet record time of 1:50.30. Finnerty, who also became the first man to win four-straight 100 breaststroke titles in Big Ten history on Friday, posted the fastest time in the nation in the 200 breast on Saturday, missing his school record time by just 0.13 seconds.
Also for IU in the Championship Final, freshman Zane Backes took sixth with a career-best time of 1:53.78, while Gary Kostbade took eighth with a PR of 1:54.18. In the B Final, Matt Jerden was fifth in 1:56.84.
For the fourth-straight year, Indiana won the 400 freestyle relay Big Ten title. The Hoosier team of Zach Apple, Mohamed Samy, Bruno Blaskovic and Jack Franzman touched first with an NCAA A cut time of 2:48.67. The time is the third-fastest in the nation this season.
After Apple leadoff with a 42.31, IU posted splits of 42.51 and 42.30 over the next two legs. Neck and neck with Ohio State with one leg left, Franzman recorded a blistering 41.55 to bring home the gold for the Hoosiers.
Freshman Michael Brinegar had the best 1,650 freestyle for any Hoosier swimmer in history, shattering his own school record with a NCAA A cut time of 14:31.73 to win the silver medal. Brinegar’s time is the fourth-fastest in the nation this season.
Classmate Mikey Calvillo took fourth in the Championship Final with a PR of 14:45.64, while Spencer Lehman took seventh with a career-best mark of 15:06.47. Senior Adam Destrampe finished 12th overall with a time of 15:12.57.
Senior Zach Apple continued his great showing this week for the Hoosiers, winning silver in the 100 freestyle Championship Final with a time of 41.97. Teammate Bruno Blaskovic took fourth in the A Final with a mark of 42.69.
In the B Final, freshman Jack Franzman touched first, posting a personal-best time of 42.65. In the C Final, Griffin Eiber (43.60) was second, while Brandon Hamblin (43.81) was fifth.
Sophomore Andrew Capobianco capped his tremendous week at the Big Ten Championships, placing fourth overall in the platform dive with a score of 416.00. Capobianco was the only diver to qualify for every Championship Final, scoring a diving-best 82 points.
In the B Final of the platform dive, Mory Gould placed sixth with a score of 339.15, while Cole VanDevender was eighth with a total of 321.75.
For the week, every Indiana diver scored in every event, IU was the only school in the Big Ten to accomplish that feat. Hoosier diving played an integral part in the program’s 27thBig Ten titles, scoring 210 points over the week.
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s swimming and diving team on social media – Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Swimmer of the Championships
Vini Lanza
Diver of the Championships
James Connor
 First-Team All-Big Ten
Zach Apple
Bruno Blaskovic
James Connor
Gabriel Fantoni
Ian Finnerty
Brandon Hamblin
Vini Lanza
Mohamed Samy
Second-Team All-Big Ten
Andrew Capobianco
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree
Mory Gould
 1,650 Freestyle
2. Michael Brinegar – 14:31.73 (NCAA A Cut, School Record, Personal Best)
4. Mikey Calvillo – 14:45.64 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
7. Spencer Lehman – 15:06.47 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
12. Adam Destrampe – 15:12.57 (NCAA B Cut)
 200 Backstroke
1. Gabriel Fantoni – 1:39.53 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
3. Jacob Steele – 1:41.52 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
5. Mohamed Samy – 1:41.93 (NCAA B Cut)
20. Wilson Beckman – 1:45.24
100 Freestyle
2. Zach Apple – 41.97 (NCAA B Cut)
4. Bruno Blaskovic – 42.69 (NCAA B Cut)
9. Jack Franzman – 42.65 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
18. Griffin Eiber – 43.60 (NCAA B Cut)
21. Brandon Hamblin – 43.81
200 Breaststroke
1. Ian Finnerty – 1:50.30 (NCAA A Cut, Big Ten Meet Record)
6. Zane Backes – 1:53.78 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
8. Gary Kostbade – 1:54.18 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
13. Matt Jerden – 1:56.84 (NCAA B Cut)
200 Butterfly
1. Vini Lanza – 1:39.28 (NCAA A Cut, Big Ten Record, Big Ten Meet Record, School Record, Pool Record, Personal Best)
3. Van Mathias – 1:42.53 (NCAA B Cut)
5. Corey Gambardella – 1:42.99 (NCAA B Cut)
20. Jakub Karl – 1:46.88 (Personal Best)
Platform Dive
4. Andrew Capobianco – 416.00 (NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
14. Mory Gould – 339.15 (NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
16. Cole VanDevender – 321.75 (NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
400 Freestyle Relay
1. Zach Apple, Mohamed Samy, Bruno Blaskovic, Jack Franzman – 2:48.67 (NCAA A Cut)
