Hoosiers Sweep Big Ten Opening Night Relays

Wednesday, February 28

Columbus, Ohio

5 p.m.

Indiana University

Big Ten Championships - Finals

2/28/2024 8:45:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)Photo Gallery

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 5-ranked Indiana swimming and diving won conference championships in both opening night relays Wednesday (Feb. 28) at the 2024 Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University.

The Hoosiers earned maximum points from the first night of competition, winning the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay, and now lead the team standings with 128 points through two events.

"We had a solid start in session one," IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. "I love the energy of this team, and I'm super excited to watch the rest of this competition. This is a special group of guys."

Indiana kicked off the session winning the 200 medley relay in 1:22.17 – the second-fastest time in program history and just four hundredths off the meet record time. IU improved from a third-place finish at the 2023 championships to win the event for the first time since 2020. The Indiana time is the sixth-fastest time in the country, set by senior Brendan Burns (20.98), junior Finn Brooks (22.91) and seniors Tomer Frankel (19.41) and Gavin Wight (18.87).

Burns and Frankel were also part of IU's 800 freestyle relay victory. Junior Rafael Miroslaw and Frankel had identical 1:32.32 splits as the Hoosiers took the lead at the halfway mark and did not relinquish it. Junior Kai van Westering went 1:32.97 before Burns anchored in 1:33.25. Their 6:10.86 ranks No. 5 in the country. Indiana has won its 20th 800 freestyle relay and third straight – Miroslaw, Frankel and Burns have been part of each of those last three.

The Big Ten trailed a team diving exhibition between the relays for a second-straight season. Three divers from each squad executed a total of six dives, two from each board.

"It was a great day to see the team so well participated in with all the men stepping up to try to make this event a scoring event here at Big Tens and the NCAA meet," IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. "The IU guys got a taste of being back in that finals environment today, and I'm sure it's going to help them as we move forward into the scoring days going forward."

TEAM SCORES
1. Indiana – 128
2. Michigan – 108
t3. Wisconsin – 102
t3. Penn State – 102
5. Ohio State – 100
6. Minnesota – 98
7. Purdue – 96
8. Northwestern – 94

RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
1. Brendan Burns, Finn Brooks, Tomer Frankel, Gavin Wight – 1:22.17 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA A Cut)

800 FREESTYLE RELAY
1. Rafael Miroslaw, Tomer Frankel, Kai van Westering, Brendan Burns – 6:10.86 (Big Ten Champion, NCAA A Cut)

UP NEXT
The 2024 Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships resume Thursday for day two, the first full day of action. Athletes will compete in the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 1-meter dive and 400 medley relay with preliminaries beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Finals are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

@IndianaSwimDive
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.

#GoIU