Nine Medals Push No. 4 Indiana Ahead Through Three Days

Friday, February 25

West Lafayette, Ind.

Indiana University

Big Ten Championships - Finals

Nine Medals Push No. 4 Indiana Ahead Through Three Days

2/25/2022 10:21:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 4-ranked Indiana men's swimming and diving team shook things up Friday (Feb. 25), retaking the team lead at the 2022 Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships inside Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Indiana won nine medals across seven events during Friday's evening session to jump the previous night's leader, Ohio State. The Hoosiers now sit 32.5 points ahead going into the final day of the meet.

The night was highlighted by Indiana's dominance in the 100 Backstroke. Hoosiers finished first, third and fourth in the race, led by junior Brendan Burns' meet, pool and program record swim. Burns beat Ohio State Olympian Hunter Armstrong by less than half a second, touching the wall in 44.31 for the fastest time in the country. Four-time Big Ten 100 back champion Gabriel Fantoni took third (45.05), and fellow senior Jacob Steele finished fourth (45.66).

"The men had an outstanding morning and an even better night," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. "I am so proud of the Hoosiers. Every single team member has laid their heart on the line and dug deep. We need to keep the pedal fully to the metal!"

In the very next event, Hoosier diving finished first, third and fifth in the 3-meter dive. Senior Andrew Capobianco captured his second gold of the meet, scoring a 467.75. Freshman Quinn Henninger also earned his second medal in two days, this time bronze with a 451.40. Fellow freshman Carson Tyler placed fifth at 438.90.

"It was a great team day, swimming and diving," IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. "I saw the divers feeding off the energy from the swimmers and the team standings. Andrew winning with his teammates Quinn and Carson right behind him was electric. We're looking forward to finishing with the Platform dive tomorrow."

TEAM SCORES
1. Indiana – 972.5
2. Ohio State – 940.5
3. Michigan – 756.5
4. Wisconsin – 564.5
5. Purdue – 556
6. Northwestern – 511
7. Penn State – 427
8. Minnesota – 404

NOTABLES
• Indiana totaled nine medals on Friday; three gold, three silver and three bronze.
• Burns' 44.31 to win gold in the 100 back beat the previous meet record set by Penn State's Shane Ryan in 2017 when he went 44.65. It also broke Ben Hesen's program record that stood since 2008.
• Capobianco is the first Hoosier to win both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving titles since former teammate James Connor did it in 2019.
• Capobianco and Henninger have combined for four medals in two events.
• Henninger improved by over 45 points between the prelim and final to earn bronze.
• The Hoosier silver medal 200 Freestyle Relay of Bruno Blaskovic, Jack Franzman, Rafael Miroslaw and Van Mathias earned an NCAA A Cut 1:15.81.
• Freshman Rafael Miroslaw earned two medals Friday to bring his meet total to four. Miroslaw won his first individual medal in the 200 Freestyle before helping IU take silver in the 200 Freestyle Relay. Previously, he had earned gold in both the 800 free and 400 medley relays.
• Sophomore Tomer Frankel earned two silver medals on day three, bringing his total to five for the meet; two gold, three silver.
• Sophomore Tristan DeWitt and senior Michael Brinegar earned the maximum points, finishing top of the consolation and C finals, respectively. Brinegar swam the final 100 in 50.94 seconds, the second-fastest of any swimmer in the night session.
• Senior Ben McDade was named Indiana's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.

RESULTS
100 BUTTERFLY
2. Tomer Frankel – 44.81 (NCAA A Cut, Career Best)
4. Gabriel Fantoni – 45.18 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
8. Bruno Blaskovic – 46.00 (NCAA B Cut)
12. Van Mathias – 46.52 (NCAA B Cut)
T-19. Corey Gambardella – 47.00 (NCAA B Cut)

400 IM
8. Maxwell Reich – 3:47.95 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
9. Tristan DeWitt – 3:47.25 (NCAA B Cut)
17. Michael Brinegar – 3:51.19 (NCAA B Cut)

200 FREESTYLE
1. Rafael Miroslaw – 1:32.17 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA B Cut)
2. Tomer Frankel – 1:33.02 (NCAA B Cut)
11. Warren Briggs – 1:36.14 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)

100 BREASTSTROKE
3. Josh Matheny – 51.65 (Career Best)
12. Maxwell Reich – 53.31 (Career Best)
14. Luke Barr – 53.48 (Career Best)

100 BACKSTROKE
1. Brendan Burns – 44.31 (Big Ten Champion, Meet Record, Pool Record, Program Record, NCAA A Cut, Career Best)
3. Gabriel Fantoni – 45.05 (NCAA B Cut)
4. Jacob Steele – 45.66 (NCAA B Cut)
9. Gavin Wight – 46.75 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)

3-METER DIVE
1. Andrew Capobianco – 467.75 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)
3. Quinn Henninger – 451.40 (NCAA Zone Qualifier, Career Best)
5. Carson Tyler – 438.90 (NCAA Zone Qualifier)

200 FREESTYLE RELAY
2. Bruno Blaskovic, Jack Franzman, Rafael Miroslaw, Van Mathias – 1:15.81 (NCAA A Cut)

UP NEXT
Day four of the 2022 Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET Saturday (Feb. 26) in preliminary action with finals following at 5:30 p.m. ET. Athletes will compete in the 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, Platform dive and 400 Freestyle Relay.

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