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 | Day 2
- Recaps:
Owen McDonald capped a superb maiden conference meet with Indiana with a new Big 10 record in the 200 backstroke on Day 4 of the meet.
Men’s 200 Backstroke – Finals
- NCAA Record: 1:35.37 – Destin Lasco, Cal (2024 NCAAs)
Big Ten Record: 1:37.58 – Tyler Clary, Michigan (2009 NCAAs)Meet Record: 1:38.22 – Brendan Burns, Indiana (2023)- NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:36.71
- 2024 NCAA Invited Time: 1:40.62
- 2024 Champion: Brendan Burns, Indiana – 1:39.50
Top 8 Finishers:
- Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 1:37.15
- Miroslav Knedla (Indiana) – 1:39.26
- Cornelius Jahn (Ohio State) – 1:39.50
- Jack Wilkening (Michigan) – 1:40.34
- David Gerchick (Northwestern) – 1:41.31
- Blake Rowe (Purdue) – 1:42.54
- Inbar Danzinger (Michigan) – 1:42.85
- Eitan Ben-Shitrit (Michigan) – 1:43.76
The previous record was held by Michigan Olympian Tyler Clary, who swam 1:37.58 back in 2009 to win NCAAs.
| Tyler Clary (2009) – Old Record | Owen McDonald (2025) – New Record | Owen McDonald (2024) – PB with ASU | |
| 50 | 23.27 | 22.57 | 22.81 |
| 100 | 47.70 (24.43) | 46.76 (24.19) | 47.29 (24.48) |
| 150 | 1:12.54 (24.84) | 1:11.79 (25.03) | 1:12.21 (24.92) |
| 200 | 1:37.58 (25.04) | 1:37.15 (25.36) | 1:36.63 (24.42) |
McDonald did most of his damage on the first 50, taking the race out seven-tenths under Clary’s record, and whilst the Michigan man did come back to him on the second 100 he’d left himself enough of a gap to hang on. He actually went out half a second under his PB pace, but couldn’t quite match the back half he swam at last year’s NCAAs.
It’s been a fantastic meet for the Indiana native with this being his third meet record already, but also his first Big 10 record. He was only two-hundredths off Gal Cohen Groumi’s 200 IM record on day 2, and this time around managed to get the job done. He made it a perfect 3-from-3 in individual events here, having won the 200 IM and 100 backstroke already. He was half a second faster than the 1:37.70 he swam at Pac-12’s last year, so could flirt with the 1:36 barrier at this year’s NCAAs.
McDonalds PB is the 1:36.63 he swam to finish third at last season’s NCAA championships behind Destin Lasco and Hubert Kos, however this was prior to his transfer to Indiana from ASU for his Junior year. He was part of a big transfer class for the Hoosiers, and his win here followed on from one for another new member, Zalan Sarkany, in the 1650. This swim stands as McDonald’s second fastest swim ever, and ranks him third in the NCAA so far this season behind Jonny Marshall and Hubert Kos.
McDonald’s teammate, Czech freshman Miroslav Knedla, made it a 1-2 finish for Indiana with a PB to go 1:39.26, making it three men under the 1:40 mark for them this year after Kai Van Westering went 1:39.24 in a time trial earlier in the week.
