Indiana Men Win 4th Straight Big 10 Title With Largest Margin of Victory In Conference History

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
• Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

The Indiana men’s swimming and diving team won its fourth consecutive Big Ten Men’s Championship on Saturday night in Minneapolis. Despite welcoming a new team to the conference, Indiana’s 448-point margin of victory is the largest in Big Ten history.

Indiana scored 1579 points to win this year’s title, with Michigan earning 1148 for second and Ohio State placing third with 1100.

The Hoosiers opened and closed the meet with Big Ten records. In the first event, Luke Barr, Brian Benzing, Finn Brooks, and Matt King swam 1:21.39, breaking the conference record in the 200-medley relay and jumping out to the lead. The team held a two-point lead over USC after the first night and though they were briefly out of first during the second finals session, they had regained their lead by the end of the session and built from there.

With victory assured, Owen McDonald, Mikkel Lee, Dylan Smiley, and King sealed the 31st championship in team history by breaking the Big Ten 400 freestyle relay record in 2:45.62. McDonald also took down Tyler Clary’s long-standing 200 backstroke conference record with a 1:37.15. 

Indiana Event Winners: 

• 200 medley relay: Barr, Benzing, Brooks, King — 1:21.39 Big Ten Record
• 500 freestyle: Zalan Sarkany, junior — 4:11.62
• 200 IM: Owen McDonald, junior — 1:39.89 Championship Record 
• 1-meter diving: Quinn Henniger, seinor — 414.85
• 100 breaststroke: Finn Brooks, senior — 49.94 Championship Record 
• 100 backstroke: Owen McDonald, junior — 44.38
• 400 medley relay: McDonald, Brooks, Frankel, King — 2:59.87 Championship Record
• 1650 freestyle: Zalan Sarkany, junior — 14:38.01
• 200 backstroke: Owen McDonald, junior — 1:37.15 Big Ten Record 
• 200 breaststroke: Josh Matheny, senior — 1:49.83
• 400 freestyle relay: McDonald, Lee, Smiley, King — 2:45.62 Big Ten Record 

McDonald Is part of a high-powered transfer class that made a big impact for the Hoosiers at these championships. McDonald and Zalan Sarkany, both ASU transfers, were the team’s highest scorers at the championship, earning 96 and 87 points, respectively. McDonald swept his individual events, while Sarkany won the 500/1650 freestyle. Further, each of the team’s three relay wins had at least one transfer on the team whether it was McDonald, Brian Benzing, or Matt King. 

Diving continues to be a strength for the Hoosiers, with Quinn Henninger and Carson Tyler also in the top-five individual points scorers for the team. Senior Finn Brooks scored 84 points, third-best on the team and first among returning swimmers. On the back half of a 100 fly/100 breaststroke double, he swam a lifetime best and championship record of 49.94 in the 100 breaststroke. 

Indiana’s breaststroke group was one of the team’s strongest disciplines, showcasing exactly why they earned the “Breaststroke U” nickname. Led by Brooks, the Hoosiers went 1-2-3-4-5 in the 100 breaststroke as the senior was followed by Benzing, Josh Matheny, Caspar Corbeau, and Jassen Yep. The team backed up that incredible depth in the 200 breast, as Matheny, Yep, Toby Barnett, and Corbeau placed 1-2-3-4 in that event. 

Indiana not only flexed its depth on this season’s roster at this meet, but it also showed its consistency across program history. This was most on display during the 400 medley relay, as the team of McDonald, Brooks, Tomer Frankel, and King earned the team’s 10th straight conference victory in the event. 

Indiana Individual Point Scorers: 

• Owen McDonald, junior — 96 points 
• Zalan Sarkany, junior — 87 points 
• Finn Brooks, senior — 84 points
• Quinn Henniger, senior — 84 points
• Carson Tyler, senior — 80 points
• Miroslav Knedla, freshman — 79 points
• Luke Barr, senior — 73 points
• Jassen Yep, fifth-year — 73 points
• Tomer Frankel, fifth-year — 69 points
• Max Weinrich, junior — 68 points
• Dylan Smiley, sophomore — 66 points
• Caspar Corbeau, fifth-year — 63 points
• Josh Matheny, senior — 59 points
• Brian Benzing, fifth-year — 58 points
• Toby Barnett, sophomore — 56 points
• Matt King, junior — 55 points
• Rafael Miroslaw, senior — 50 points
• Mikkel Lee, sophomore — 40 points
• Gavin Wight, fifth-year — 23 points
• Joshua Sollenberger, freshman — 20 points

This is the team’s 31st Big Ten Championship in program history and its seventh in the last nine years. Next, the team turns its attention to next month’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Washington. There, the Hoosiers have their sights set on the team’s first overall NCAA Championship title since 1973.