No. 4 IU Captures Seven Medals on Day Three

The No. 4-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team added seven more medals in front of a capacity crowd at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center during the third day of action at the 2020 Big Ten Championships on Friday night.

The Hoosiers held steady at the third spot in the team standings with one day of competition remaining. Indiana has compiled 857.5 points and trails No. 3 Michigan (1,063 points) and No. 17 Ohio State (865 points).

Junior Gabriel Fantoni threw down a CBAC Pool Record and NCAA A Cut time of 44.92 to win the 100 Backstroke Championship Final. The time is the fifth-fastest time recorded in the event this season nationally. Fantoni has won the event in each of the last three seasons for the Hoosiers.

Freshman Brendan Burns took silver with a career-best time of 45.75 and junior Jacob Steele took sixth with a time of 46.41. Both swimmers added NCAA B cut times. Out of the C Final, freshman Jake Marcum finished 20th with a career-best time of 48.01.

The Hoosier 200 Freestyle Relay team consisting of junior Bruno Blaskovic, sophomore Jack Franzman, sophomore Brandon Hamblin, and senior Mohamed Samy captured gold with a CBAC Pool Record and NCAA A Cut mark of 1:16.30. The victory gives IU three wins in four relay races this week.

The time is the third-quickest time in the country this season and ranks as the third-fastest mark in program history. IU has notched victories in the event in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. Blaskovic led off the race with an NCAA B Cut time of 19.25.

Blaskovic added another medal to his growing collection during the Big Ten Championships with a silver finished in the 100 Butterfly Championship Final. He touched the wall in 45.44, just ahead of Burns. He finished with bronze honors and a career-best time of 45.47, the third-best performer in program history in the event. Sophomore Van Mathias finished seventh out of the A Final with a time of 46.47.

Fantoni claimed the 11th spot out of the B Final of the 100 fly with a time of 46.55, while senior Iago Moussalem finished 12th with a mark of 46.59, his best time in the event since joining the Hoosiers.

Sophomore Zane Backes took home silver in the 100 Breaststroke Championship Final with an NCAA A Cut time of 51.37. The hardware comes one season after collecting bronze in the 2019 Big Ten Championships. Junior Gary Kostbade finished 15th out of the Consolation Final with a time of 53.10 and junior Matt Jerden finished 21st with a time of 54.24.

Samy finished third in the 200 Freestyle Championship Final with a time of 1:32.91. In the Consolation Final, sophomore Jakub Karl (1:35.75) and freshman Kai Bathurst (1:36.55) finished 11th and 15th overall, respectively. Junior Thomas Vanderbrook finished 22nd overall out of the C Final with a time of 1:36.22, while junior Griffin Eiber tabbed a 24th-place finish with a time of 1:37.42.

In a loaded 3-Meter Championship Final, junior Mory Gould finished sixth with a six-dive score of 356.55. Five of his six dives scored over 60 points in the round.  Sophomore Cole VanDevender was sensational in the Consolation Final of the 3-Meter Dive and finished with a career-best score of 389.75. He earned the top spot in the B Final to finish ninth overall in the event. His score also marked an Olympic Trial cut score and has qualified VanDevender for the event this summer.

Indiana had three swimmers score out of the Consolation Final of the 400 IM. Junior Spencer Lehman won the B Final with a career-best time of 3:44.30 to place ninth overall, while sophomore Mikey Calvillo tallied a 12th-place finish at 3:48.15. Jerden placed 15th with a time of 3:50.77. Sophomore Ben McDade (3:50.53) placed 20th out of the C Final in the event.

UP NEXT

The 2020 Big Ten Men’s Championships continue on Saturday with the last morning of prelims. The action gets underway at 11:00 a.m. ET with the prelims of the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, platform dive and 1,650 freestyle.

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RESULTS

100 Butterfly

2. Bruno Blaskovic – 45.44 (NCAA B Cut)
3. Brendan Burns – 45.47 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
4. Van Mathias – 46.47 (NCAA B Cut)
5. Gabriel Fantoni – 46.55 (NCAA B Cut)
6. Iago Moussalem – 46.59 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best*)

400 IM

9. Spencer Lehman – 3:44.30 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
10. Mikey Calvillo – 3:48.15 (NCAA B Cut)
11. Matt Jerden – 3:50.77 (NCAA B Cut)
12. Ben McDade – 3:50.53 (NCAA B Cut)

200 Freestyle

3. Mohamed Samy – 1:32.91 (NCAA B Cut)
4. Jakub Karl – 1:35.75 (NCAA B Cut)
5. Kai Bathurst – 1:36.55
6. Thomas Vanderbrook – 1:36.25 (NCAA B Cut)
7. Griffin Eiber – 1:37.42

100 Breaststroke

2. Zane Backes – 51.37 (NCAA A Cut)
3. Gary Kostbade – 53.10 (NCAA B Cut)

t-21. Matt Jerden – 54.24 (NCAA B Cut)

100 Backstroke

1. Gabriel Fantoni – 44.92 (NCAA A Cut, Pool Record)
2. Brendan Burns – 45.75 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
3. Jacob Steele – 46.41 (NCAA B Cut)
4. Jake Marcum – 48.01 (Career Best)

3-Meter Dive

6. Mory Gould – 356.55 (NCAA Zone Qualifying Score)
7. Cole VanDevender – 389.75 (NCAA Zone Qualifying Score)

200 Freestyle Relay

1. Bruno Blaskovic, Jack Franzman, Brandon Hamblin, Mohamed Samy – 1:16.30 (NCAA A Cut, Pool Record)