BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was a senior day of celebration on Saturday (Jan. 14) for No. 7/12-ranked Indiana swimming and diving as the men’s and women’s programs opened their spring with wins over No. 15/13 Michigan inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
The Hoosiers left no doubt in the victory, with the men winning 212-88 while the women posted a 208.5-91.5 score, as Indiana won 28 of the 32 events contested. For the women, it was their first dual meet win over the Wolverines since 2012 while the men extended a streak of six straight victories over Michigan.
“The team wanted to make a statement today,†IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “We’ve worked really hard. Our women haven’t beaten them since 2012, and it was great to see them get that monkey off their back, and our men did a similarly great job. I thought that was a wonderful team effort across the disciplines. I’m just proud of them, and we told them that we have a lot more to do. All our goals for the season remain in front of us, so it’s nice little feather in the cap.â€
“It’s a step along the way. It certainly builds confidence. We have to keep doing positive things that put our swimmers and divers in a position to succeed.â€
Indiana honored its senior class on Saturday with a pregame ceremony that featured fifth-year seniors Mikey Calvillo, Andrew Capobianco, Jack Franzman, Mackenzie Looze, Van Mathias, Noelle Peplowski, Margaret Rogers and Maggie Wallace, true seniors Jacob Destrampe, Carmen Hernandez, Samantha Muma, Grace Pangburn, Zain Smith, Ashley Turak and manager Ainsley Brown.
“It was a great day,†IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Between Andrew as our only male senior and one of our future hall of famers, finishing his career collegiately here, it was great, and he did it in classic Andrew style, with an almost 100-point dive to win the event at the end. And our three senior girls, Margaret, Zain and Carmen, they led the team in setting the culture that we have for this women’s team now. It was an important day for IU diving for them to move on and then hand it off to the next generation.”
Capobianco returned to collegiate competition for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Championships. The redshirt senior won both men’s diving events, scoring 412.95 points on the 1-meter springboard and 427.65 points on the 3-meter. Capobianco had an emphatic finish, earning a 96.90 score on his final dive of the day, a forward 4 ½ somersault tuck.
“He probably had as much if not more, or different, powerful emotions going through him today than he did when he was standing on the stage at the Olympics or NCAA Championships,†Johansen said. “And true to form, he performed great.
“We also see that there’s more in the tank, that he can put another 100 points on that list pretty easily. We’re doing the hardest list of dives in the world. No man is doing dives any harder than what Andrew is doing, and when they all come together, which, hopefully, with these next three dual meets, and then championship season after that, we should see him going to a new place. It’s hard to say that he can get better, but he can.”
Diving filled out the top spots in the standings. Junior Anne Fowler won both women’s events, scoring 304.13 on the 1-meter and 343.05 on the 3-meter. Sophomore Megan Carter placed third in each. On the men’s side, Hoosiers earned each of the top-five spots on the 3-meter board. Sophomores Quinn Henninger (402.60) and Carson Tyler (351.60) placed second and fourth, respectively, on 1-meter.
The sister duo of sophomore Anna Peplowski and senior Noelle Peplowski impressed again, winning four events each. The younger swept the backstroke events while her senior captured victories in each of the breaststroke events, highlighting their performances.
Senior Brendan Burns had another strong day, sweeping the men’s backstroke events to go along with a victory in the 200-yard butterfly, which he won by over six seconds after touching in 1:42.11. Despite wearing a training suit, Burns’ time is the sixth-fastest in the country this season.
Hoosier swimmers posted 10 NCAA B cuts while competing in training suits. Eight divers combined for 14 NCAA zone qualifying marks.
TEAM SCORES
Men
No. 7 Indiana 212, No. 15 Michigan 88
Women
No. 12 Indiana 208.5, No. 13 Michigan 91.5
HOOSIER WINNERS
Men
Luke Barr – 200 medley relay (1:25.74)
Brendan Burns – 100 backstroke (46.29), 200 butterfly (1:42.11), 200 backstroke (1:42.56)
Mikey Calvillo – 500 freestyle (4:27.52)
Andrew Capobianco – 1-meter diving (412.95), 3-meter diving (427.65)
Tomer Frankel – 200 medley relay (1:25.74), 100 butterfly (46.58), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)
Jack Franzman – 200 medley relay (1:25.74)
Josh Matheny – 200 breaststroke (1:59.54)
Van Mathias – 200 medley relay (1:25.74), 50 freestyle (19.59), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)
Rafael Miroslaw – 200 freestyle (1:35.28), 100 freestyle (43.63), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)
Gavin Wight – 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)
Jassen Yep – 100 breaststroke (54.50)
Women
Elizabeth Broshears – 200 medley relay (1:38.80)
Anne Fowler – 3-meter diving (343.05), 1-meter diving (304.13)
Mariah Denigan – 1,000 freestyle (9:48.93), 500 freestyle (4:49.77)
Mackenzie Looze – 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)
Kacey McKenna – 200 medley relay (1:38.80)
Kristina Paegle – 200 medley relay (1:38.80), 50 freestyle (22.40), 100 freestyle (49.60), 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)
Anna Peplowski – 200 freestyle (1:47.21), 100 backstroke (53.84), 200 backstroke (1:56.93), 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)
Noelle Peplowski – 200 medley relay (1:38.80), 100 breaststroke (59.93), 200 breaststroke (2:09.40), 200 IM (1:59.69)
Ashley Turak – 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)
NCAA CUTS
A: None.
B: Brendan Burns – 100 back (46.29), 200 fly (1:42.11); Tomer Frankel – 100 fly (46.58); Van Mathias (19.59); Rafael Miroslaw – 200 free (1:35.28); Kristina Paegle (22.40); Anna Peplowski – 100 back (53.84), 200 back (1:42.56); Noelle Peplowski – 100 breast (59.93), 200 breast (2:09.40)
NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES
1-meter: Andrew Capobianco (412.95), Megan Carter (288.83), Anne Fowler (304.13), Quinn Henninger (402.60), William Jansen (263.85), Carson Tyler (351.60), Maxwell Weinrich (341.78)
3-meter: Andrew Capobianco (427.65), Megan Carter (321.45), Morgan Casey (285.15), Anne Fowler (343.05), Quinn Henninger (396.98), Carson Tyler (396.00), Maxwell Weinrich (346.88)
