Purdue Dominates Michigan State in Conference Dual

EAST LANSING, Michigan, January 13. THE Purdue's men's and women's swimming and diving teams once again defeated Michigan State. The No. 19 men's team (5-5) won its fourth-consecutive decision over the Spartans, 202-98, while the women (2-2) extended its winning streak over the Green and White to 17 with a 180.5-110.5 victory.

"We are learning to perfect what we worked on in Hawai'i," said women's coach Cathy Wright-Eger, whose Boilermakers haven't lost to MSU since the 1987-88 campaign. "The swimmers finished strong, used their legs and nailed their turns. I am very impressed by how we competed today, which was much better than what I've seen in years past."

Overall, the Boilermaker women won 14 of 16 events with senior Susan Hentschel leading the club with two individuals victories plus one as the anchor of the 200 free relay (1:36.53). Hentschel claimed first in the 50 free at 24.00 and the 500 free at 4:58.79.

Jennifer Lavers and Amanda Miller were double winners for Purdue. Lavers swept the breaststroke events with marks of 1:05.30 and 2:23.78, while Miller took first off both the 1- and 3-meter springboards. Diving scores were not made available by Michigan State due to software issues with their timing equipment.

Wright-Eger also was impressed with performances from Kimbre Vogel (1st – 100 free; 52.50), Stacie Lesneski (1st – 400 IM 4:26.26); Christine Inman (200 fly; 2:12.66) and Katharine Telfer, who posted a season best of 2:03.42 in the 200 back.

Veteran Jenae Gill made her season debut Saturday with a win in the 100 back, touching the wall in 57.41.

The men's team was almost as dominant as the women, except in the freestyle events. Of the five individual freestyle events, Purdue's lone win came from Tim Watts in the 1,000 at 9:27.55.

The Boilermakers were near perfect everywhere else. Freshman Aaron Koger posted another breaststroke sweep this season with times of 56.85 and 2:05.71; newcomer Ilia Ayzenshtok won both backstroke races in 50.46 and 1:51.99 and diver Zach Schultz finished his flawless weekend with two more wins off the springboard.

Rookie Sam Wilcher came close to erasing the name of a legend. In the 100 fly, Wilcher won the race in 49.45, which was just .14 seconds behind Mark Spitz' MSU pool record of 49.31 set close to 30 years ago. Spitz, one of the most decorated Olympians in U.S. History, recorded his mark at Michigan State while as a student-athlete with Indiana.

Both Purdue swim teams remain on the road next weekend, visiting Madison, Wis., for the annual Minnesota/Wisconsin triangular. The two-day meet begins next Friday at 6 p.m.

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