IU Men’s Swimming & Diving Places Ninth at NCAA Championships

Saturday, March 26

Atlanta, GA

6:00 PM

Indiana University

NCAA Championships- Finals

IU Men’s Swimming & Diving Places Ninth at NCAA Championships

3/26/2016 9:51:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

ATLANTA – The No. 9-ranked Indiana University men's swimming and diving team saved their best for last at the 2016 NCAA Championships, vaulting up the leaderboard on the final day at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta.

The Hoosiers moved up two spots on the final day, finishing in ninth place with a total of 180.5 points. Texas won the NCAA title with a score of 541.5

The top-10 finish for the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships is the fourth in the last five years. IU's 180.5 points are the most for the team since scoring 201 in 2013. IU finished ahead of Stanford (14^th) for the first time since 1980 and Auburn (10^th) for the first time since 1991.

With the ninth place finish, the Hoosiers finished as the top Big Ten team at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1978. In total, Indiana earned 28 All-America honors at the 2016 NCAA Championships – the most for the program since 2013.

Swimming in the Championship Final of the 400 freestyle relay for the first time since 1991, the IU team of Anze Tavcar, Ali Khalafalla, Sam Lorentz and Blake Pieroni finished fourth overall in an Indiana and Big Ten record time of 2:49.10. The relay broke the previous school record set earlier Saturday.

Tavcar got the relay started on a high note, posting a 100 free split of 42.38. Tavcar's time ranks as the third-fastest 100 free in IU history.

Tanner Kurz capped his final NCAA Championships on a high note, as the senior placed eighth in the Championship Final of the 200 breast with a time of 1:54.56 to earn All-America honors. Swimming in the Consolation Final, Cody Taylor placed 14^th overall with a mark of 1:55.46 to receive Honorable Mention All-America accolades.

Vini Lanza ended his fantastic week at the NCAA Championships with a school record, placing 10^th overall in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:41.80. Lanza is the first swimmer in IU history to break the 1:42 barrier at Indiana en route to being earning his Honorable Mention All-America certificate.

Indiana had a terrific showing in the Consolation Final of the 100 freestyle, finishing 1-2 to earn a pair of Honorable Mention All-America honors. Anze Tavcar won the B-Final with a time of 42.34 to take 9^th place overall, while Blake Pieroni touched in a time of 42.50 to place second in the race and finish 10^th overall.

Tavcar's time is the second-fastest time in IU history, while Pieroni's is the fourth-best in the event at Indiana.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men's swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

100 Freestyle
9. Anze Tavcar – 42.34 (Honorable Mention All-American)
10. Blake Pieroni – 42.50 (Honorable Mention All-American)

200 Breaststroke
8. Tanner Kurz – 1:54.56 (All-American)
14. Cody Taylor – 1:55.46 (Honorable Mention All-American)

200 Butterfly
10. Vini Lanza – 1:41.80 (School Record - Honorable Mention All-American)

400 Freestyle Relay
4. Anze Tavcar, Ali Khalafalla, Sam Lorentz, Blake Pieroni – 2:49.10 (School Record, Big Ten Record - All-Americans)
* Tavcar's leadoff 100 free time of 42.38 is the third-fastest time in IU history

Indiana 2016 All-Americans
Joshua Arndt (1) – 3-Meter Dive
Bob Glover (2) – 200 Medley Relay (HM), 400 Medley Relay
Ian Finnerty (1) – 100 Breaststroke (HM)
Ali Khalafalla (4) – 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Medley Relay (HM), 200 Freestyle Relay (HM), 50 Freestyle (HM)
Tanner Kurz (4) – 200 Breaststroke, 100 Breaststroke (HM), 200 Medley Relay (HM), 400 Medley Relay
Vini Lanza (4) – 200 Butterfly (HM), 100 Butterfly (HM), 200 Medley Relay (HM), 400 Medley Relay
Sam Lorentz (2) – 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)
Oliver Patrouch (1) – 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)
Blake Pieroni (5) – 100 Freestyle (HM), 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle Relay (HM), 400 Medley Relay
Anze Tavcar (3) – 100 Freestyle (HM), 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)
Cody Taylor (1) – 200 Breaststroke (HM)