Indiana Places Seventh at NCAA Championships

Saturday, March 25

Indianapolis, IN

6:00 PM

Indiana University

NCAA Championships - Finals

3/25/2017 9:18:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana University men' swimming and diving team brought a historic 2017 NCAA Championships to a close on Saturday night at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Hoosiers placed seventh overall with a total of 229.5 points. The finish is the best for Indiana at a NCAA Championships since also placing seventh 38 years ago in 1979. The 229.5 points are the most for IU since scoring 274 in 1975. The top-10 finish for the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships is the fifth in the last six years.

Texas won the program's third-straight NCAA Championship with a total of 542 points, while California took second with 349. Florida was third with 294.5, NC State fourth with 272.5 and Stanford in fifth with 242. USC was sixth, just 75 points ahead of IU with 237.

For the second-straight season, Indiana finished as the top Big Ten team at the NCAA Championships – the best stretch for IU since accomplishing the feat for 15-straight seasons from 1964-78.

Over the course of the meet, the Hoosiers had 13 individuals earn a total of 32 All-America honors – the most in program history in 42 years since the team tallied 36 in 1975.

In the 400 freestyle relay, the Hoosier team of Mohamed Samy, Blake Pieroni, Ali Khalafalla and Sam Lorentz placed eighth in the Championship Final with a time of 2:49.53. The mark is the third-best time in history for the Hoosiers.

On the leadoff 100 free leg, Samy posted a personal-best time of 42.97, which ranks him as the fourth-best performer all-time at IU.

Pieroni earned his second All-America certificate of the night – his fifth of the NCAA's – in the Championship Final of the 100 freestyle, placing eighth overall with a time of 41.85. The junior's time is the second-fastest in Indiana history.

With his eighth-place finish, Pieroni recorded the best finish in the 100 free for a Hoosier since Jim Montgomery took third in 1977.

Vini Lanza earned his fifth All-America honor of the meet in the Consolation Final of the 200 butterfly, placing fourth to finish 12^th overall with a time of 1:41.84. Lanza posted the fifth-best time in the event in school history to earn his honorable-mention accolade.

In the Consolation Final of the platform dive, Cody Coldren earned Honorable Mention All-America honors – the first of his career – by placing seventh with a total of 311.35. The 15^th place overall finish is the best for Coldren in his career.

The Indiana divers had a great week at the NCAA Championships, totaling an impressive 62 points for the Hoosiers. Michael Hixon and James Connor were named All-Americans in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives.

In the 1,650 freestyle, Marwan Elkamash placed 18^th overall with a time of 14:48.74. Elkamash's mark is the second-best in IU history, just .40 seconds behind his own school record.

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

1,650 Freestyle
18. Marwan Elkamash – 14:48.74

100 Freestyle
8. Blake Pieroni – 41.85 (All-America)

200 Butterfly
12. Vini Lanza – 1:41.84 (Honorable Mention All-America)

400 Freestyle Relay
8. Mohamed Samy, Blake Pieroni, Ali Khalafalla, Sam Lorentz – 2:49.53 (All-America)

Platform Dive
15. Cody Coldren – 311.35 (Honorable Mention All-America)

2017 Indiana All-America Honors
Cody Coldren (1) – Platform dive (HM)
James Connor (2) – 1-meter dive, 3-meter dive
Marwan Elkamash (2) – 500 freestyle, 800 freestyle relay (HM)
Ian Finnerty (2) – 200 medley relay (HM), 400 medley relay
Bob Glover (2) – 200 medley relay (HM), 400 medley relay
Michael Hixon (2) – 1-meter dive, 3-meter dive
Ali Khalafalla (4) – 50 freestyle (HM), 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay (HM)
Vini Lanza (5) – 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly (HM), 200 IM (HM), 200 medley relay (HM), 400 medley relay
Sam Lorentz (2) – 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay
Blake Pieroni (5) – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay (HM), 400 medley relay
Josh Romany (1) – 200 freestyle relay
Mohamed Samy (3) – 200 freestyle (HM), 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay (HM)
Anze Tavcar (1) – 800 freestyle relay (HM)

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