2025 MEN’S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Dates: Wednesday, February 26–Saturday, March 1
- Location: Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Defending champions: Indiana men (3x)
- Live Results
- Live Video
- Championship Central
- Fan Guide
- Teams: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, USC*, Wisconsin
- Results: Day 1
- Recaps:
Team Scores Through Day 1
- Indiana – 116
- USC – 112
- Ohio State/Michigan – 110
- Wisconsin – 100
- Northwestern – 96
- Minnesota – 94
- Penn St. – 86
- Purdue – 84
Heading into the second night of the Men’s Big Ten Championships, Indiana sits in the lead with 116 points. The team had a strong performance in prelims, setting themselves up for a fast finals session. Tonight’s events include the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 1 meter diving, and 200 freestyle relay.
ASU transfer Zalan Sarkany retained his top seed in the 500 freestyle for Indiana during prelims, touching in a 4:13.41 for the middle lane in tonight’s final. In this morning’s session, he was closely followed by Minnesota’s Bar Soloveychik (4:13.92) and Michigan’s Eduardo Moraes (4:13.93), setting the pool up for a great race tonight.
Indiana also took the top seed in the 200 IM, with Owen McDonald leading the pack in prelims (1:40.68). McDonald is looking for a bg performance tonight after dropping the field’s fastest split on the 800 freestyle relay last night. His teammate Luke Barr is seeded 2nd heading into the final after swimming a 1:41.08 in prelims.
The 50 freestyle was led by a trio of Ohio State swimmers as freshman Matthew Klinge demolished his career best for the top seed. Klinge touched in a time of 18.84 to touch just ahead of Daniel Baltes (18.96) and Mario McDonald (18.97). With their trio leading the 50 freestyle, the Ohio State men also hold the top seed in the 200 freestyle relay.
500 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 4:02.31 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2024)
- Meet Record: 4:09.29 – Felix Auboeck, Michigan (2018)
- Big 10 Record: 4:08.95 – Felix Auboeck, Michigan (2017)
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 4:10.64
- 2024 Champ: Yigit Aslan, Wisconsin – 4:11.20
Top 8 Finishers:
- Zalan Sarkany (Indiana) – 4:11.62
- Eduardo Moraes (Michigan) – 4:12.72
- Bar Soloveychik (Minnesota) – 4:12.83
- Lorne Wigginton (Michigan) – 4:15.25
- Joshua Staples (Northwestern) – 4:17.56
- Mason Edmund (Ohio State) – 4:17.60
- Joseph Tepper (Minnesota) – 4:17.83
- Yigit Aslan (Wisconsin) – 4:19.47
Taking the race out fast and never looking back, Indiana’s Zalan Sarkany is the first individual champion of these 2025 Men’s Big Ten Championships, winning the 500 freestyle. Sarkany, the 2024 SC World Champion in the 800 freestyle, opened the race with a quick 47.72 at the 100 yard mark, immediately taking over the led. From there, he held consistent 50-highs and 51-lows to gain ground over the field. Then, on the final 100, Sarkany came home in a 50.72 split, the fastest in the field, to secure the gold in a time of 4:11.62.
After dropping a lifetime best in prelims, Michigan’s Eduardo Moraes further improved upon his time tonight for a runner-up finish. Trailing slightly behind Minnesota’s Bar Soloveychik at the 400 yard mark, Moraes made a move before the 450-yard mark. On the final 50, it came down to a sprint between the two swimmers, going stroke for stroke into the wall. Ultimately, Moraes touched for the silver in a 4:12.72, with Soloveychik coming in just behind with a 4:12.83.
Moraes’ Michigan teammate Lorne Wigginton threw down a huge performance for 4th, with the Canadian slicing nearly 2 seconds off of his best time entering the day to post a 4:15.25.
200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 1:36.34 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (2023)
Meet Record: 1:40.48 – Gal Groumi, Michigan (2024)- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:40.75
- 2024 Champ: Gal Groumi, Michigan – 1:40.48
Top 8 Finishers:
- Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 1:39.89
- Gal Groumi (Michigan) – 1:40.34
- Luke Barr (Indiana) – 1:40.62
- Colin Geer (Michigan) – 1:40.65
- Tristan Jankovics (Ohio State) – 1:41.09
- Tyler Lu (Northwestern) – 1:42.49
- Miroslav Knedla (Indiana) – 1:42.67
- Eitan Ben-Shitrit (Michigan) – 1:43.00
Following a field-best 1:31.32 split on the 800 freestyle relay last night, Indiana’s Owen McDonald threw down a huge performance in the 200 IM to shatter the Big Ten meet record in the event. McDonald, the defending NCAA runner-up and PAC-12 Champion, posted a time of 1:39.89 in the victory, taking down the Big Ten meet record of 1:40.48 that was set by Gal Groumi last year. With the NCAA Championships a month away, it is possible that McDonald might not be fully rested here, making an exciting case for NCAAs. His best time stands at a 1:39.23 from last year.
Groumi actually dipped under his own record as well for a runner-up finish. The Michigan senior and defending Champion posted a 1:40.34, just under the time he posted to win this event last season. Groumi was also in last year’s NCAA final, where he posted his lifetime best of 1:39.87 to finish 5th overall. Just behind Groumi, Indiana senior Luke Barr and Michigan sophomore Colin Geer raced into the wall, touching .03 apart for the final spot on the podium. That spot ultimately went to Barr, who posted a 1:40.62 to Geer’s 1:40.65.
50 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 17.63 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
- Meet Record: 18.69 – Bowe Becker, Minnesota (2018)
- Big 10 Record: 18.69 – Bowe Becker, Minnesota (2018)
- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 18.72
- 2024 Champ: Tai Torepe-Ormsby, Wisconsin – 18.76
Top 8 Finishers:
- Matthew Klinge (Ohio State) – 18.78
- Tyler Ray (Michigan) – 18.83
- Matthew King (Indiana) – 18.92
- Daniel Baltes (Ohio State) – 18.96
- Bence Szabados (Michigan) – 19.06
- Finlay Brooks (Indiana) – 19.12
- Mario McDonald (Ohio State) – 19.13
- Stuart Seymour (Northwestern) – 19.26
After posting a massive lifetime best in prelims, Ohio State freshman Matthew Klinge certainly didn’t disappoint in finals, lowering that time even more. In the quickest event of the evening, Klinge hit the wall first in a field of whitewater, touching with a time of 18.78 for the victory. Entering the meet, Klinge’s best time stood at a 19.25.
Despite Ohio State taking the top three spots out of prelims, there ended up being 3 different teams on the podium. Michigan junior Tyler Ray improved upon his 7th place finish from last year by taking 2nd here, throwing down a 18.83. Like Klinge, Ray’s performance marked a huge personal best compared to his time entering the meet (19.32), marking his first time under 19 seconds. Indiana’s Matt King managed to get to the wall for a third place finish in a time of 18.92 to round-out the podium.
In the B-final, defending Champion Tai Torepe-Ormsby of Wisconsin threw down a 18.93 for the victory, a time that would’ve just missed the podium in the A-final. Torepe-Ormsby won the event last year in a 18.76.
1 METER DIVING – FINAL
- Meet Record: Michael Hixon, Indiana – 493.60
- 2024 Champ: YuTong Wang, Minnesota – 408.25
Top 8 Finishers:
- Quinn Henniger (Indiana) – 414.85
- Moritz Wesemann (USC) – 396.90
- Carson Tyler (Indiana) – 393.30
- Max Miller (Purdue) – 392.60
- Jordan Rzepka (Purdue) – 381.30
- Zach Welsh (Purdue) – 375.40
- Clay Chaplin (Ohio State) – 359.85
- Shangfei Wang (USC) – 309.65
Indiana saw another win and a 1-3 finish as Quinn Henniger led the 1 meter diving final in a dominant score of 414.85. With that performance, Henniger bested the field by 18 points, improving upon his 6th place finish from last year’s meet. His teammate Carson Tyler, the 2024 runner-up, finished 3rd to give the Hoosiers a big boost in points. USC grad student Moritz Wesemann grabbed the silver just ahead of Tyler in a score of 396.90 points.
200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL
- NCAA Record: 1:12.80 – Tennessee (2025)
Meet Record: 1:15.28 – Ohio State (2022)Big 10 Record: 1:15:28 – Ohio State (2022)- NCAA ‘A’ cut: 1:16.51
- 2024 Champ: Wisconsin – 1:15.3
Results:
- Michigan – 1:14.83
- Wisconsin – 1:15.02
- Ohio State – 1:15.19
- Indiana – 1:15.33
- USC – 1:16.40
- Purdue – 1:17.44
- Minnesota – 1:17.59
- Northwestern – 1:17.79
- Penn State – 1:17.79
The Michigan Wolverines pulled-off the upset of rival Ohio State to book the team’s first gold medal of the weekend in the 200 freestyle relay. In addition, the team of Bence Szabados, Tyler Ray, Colin Geer, and Jack Wilkening combined for a time of 1:14.83 to set a new Big Ten meet record, breaking Ohio State’s mark from 2022.
Szabados led off for the team in a 19.07, only .01 off of his time from the 50 freestyle final earlier tonight. He handed it off to Ray, who dropped a massive 18.35 split to give Michigan the lead. Geer then entered the pool and split 18.88, handing it off to Wilkening for a 18.53 on the final 50. With their performance, the team dropped over a second off of their time from midseason, moving up to 5th in the NCAA this season.
Wisconsin got off to a fast start in the event, but couldn’t match Michigan’s speed overall, landing them a second place finish. Shortly after winning the B-final of the 50 freestyle, Tai Torepe-Ormsby threw down a 18.81 on the lead-off, a time that would’ve placed 2nd in the A-final of the event. He then handed it off to Cooper Scharff, who dropped a 18.76. Ben Wiegand followed-up with a 18.56, with Christopher Morris closing in a 18.89 for a final time of 1:15.02.
Despite entering as the top seed and placing 3 swimmers in the A-final of the 50 free, Ohio State fell to third here, still swimming a season-best of 1:15.19.
At the end of day 2, Indiana remains in first place in the team rankings, leading by over 100 points. After tying on day 1, Ohio State and Michigan remain extremely close in the race for second, with Michigan having the slight edge, 419.5 to 413.
Team Scores – End of Day 2
- Indiana – 526
- Michigan – 419.5
- Ohio State – 413
- USC – 281
- Wisconsin – 272
- Northwestern – 262
- Minnesota – 260
- Purdue – 223.5
- Penn St. – 153
Indiana getting 3rd an NCAAs
I haven’t been that impressed with any of the big 3 men’s teams.
I know they are only semi-rested, but I agree. Not seeing the depth needed to beat Texas or Cal.
IU is every bit as good as Texas and Cal. With diving they’re probably better. NCAAs is what matters, and they tend to be at their best at NCAAs. If that’s true again this year, I still believe they’re the favorites.
Too many people get enamored with fast early and mid season times, and seem to forget that NCAAs is the only thing that matters.
Seems like IU has plenty of top level studs, plus diving. And while they don’t have the flashy sprinting studs – Tennessee isn’t expected to be a title contender and they’re loaded with sprinters. Gotta be well balanced. I think IU needs a lot to break right to win, but it’ll be competitive.
Fourth
if you would’ve told me that 2 relays, each with 4x 18+ splits, would take 2nd and 3rd at big10s – I wouldn’t have believed you. The conference is getting deeper and faster each year. Nice swimming, guys!
So Matt King is Matthew King all long.
Per thread this morning, looks like Tyler Ray broke OSU’s Mario MacDonald’s fresh “Native Michigander” 50 free record with an 18.83 in finals. Love to see it.
Correct.
The floodgates are open!
Michigan swimming legends, update on those 50 rankings?
We went through 3 events without a comment until me just now. Are people really just not caring about the meet at all?
The meet hasn’t had the fireworks that SECs and ACCs had.
It’s funny you say this. This meet has been on par with ACC and faster in some events so far. That’s with the ACC adding CAL and Stanford…so not sure if it’s the big names or what but there are just as many “fireworks” here in my opinion.
ACC’s had Virginia women…
this is an interesting take. especially considering winning relay times at SECs and ACCs. I think it’s clear why there aren’t as many comments… this meet is relatively boring regardless of how well IU is swimming. Besides IU, it would be shocking to see any of these Big10 mens team place Top-10 at NCAAs in the team race. Big10 and Big12 feel like glorified mid-major conferences now that the heaviest hitters have moved.
Winning relay times so far:
ACC:
200 medley- 1:21.54
800 free relay- 6:06.66
200 free relay- 1:14.29
B1G-
200 medley- 1:21.39
800 free relay- 6:10.85
200 free relay- 1:14.83
Outside of the obvious 800 with CAL it seems pretty even relay wise. Obviously ACC had the UVA women, but this is a men’s only meet. Only fair to compare the men’s meets. Seems pretty on par with each other.
The single gender meets are just a less exciting – half the events to talk about. Big 10 women’s meet had hardly any comments all weekend long.
It’s a good meet. For me, it’s just the fact that these championships are nearly an entire week and following on the heels of each other. There are only so many weeknights I can dedicate to watching championship swimming live.