2023 Men’s Big Ten Swimming & Diving Championships: Day Three Prelims Live Recap

 2023 MEN’S BIG TEN SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS 

• Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25, 2023
• Canham Natatorium, Ann Arbor, MI
• Defending Champions:
  • Men: Indiana (1x)
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Day 2 Prelims Recap

SCORES AFTER DAY 2

1. Ohio State – 487
2. Indiana – 478
3. Michigan – 403
4. Wisconsin – 341
5. Minnesota – 280
6. Purdue – 240
7. Northwestern – 210
8. Penn State – 204

FRIDAY MORNING PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

The third day of the 2023 Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships in underway in Ann Arbor, MI. This morning will feature prelims of the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. Following this morning’s swimming events, prelims of 3-meter diving will take place. Tonight’s final session will also feature timed finals of the 200 free relay.

In a rare occurrence, all five champions from last year return to defend their titles today. Ohio State’s Alex Quach, who won the 100 fly in a new meet record of 44.74 last year as a freshman, enters as the top seed in the event this morning.

Michigan’s Jared Daigle, a fifth-year who won the 400 IM last year in the first Big Ten title of his career, comes in as the top seed in the 400 IM this morning.

Indiana’s Rafael Miroslaw, a sophomore who won the 200 free last year as a freshman, is the top seed in the event today. Minnesota’s Max McHugh returns as the two-time defending champion in the 100 breast, and is looking to make it three in a row.

Indiana’s Brendan Burns set the meet record in the 100 back last year en route to his victory.

100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 44.74, Alex Quach (2022)
• Pool Record: 45.57, Tim Phillips (2014)
• 2022 Champion: Alex Quach (Ohio State) – 44.74
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.82
• 2022 NCAA Invite: 45.57

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Gal Groumi (Michigan) – 45.34
2. Victor Baganha (Penn State) – 45.42
3. Tomer Frankel (Indiana) – 45.49
4. Alex Quach (Ohio State) – 45.72
5. James Ward (Ohio State) – 45.74
6. Finn Brooks (Indiana) – 46.01
7. JP Khouzam (Ohio State) – 46.14
8. Wyatt Davis (Michigan) – 46.17

200 IM champion Gal Groumi clocked the top time of the morning in a new Canham Natatorium pool record of 45.34. Groumi had the fastest second 50 split in the field this morning, roaring home in 24.05, which is what propelled him into the lead.

Behind Groumi is Penn State sprint star Victor Baganha, who clocked a 45.42. Both Groumi and Baganha are sophomores.

Defending champion and meet record holder Alex Quach out of Ohio State came in fourth this morning, swimming a 45.72. Notably, no one was close to Quach’s winning time of 44.74 this morning, which sets Quach up well for tonight’s final.

400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 3:38.03, Tyler Clary (2009)
• Pool Record: 3:38.51, Kyle Whitaker (2014)
• 2022 Champion: Jared Daigle (Michigan) – 3:41.01
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:39.16
• 2022 NCAA Invite: 3:43.50

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Jared Daigle (Michigan) – 3:42.24
2. Dominik Torok (Wisconsin) – 3:43.92
3. Mikey Calvillo (Indiana) – 3:44.90
4. William Bansberg (Ohio State) – 3:45.68
5. Eitan Ben-Shitrit (Michigan) – 3:45.73
6. Will Lulek (Penn State) – 3:46.04
7. William Christenson (Minnesota) – 3:46.08
8. Tristan Jankovics (Ohio State) – 3:46.58

Defending champion Jared Daigle out of Michigan cleared the field by a wide margin this morning, clocking a 3:42.24. It was a terrific prelims swim for the fifth-year, who won the event in 3:41.01 last year. The swim also will be fast enough for Daigle to qualify for NCAAs, even if he doesn’t go any faster tonight.

Wisconsin freshman Dominik Torok had a massive swim this morning, blowing away his seed time of 3:58.94 to finish second in 3:43.92.

After making the ‘A’ final in the 500 last night, Indiana’s Mikey Calvillo swam a 3:44.90 this morning, taking third overall. The distance freestyler was great coming home, splitting 51.78 on the final 100.

Another pair of freshmen made the ‘A’ final. Michigan freshman Eitan Ben-Shitrit and Ohio State freshman Tristan Jankovics both made it into the top eight this morning.

200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 1:31.14, Blake Pieroni (2018)
• Pool Record: 1:32.14, Michael Wynalda (2014)
• 2022 Champion: Rafael Miroslaw (Indiana) – 1:32.17
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.98
• 2022 NCAA Invite: 1:33.08

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Rafael Miroslaw (Indiana) – 1:33.51
2. Jake Newmark (Wisconsin) – 1:33.53
3. Nick Sherman (Purdue) – 1:33.56
4. Tomas Navikonis (Ohio State) – 1:34.23
5. Ruslan Gaziev (Ohio State) – 1:34.47
6. Tomer Frankel (Indiana) – 1:34.93
7. Bar Soloveychik (Minnesota) -1:35.38
8. Eduardo Moraes (Michigan) – 1:35.42

Defending champion Rafael Miroslaw posted the top time of the morning by a narrow margin, swimming a 1:33.51. 500 free champion Jake Newmark was 0.02 seconds behind, taking second this morning in 1:33.53, while Nick Sherman was third in 1:33.56. Miroslaw got out to an early lead, splitting 45.23 on the opening 100, and was able to hold his lead through the finish.

Impressively, Indiana’s Tomer Frankel, who also posted a third-place finish in the 100 fly this morning, came in sixth, qualifying for his second ‘A’ final of the session.

500 free runner-up Bar Soloveychik made it into this ‘A’ final as well, posting a 1:35.38 this morning.

100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 50.19, Max McHugh (2021)
• Pool Record: 51.09, Tommy Cope (2021)
• 2022 Champion: Max Mchugh (Minnesota) – 50.67
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.40
• 2022 NCAA Invite: 52.20

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Max McHugh (Minnesota) – 51.59
2. Van Mathias (Indiana) – 51.72
3. Josh Matheny (Indiana) – 52.31
4. Will Myhre (Wisconsin) – 52.43
5. Kevin Houseman (Northwestern) – 52.47
6. Mariano Lazzerini (Penn State) – 52.49
7. Jassen Yep (Indiana) – 52.65
8. Brendan Fitzpatrick (Michigan) – 52.77

Two-time defending champion Max McHugh led prelims of the 100 breast this morning with a 51.59. The Big Ten meet record holder (50.19), we can expect Mchugh to be faster in finals tonight as he chases a third-straight title.

The 100 breast marked Indiana’s top event of the morning so far, seeing the Hoosiers put three swimmers into the ‘A’ final. That features the second and third seeds for tonight in Van Mathias and Josh Matheny, both of whom dipped under 52 seconds for the first time this season. Mathias, the 50 free champion, and Matheny, the third-place finisher from last year, will be joining Northwestern’s Kevin Houseman, the runner-up from last year, in attempting to topple McHugh from the throne tonight.

Indiana also put Jassen Yep into the ‘A’ final with a seventh place finish out of the junior this morning.

In an event that looked like it might be a bit of a weakness for Michigan coming into the season, the Wolverines managed to pick up an ‘A’ finalist in sophomore Brendan Fitzpatrick, who clocked a 52.77 for eighth.

100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 44.31, Brendan Burns (2022)
• Pool Record: 45.13, Shane Ryan (2014)
• 2022 Champion: Brendan Burns (Indiana) – 44.31
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.79
• 2022 NCAA Invite: 45.87

TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

1. Brendan Burns (Indiana) – 45.09 (pool record)
2. Wyatt Davis (Michigan) – 45.32
3. Gavin Wight (Indiana) – 45.79
4. Brady Samuels (Purdue) – 45.87
5. Cooper Morley (Penn State) – 45.89
6. Wes Jekel (Wisconsin) – 46.35
7. Thomas Watkins (Ohio State) – 46.48
8. Alex Quach (Ohio State)/Lachlan Byrne (Penn State) – 46.55 (Tie)

There was a tie for eighth in the 100 back this morning between Ohio State’s Alex Quach and Penn State’s Lachlan Byrne. As a result, there will be a swim-off shortly to determine which swimmer will make it into the ‘A’ final tonight.

Indiana’s Brendan Burns, the defending champion and meet record holder in the event, led prelims this morning in a new pool record of 45.09. Burns came home blistering fast this morning, splitting 23.04 on the second 50 of the race.

Michigan’s Wyatt Davis was moving this morning too, posting a 45.32 for the second-fastest time of the morning. Davis has now qualified for two ‘A’ finals today after making the ‘A’ final of the 100 fly at the beginning of the session.

Speaking of which, if Alex Quach wins his swim-off, he will have qualified for two ‘A’ finals today as well, after also having made the 100 fly ‘A’ final.