2020 Men’s Big Ten Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2020 B1G MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 26th to Saturday, February 29th | Prelims 11am | Finals 6:30pm
• Where: Indiana University (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Indiana Hoosiers (3x) (results)
• Streaming: here
• Championship Central: here
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times
• NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Fan Guide
• Heat Sheet
• Live Results
• Saturday Finals Heat Sheet

The 2020 Big Ten Championships conclude tonight with finals of the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform diving, and 400 free relay. Michigan has a big lead as they race for the title. Indiana and Ohio State, however, are battling closely for 2nd.

Minnesota’s Max McHugh (200 breast), Michigan’s Miles Smachlo (200 fly), and Indiana’s Gabriel Fantoni (200 back) will compete for a sweep of their respective stroke titles. Indiana’s Bruno Blaskovic seeks a sprint sweep, while Michigan’s NCAA Champion Felix Auboeck goes for the distance sweep.

Wisconsin’s Cameron Tysoe is the top seed in the 200 back. He’ll be going after the Pool Record tonight set by Wisconsin NCAA Champion Drew TeDuits back in 2013. Blaskovic already set the 100 free Pool Record this morning, but is just hundredths away from the Meet Record set by Indiana’s Blake Pieroni in 2018. After earning a pair of silvers, Ohio State’s Paul DeLakis will battle for a title with McHugh in the 200 breast. Northwestern’s Federico Burdisso, a freshman, had a big swim to land the top seed there.

MEN’S 1650 FREE

• Meet Record: Felix Auboeck (Michigan), 2017, 14:29.25
• Pool Record: Connor Jaeger (Michigan), 2013, 14:34.87
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 14:37.41
• 2019 NCAA Qualifying Time: 14:54.05
• 2019 Champion: Felix Auboeck (Michigan), 14:29.58

1. GOLD: Felix Auboeck, Michigan, 14:30.10
2. SILVER: Ricardo Vargas, Michigan, 14:39.48
3. BRONZE: Mikey Calvillo, Indiana, 14:54.02

Michigan’s Felix Auboeck secured the distance sweep, posting a 14:30.10 to take down the Pool Record set by Connor Jaeger in 2013. Jaeger was an NCAA Champion and Olympic medalist during his career. Auboeck has now earned 4-straight titles in both the 500 free and 1650 free. He’s the reigning NCAA Champion in this event.

Teammate Ricardo Vargas took the silver in 14:39.48 to earn his 3rd medal of the meet. Michigan freshman Danny Berlitz was just one place shy of the podium in 14:58.54. The Wolverines got 4 in the top 8. Will Roberts (15:00.58) was 7th.

Indiana’s Mikey Calvillo raced to the bronze in 14:54.02. Freshman teammate John Gallant followed for 5th in 15:00.07. Just behind was Wisconsin’s Matthew Hillmer, who made a big drop in the early heats, as he landed 6th overall with his 15:00.25.

Rounding out the top 8 was Northwestern’s Dongjin Hwang. He dropped 4 seconds in 15:11.21. Ohio State’s only swimmer in this event, Carson Burt, was 9th with his 15:13.30 from the afternoon heats.

MEN’S 200 BACK

• Meet Record: Eric Ress (Indiana), 2014, 1:38.89
• Pool Record: Drew Teduits (Wisconsin), 2013, 1:39.98
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.16
• 2019 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:41.31
• 2019 Champion: Gabriel Fantoni (Indiana), 1:39.53

1. GOLD: Gabriel Fantoni, Indiana, 1:40.31
2. SILVER: Michael Daly, Penn State, 1:40.63
3. BRONZE: Cameron Tysoe, Wisconsin, 1:41.02

Indiana’s Gabriel Fantoni repeated his backstroke sweep. Wisconsin’s Cameron Tysoe and Penn State’s Michael Daly were ahead going into the final 50, with Tysoe leading slightly, but Fantoni had the fastest split coming home to win it in 1:40.31. Daly dropped nearly a second to take silver in 1:40.63, while Tysoe (1:41.02) held on for 3rd.

Michigan’s Robert Zofchak (1:41.34) ran down Northwestern’s Manuel Martos Bacarizo (1:41.44) for 4th. Ohio State rounded out the top 8. Freshmen Thomas Watkins (1:41.75) and Jonah Cooper (1:42.35) were 6th and 7th. Colin McDermott (1:43.26) was 8th.

Northwestern’s Ryan Gridley had the 5th fastest time of the night with a 1:41.39 to win the B final.

MEN’S 100 FREE

• Meet Record: Blake Pieroni (Indiana), 2018, 41.43
• Pool Record: Bruno Blaskovic (Indiana), 2020, 41.49
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.71
• 2019 NCAA Qualifying Time: 42.53
• 2019 Champion: Bowe Becker (Minnesota), 41.71

1. GOLD: Bruno Blaskovic, Indiana, 41.88
2. SILVER: Andrew Loy, Ohio State, 42.21
3. BRONZE: Mohamed Hassan, Indiana 42.38

Indiana’s Bruno Blaskovic was off his time from prelims, but still the only man under 42 to sweep the sprints in 41.88. Ohio State’s Andrew Loy earned his 3rd medal of the meet, hundredths shy of a best in 42.21. Teammate Sem Andreis (43.12) and Matthew Abeysinghe (43.17) were 6th and 7th there.

Indiana got 2 on the podium with Mohamed Hassan touching 3rd in 42.38, outpacing teammate Jack Franzman (42.45) on the back half. Michigan’s Luiz Gustavo Borges was 5th in 42.61. Iowa’s Aleksey Tarasenko (43.46) touched 8th.

Penn State’s Gabriel Castano out-touched Michigan’s Patrick Callan, 43.13 to 43.24, in the B final. The Wolverines’ freshman Cameron Peel was 3rd in that heat with a 43.47.

MEN’S 200 BREAST

• Meet Record: Ian Finnerty (Indiana), 2019, 1:50.30
• Pool Record: Cody Miller (Indiana), 2013, 1:51.03
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:52.61
• 2019 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:54.04
• 2019 Champion: Ian Finnerty (Indiana), 1:50.30

1. GOLD: Tommy Cope, Michigan, 1:51.44
2. SILVER: Paul DeLakis, Ohio State, 1:51.65
3. BRONZE: Max McHugh, Minnesota, 1:51.80

Michigan’s Tommy Cope put up a lifetime best 1:51.44 to win his final career Big Ten race. He held off a final 50 charge by Ohio State’s Paul DeLakis, who got his hands to the wall ahead of Minnesota’s 100 breast champion Max McHugh (1:51.80). Delakis broke 1:52 for the first time to take silver in 1:51.65.

Michigan’s Jeremy Babinet was 4th in 1:52.77. Teammate Charlie Swanson, the 400 IM champion, was 6th in 1:53.62. Ohio State also had 2 in the final, with Jason Mathews (1:53.04) taking 5th.

Iowa’s Daniel Swanepoel was 6th in 1:53.53. Wisconsin’s Jian Mao was 8th in 1:54.73. The 8th fastest time of the meet came from the B final, as Indiana’s Zane Backes, a 100 breast medalist, won in 1:54.22.

MEN’S 200 FLY

• Meet Record: Vini Lanza (Indiana), 2019, 1:39.28
• Pool Record: Dylan Bosch (Michigan), 2013, 1:41.18
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.76
• 2019 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:42.35
• 2019 Champion: Vini Lanza (Indiana), 1:39.28

1. GOLD: Brendan Burns, Indiana, 1:40.98
2. SILVER: Miles Smachlo, Michigan, 1:41.47
3. BRONZE: Noah Lense, Ohio State, 1:41.57

Northwestern freshman Federico Burdisso charged to the early lead, with Indiana freshman Brendan Burns closely behind. Burns took over on the 3rd 50 en route to his first ever individual Big Ten title, winning the race in 1:40.98. That took down the former Pool Record set by Michigan NCAA Champion Dylan Bosch in 2013. That was his first time breaking 1:41. Teammates Van Mathias (1:44.56) and freshman Christian Bathurst (1:45.55) were 6th and 8th respectively.

Burdisso was run down on the back half, but still swam a lifetime best as he took 4th in 1:41.92. Michigan’s Miles Smachlo, the 2019 champion in this event and the 100 fly champion here, was 2nd in 1:41.47 as he out-touched Ohio State’s Noah Lense. Just a tenth behind, Lense took bronze in 1:41.57.

Iowa’s Michael Tenney (1:44.37) was 5th. Wisconsin’s Joseph Milinovich (1:44.69) was 7th. The 5th fastest time of the night came from the B final, as Penn State’s Zac Zwijacz won in 1:44.34.

As we head into diving, Indiana is currently in 2nd with 71.5 more points than Ohio State. Northwesten leads the battle for 5th, 87 points ahead of Minnesota. Iowa is just 2 points behind Minnesota in 7th. Purdue is 10 points back from Iowa, and Penn State is just 3 points behind Purdue

MEN’S PLATFORM DIVING

• Meet Record: David Boudia (Purdue), 2011, 557.90
• 2019 Champion: Brandon Loschiavo (Purdue), 502.30

1. GOLD: Lyle Yost, Ohio State, 451.00
2. SILVER: Ben Bramley, Purdue, 447.90
3. BRONZE: Ross Todd, Michigan, 419.50

Ohio State freshman Lyle Yost earned a title with his 3rd medal of the meet. The Buckeyes got huge points with Yost, Jacob Siler (4th), Joseph Canova (5th), and Jacob Fielding (6th). They now lead Indiana by 16.5 points going into the final relay.

MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY

• Meet Record: Indiana, 2017, 2:48.29
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:51.11
• 2019 Champion: Indiana, 2:48.67

1. GOLD: Indiana, 2:48.43
2. SILVER: Ohio State, 2:49.20
3. BRONZE: Michigan, 2:51.38

Indiana outscored the Buckeyes (2:49.20) by 8 points as they won the 400 free relay in 2:48.43, but Ohio State still came out 7.5 points ahead in the team runner-up race. The Hoosiers set a new Pool Record and were less than 2 tenths shy of their Meet Record from last season. They got a pair of rolling-start 41s from Bruno Blaskovic (41.93) and Mohamed Hassan (41.98). Ohio State’s Sem Andreis had the fastest split of the field with his 41.90 on the 3rd leg.

Michigan took the bronze in 2:51.38. Charlie Swanson had their fastest split with a 42.59 on the 3rd leg. Purdue was 4th in 2:53.83 with a 43.05 anchor from Nicholas Sherman. That gave them enough points to top Minnesota for 7th in the team standings, as Minnesota (2:55.96) was 10th in that relay.

FINAL TEAM SCORES

1. Michigan 1548
2. Ohio State 1329
3. Indiana 1321.5
4. Wisconsin 834.5
5. Northwestern 665
6. Iowa 571
7. Purdue 561
8. Minnesota 551
9. Penn State 531
10. Michigan State 309