Indiana’s McDonald, Grana Named Big Ten Swimmers of the Week

by SwimSwam 3

November 28th, 2024 Big Ten, College, News

Courtesy: Big Ten

Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Miranda Grana, Indiana
So. – Guadalajara, Mexico

  • Won three individual events and two relays as Indiana won the Ohio State Invitational
  • Part of four IU relays that earned NCAA A cuts
  • Won 100-yard backstroke (51.18), 100-yard butterfly (51.10) and 200 IM (1:55.88)
  • Posted 50.98 fly split to help Hoosiers win 400 medley relay and earn NCAA A cut (3:29.93)
  • Part of winning 800 freestyle relay (7:00.28) quartet
  • Finished second in 200-yard backstroke (1:51.36)
  • Last Indiana Swimmer of the Week: Ching Hwee Gan (Feb. 7, 2024)

Women’s Diver of the Week
Daryn Wright, Purdue
Jr. – Plainfield, Ind. – Plainfield – Major: Retail Management

  • Won both the 3-meter and platform diving events at the Purdue Invitational
  • Posted NCAA Zone Qualifying Scores on all three diving events
  • Her 390.45 on platform was a Purdue team and pool record that had both stood since the 2017 Big Ten Championships. She bested the team record by 31 points & eclipsed fellow Olympian Jessica Parratto’s pool record in the event
  • Wright finished second on 3-meter with a 369.53, which was good enough for 10th best in Purdue history
  • Last Purdue Diver of the Week: Sophie McAfee (Jan. 17, 2024)

Women’s Freshman of the Week
Mila Nikanorov, Ohio State
Castle Rock, Colo. – Castle View High School – Major: Finance

  • At the Ohio State Fall Invitational, won the 1650 free with an NCAA A standard time of 15:49.26. She finished over five seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer
  • Placed second in the 500 free with an NCAA B cut of 4:38.84
  • Earns her third Freshman of the Week honor
  • Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Mila Nikanorov (Nov. 13, 2024)

2024-25 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Weekly Honors
Oct. 9 
S: Ana Jih-Schiff, Sr., UCLA
D: Makayla Hughbanks, Sr., IOWA
F: Livi Wanner, MINN
Oct. 16
S: Hannah Hill, Sr., PUR
D: Elna Widerstrom, So., MINN
F: Chloe Diner, ILL
Oct. 23
S: Phoebe Bacon, Gr., WIS
D: Elna Widerstrom, So., MINN
F: Mila Nikanorov, OSU
Oct. 30
S: Gena Jorgenson, Jr., NEB
D: Paola Pineda Vazquez, Gr. OSU
F: Chloe Diner, ILL
Nov. 6
S: Hailey Tierney, So., WIS
D: Paola Pineda Vazquez, Gr. OSU
F: Maggie Wanezek, WIS
Nov. 13
S: Minna Abraham, So., USC
D: Lena Hentschel, Jr., OSU
F: Mila Nikakorov, OSU
Nov. 20
S: Sofia Bartoloni, So., RU
D: Holly Prasanto, Sr., RU
F: Bailee Sturgill, RU
Nov. 27
S: Miranda Grana, So., IND
D: Daryn Wright, Jr., PUR
F: Mila Nikakorov, OSU

Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Owen McDonald, Indiana
Jr. – Alpharetta, Ga. – Rivers Academy

  • Won eight events – three individual and five relay to help Indiana to a win at the Ohio State Fall invitational
  • Helped Indiana earn NCAA A cuts in all five relays
  • Posted the nation’s No. 2 times in the 100-yard backstroke (44.93), 200-yard backstroke (1:38.07) and 200 IM (1:40.86) to win both events
  • His 200-yard backstroke time beat the NCAA A standard time and re-set his own program record
  • Last Indiana Swimmer of the Week: Owen McDonald (Oct. 16, 2024)

Men’s Diver of the Week
Jordan Rzepka, Purdue
Sr. – Solon, Ohio – New Albany – Major: Selling & Sales Management

  • At the Purdue Invitational, Rzepka was the event winner in the 3-meter and platform, earning NCAA Zone Qualifying Scores on both
  • His 502.50 on platform was the 4th best score in Purdue program history and his 456.53 on the 3-meter was fifth best in team history
  • Finished second and 8th best in Purdue program history on the 1-meter with a 414.30, also a Zone Qualifying Score
  • Won a pair of events at the Purdue Invite for the third year in a row, posting a trio of lifetime bests in the process
  • He ripped a 106-point dive in the final round on platform to become just the fourth Boilermaker to post a 500-point list in the event, joining Olympians David Boudia, Steele Johnson & Brandon Loschiavo
  • Last Purdue Diver of the Week: Jordan Rzepka (Oct. 16, 2024)

Men’s Freshman of the Week
Cornelius Jahn, Ohio State
Ahrensburg, Germany – Grund und Stadtteil Schule Alter Teichweg – Major: Economics

  • Jahn took down a 10-year program record during the Ohio State Fall Invitational last week
  • During Saturday’s finals, he swam an NCAA B standard time of 1:40.66 in the 200 back, setting a new school record. The previous record of 1:40.74 was set by Connor McDonald in 2014. Jahn placed third overall in the event
  • Jahn placed seventh in the A final of the 100 back with an NCAA B cut of 46.15. He was on the 400-medley relay team that placed third with a time of 3:06.59 and on the 800 free relay team that placed fourth with a time of 6:23.70.
  • Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Martin Perecinsky (Nov. 13, 2024)

2024-25 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Weekly Honors
Oct. 9 
S: Tylor Kim, So., PSU

D: YuTong Wang, So., MINN

F: Jacob Johnson, MINN
Oct. 16
S: Owen McDonald, Jr., IND
D: Jordan Rzepka, Sr., PUR
F: Jacob Johnson, MINN
Oct. 23
S: Tomas Navikonis, Jr., OSU
D: YuTong Wang, So., MINN
F: Joe Polyak, MINN
Oct. 30
S: Cooper Morley, Jr. PSU
D: Kylie Flory, Jr., OSU
F: Joseph Roth, OSU
Nov. 6 
S: Tristan Jankovics, Jr., OSU
D: YuTong Wang, So., MINN
F: Jacob Johnson, MINN
Nov. 13
S: Krzysztof Chmielewski, So., USC
D: Moritz Wesemann, Fr., USC
F: Martin Perecinsky, OSU
Nov. 27
S: Owen McDonald, Jr., IND
D: Jordan Rzepka, Sr., PUR
F: Cornelius Jahn, OSU

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Yaboi
5 days ago

Now I’m not saying Miranda Grana is the greatest to ever do it, but for her warmdown in between her 51 100 back and 51 100 fly, she went across the street to extinguish a burning orphanage and helped 3 old ladies cross the street

Swammer
5 days ago

Do they ever give these awards to Michigan athletes?

IU Swammer
Reply to  Swammer
5 days ago

Quite a few historically.