IU Qualifies 21 for Final Night at Big Ten Championships

Saturday, February 24

Minneapolis, MN

12:00 PM

Indiana University

Big Ten Championships - Prelims

IU Qualifies 21 for Final Night at Big Ten Championships

2/24/2018 4:19:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The No. 3-ranked Indiana University men's swimming and diving team qualified 21 swimmers and divers for finals on Saturday night at the 2018 Big Ten Championships at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

Of the 21 finalists, 11 compete in Championship Finals, seven in B Finals and three in C Finals. Those numbers don't include the 1,650 freestyle, which IU will have four swimmers participating. Entering the final night, IU leads Michigan, 1,090-1,080.

200 Backstroke
In the 200 backstroke, the Hoosiers will have the top-two seeds, as well as the No. 6 for the Championship Final on Saturday night.

Mohamed Samy was terrific, posting a personal-best time of 1:40.91 to earn the top seed. Gabriel Fantoni was right behind him, touching with a PR of 1:42.10. Joining Samy and Fantoni in the A Final will be Wilson Beckman, who clocked a personal-best time of 1:42.57.

Freshman Jacob Steele will swim in the B Final after posting a PR of 1:43.40.

100 Freestyle
The Indiana sprinters had a great showing in prelims, qualifying all six swimmers for finals on Friday night.

In the Championship Final, Blake Pieroni will be the No. 1 seed after recording a NCAA A cut of 41.89. Pieroni's time is tied for the third-best in IU history and is the fourth-best mark in the nation this year.

Freshman Bruno Blaskovic was outstanding, earning the No. 3 seed for the A Final with a PR of 42.26 that ranks as the seventh-best time in school history. Senior Ali Khalafalla will be the No. 6 seed in the Championship Final with a time of 42.93.

Josh Romany (43.32), Nikola Miljenic (43.35) and Oliver Patrouch (43.59) will all swim in the B Final for the Hoosiers after posting personal-best times.

200 Breaststroke
Ian Finnerty and Levi Brock continue to have terrific weeks for the Hoosiers, as both qualified for the Championship Final of the 200 breaststroke.

Finnerty will be the No. 3 seed after posting a personal-best time of 1:53.22, while Brock will be the No. 5 seed after touching with a PR of 1:53.57. Finnerty's mark was the sixth-best in school history, while Brock's was the 10^th.

Freshman Matt Jerden will swim in the B Final after clocking a personal-best 1:56.85, while Jack Kucharczyk will be in the C Final after going 1:58.73 in prelims.

200 Butterfly
With five Big Ten titles already this week, Vini Lanza is the favorite in the Championship Final of the 200 butterfly. The junior will be the top seed after setting an Indiana school record with his NCAA A cut time of 1:40.88.

Joining Lanza in the A Final will be freshman Corey Gambardella, who posted a career-best time of 1:44.53 to earn the No. 7 seed.

Platform Dive
Freshman Andrew Capobianco qualified for the Championship Final of the platform dive with a personal-best score of 429.90 to lead five Hoosiers who earned spots in finals.

Michael Hixon (379.10) and Cody Coldren (376.80) both qualified for the B Final, while James Connor (341.70) and Mory Gould (316.85) scored points in the C Final for IU. Connor placed 20^th overall, while Gould took 23^rd.

The No. 3-ranked Hoosiers will conclude competition at the 2018 Big Ten Championships on Saturday evening with the finals of the 1,650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, platform dive and 400 freestyle relay. The action gets started at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.

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

200 Backstroke
Mohamed Samy – 1:40.91 (Championship Final – Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Gabriel Fantoni – 1:42.10 (Championship Final – Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Wilson Beckman – 1:42.57 (Championship Final – Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Jacob Steele – 1:43.40 (B Final – Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)

100 Freestyle
Blake Pieroni – 41.89 (Championship Final – NCAA A Cut)
Bruno Blaskovic – 42.26 (Championship Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Ali Khalafalla – 42.93 (Championship Final - NCAA B Cut)
Josh Romany – 43.32 (B Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Nikola Miljenic – 43.35 (B Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Oliver Patrouch – 43.59 (B Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)

200 Breaststroke
Ian Finnerty – 1:53.22 (Championship Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Levi Brock – 1:53.57 (Championship Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Matt Jerden – 1:56.85 (B Final - Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)
Jack Kucharczyk – 1:58.73 (B Final - NCAA B Cut)
33. Sam Apa – 2:01.35

200 Butterfly
Vini Lanza – 1:40.88 (Championship Final – School Record, NCAA A Cut)
Corey Gambardella – 1:44.53 (Championship Final – Personal Best, NCAA B Cut)

Platform Dive
Andrew Capobianco – 429.90 (Championship Final - Personal Best, NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
Michael Hixon – 379.10 (B Final - NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
Cody Coldren – 376.80 (B Final - NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
20. James Connor – 341.70 (C Final - NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
23. Mory Gould – 316.05 (C Final - NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
27. Clark Carter – 253.15

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