Hoosier Relays Set Stage at Big Ten Championships

Wednesday, February 23

West Lafayette, Ind.

Indiana University

Big Ten Championships - Finals

Hoosier Relays Set Stage at Big Ten Championships

2/23/2022 7:47:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Indiana men's swimming earned a gold and silver medal on Wednesday (Feb. 23) to jump into the team lead after the first night at the Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships inside Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

IU earned 120 points during opening night to sit atop the leaderboard through two events.

"It was a solid first night, and we have six more important sessions to go," IU swimming head coach Ray Looze said. "Tomorrow morning the score is back to zero. That is the mentality we need to have throughout this competition."

IU's 200 Medley Relay kicked things off with a program record and an NCAA A Cut as the quartet of senior Gabriel Fantoni, freshman Joshua Matheny, sophomore Tomer Frankel and senior Bruno Blaskovic finished in 1:22.51. The Hoosiers earned silver just behind Ohio State, who won the race in a meet record 1:22.13.

The Hoosiers finished the night as Big Ten Champions in the 800 Freestyle Relay, swimming a pool record and NCAA A Cut 6:11.97. Freshman Rafael Miroslaw blazed the trail with a scorching 1:31.89, the only 1:31 of the field. After swimming the medley relay, Frankel followed with a 1:32 in the 800 Free, and Van Mathias and Brendan Burns each swam their legs in 1:33.

TEAM SCORES
1. Indiana – 120
2. Ohio State – 118
3. Michigan – 110
4. Northwestern – 100
5. Penn State – 96
6. Purdue – 92
7. Wisconsin – 52
8. Minnesota - 50

NOTABLES
• Indiana won its fourth Big Ten 800 Freestyle Relay title in six years. IU previously won three years in a row from 2017-2019.
• The Hoosiers swam the 800 Free in 6:11.96, the fourth-fastest time in Big Ten Championships history and the fifth-fastest in program history.
• Freshman Rafael Miroslaw's 1:31.89 to kick off the 800 Freestyle Relay win is the second-fastest 200 Free by any freshman this season. His previous best this season was 1:33.00.
• IU's 800 freestyle time shattered a pool record, previously 6:15.04 set by Michigan in 2016.
• Indiana's 200 Medley Relay set a program record with a 1:22.51 swim, besting the previous mark set during the 2018 NCAA Championships (1:22.87). Fantoni and Blaskovic raced in both record relays.
• The Hoosiers dropped 1.81 seconds off their 200 Medley Relay seed time to earn a silver medal and finish just 0.38 seconds off the leader.
• Blaskovic's 18.51 anchor split in the 200 Medley Relay was the fastest of the field.
• Following the relays, sophomore Jassen Yep swam an NCAA B Cut time of 1:54.07 in a 200-Yard Breaststroke time trial.

RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
2. Gabriel Fantoni, Josh Matheny, Tomer Frankel, Bruno Blaskovic – 1:22.51 (NCAA A Cut, Program Record)

800 FREESTYLE RELAY
1. Rafael Miroslaw, Tomer Frankel, Van Mathias, Brendan Burns – 6:11.96 (Pool Record, NCAA A Cut)

UP NEXT
Indiana will attempt to build on its lead on Thursday (Feb. 24) in day two of the Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. Athletes will compete in the 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 1-Meter dive and 400 Freestyle Relay. Prelims will begin at 10 a.m. ET with finals following at 5:30 a.m.

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