Big Ten Men’s Championships, Day 3: Gal Groumi Drops Pool Record in 100 Fly

Jared Daigle; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Big Ten Men’s Championships, Day 3: Gal Groumi Drops Pool Record in 100 Fly

Michigan’s Gal Groumi continued a strong Big Ten Men’s Championship on Friday morning, setting a Canham Natatorium record in the 100 butterfly to start Day 3 of prelims.

Groumi grabbed the top seed with a time of 45.34. That undercuts the pool mark set in 2014 by Ohio State’s Tim Phillips (45.57). The top three finishers were all under the mark, and the meet record set last year by Alex Quach at 44.74 is also in play in the evening.

All the action from the morning, which includes a pitched three-team battle in the team standings. The night session will also include 3-meter diving and the 200 medley relay:

2023 Big Ten Men’s Championships Links

2023 Big Ten Men’s Championships Team Scores

(End of night 2)

Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 7                       
 
  1. Ohio State University             487   2. Indiana University                478
  3. University of Michigan            403   4. Wisconsin, University of, Madi    341
  5. University of Minnesota           280   6. Purdue University                 240
  7. Northwestern University           210   8. Pennsylvania State University     204

100 butterfly

Gal Groumi, winner of the 200 IM on Thursday, is looking to add to his title. He went 45.34 to lead a crowded A final. Penn State’s Victor Baganha is not far behind in 45.42, while Indiana’s Tomer Frankel is third in 45.49. All three were under the pool record.

On the team front, Ohio State may prove the big winner of this event with three A finalists. Alex Quach, the reigning champion, is the fourth seed in 45.72, followed by teammate James Ward. JP Khouzam had the big morning jump, dropping more than a second to get into the A final. Indiana has two A finalists, and Michigan has two.

 Event 8  Men 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: # 44.74  2/25/2022 Alex Quach, Ohio State
         Pool: ! 45.57  2014      Tim Phillips, Ohio State
                 44.82  A NCAA Qualifying
                 47.23  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Cohen Groumi, G  SO Michigan-MI         45.68      45.34!qB     
                 21.29        45.34 (24.05)
  2 Baganha, Victor  SO Penn State-MA       45.22      45.42!qB     
                 21.01        45.42 (24.41)
  3 Frankel, Tomer   JR IU-IN               46.10      45.49!qB     
                 21.14        45.49 (24.35)
  4 Quach, Alex      SO Ohio St-OH          45.14      45.72 qB     
                 21.19        45.72 (24.53)
  5 Ward, James P    SR Ohio St-OH          46.61      45.74 qB     
                 21.06        45.74 (24.68)
  6 Brooks, Finn D   SO IU-IN               45.67      46.01 qB     
                 21.24        46.01 (24.77)
  7 Khouzam, JP      JR Ohio St-OH          47.28      46.14 qB     
                 21.48        46.14 (24.66)
  8 Davis, Wyatt M   JR Michigan-MI         46.88      46.17 qB     
                 21.61        46.17 (24.56)

400 individual medley

If Michigan is to make a move in the team standings, you’d think its distance set would need to be the impetus. Two A finalists in the 400 IM is a start if not quite what it could’ve been.

Jared Daigle took the top seed in the morning by going 3:42.24, 1.7 ticks clear of the field. He won the event in 3:41.01 last year. Daigle is the only A finalist from last year to make the A final again this year – Indiana’s Max Reich was eighth last year and qualified 10th this year.

Michigan has two A finalists, with Eitan Ben-Shitrit fifth, plus three B finalists. Ohio State qualified swimmers in fourth, eighth and ninth, led by William Bansberg. Indiana is represented in the A final by Mikey Calvillo in third in 3:44.90. The exemplary swim of the morning came from Wisconsin freshman Dominik Torok, who dropped 15 seconds off his seed time to go 3:43.92 for second place. The Hungarian has precious few times in SCY.

 Event 9  Men 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: # 3:38.03  2009      Tyler Clary, Michigan
         Pool: ! 3:38.51  2014      Kyle Whitaker, Michigan
                 3:39.16  A NCAA Qualifying
                 3:51.31  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Daigle, Jared B  SR Michigan-MI       3:44.31    3:42.24 qB     
                 23.65        51.49 (27.84)
        1:19.73 (28.24)     1:47.59 (27.86)
        2:18.00 (30.41)     2:49.60 (31.60)
        3:15.98 (26.38)     3:42.24 (26.26)
  2 Torok, Dominik   FR Wisconsin-WI      3:58.94    3:43.92 qB     
                 24.32        51.61 (27.29)
        1:20.39 (28.78)     1:49.07 (28.68)
        2:19.85 (30.78)     2:51.36 (31.51)
        3:18.20 (26.84)     3:43.92 (25.72)
  3 Calvillo, Mikey  PG IU-IN             3:47.24    3:44.90 qB     
                 24.47        51.89 (27.42)
        1:20.41 (28.52)     1:48.21 (27.80)
        2:20.34 (32.13)     2:53.12 (32.78)
        3:19.68 (26.56)     3:44.90 (25.22)
  4 Bansberg, Willi  SO Ohio St-OH        3:50.19    3:45.68 qB     
                 24.01        51.60 (27.59)
        1:20.12 (28.52)     1:47.83 (27.71)
        2:19.89 (32.06)     2:52.07 (32.18)
        3:19.46 (27.39)     3:45.68 (26.22)
  5 Ben-Shitrit, Ei  FR Michigan-MI       3:46.54    3:45.73 qB     
                 23.19        50.59 (27.40)
        1:18.91 (28.32)     1:47.04 (28.13)
        2:19.24 (32.20)     2:51.74 (32.50)
        3:19.07 (27.33)     3:45.73 (26.66)
  6 Lulek, Will      GS Penn State-MA     3:49.19    3:46.04 qB     
                 25.06        52.58 (27.52)
        1:22.00 (29.42)     1:50.56 (28.56)
        2:21.95 (31.39)     2:53.51 (31.56)
        3:20.15 (26.64)     3:46.04 (25.89)
  7 Christenson, Wi  JR Minnesota-MN      3:48.27    3:46.08 qB     
                 24.02        51.04 (27.02)
        1:20.35 (29.31)     1:48.75 (28.40)
        2:21.17 (32.42)     2:54.14 (32.97)
        3:20.33 (26.19)     3:46.08 (25.75)
  8 Jankovics, Tris  FR Ohio St-OH        3:49.22    3:46.58 qB     
                 23.74        51.20 (27.46)
        1:19.13 (27.93)     1:46.66 (27.53)
        2:18.57 (31.91)     2:51.58 (33.01)
        3:19.32 (27.74)     3:46.58 (27.26)

200 freestyle

Indiana has a chance to make a move in the 200 free. Last year’s champion, Rafael Miroslaw, drew the center lane again this year by going 1:33.51 in prelims. That’s .02 up on Wisconsin’s Jake Newmark. It’s also a half-second behind his best time of the regular season. He won in 1:32.17 last year.

Indiana also got Tomer Frankel into the A final, the junior navigating the daunting 100 fly/200 free double. He’s the sixth seed in 1:34.93, seven tenths off his best time of the year. He finished third last year, behind Miroslaw and Newmark.

Purdue’s Nick Sherman is the third seed in 1:33.56. Ohio State pushed two into the A final, with Tomas Navikonis fourth and Ruslan Gaziev fifth. (Gaziev finished fourth last year). Bar Soloveychik, the runner-up in the 500 free, qualified seventh.

 Event 10  Men 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: # 1:31.14  2/23/2018 Blake J Pieroni, Indiana
         Pool: ! 1:32.14  2014      Michael Wynalda, Michigan
                 1:31.98  A NCAA Qualifying
                 1:35.88  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Miroslaw, Rafae  SO IU-IN             1:32.92    1:33.51 qB     
                 21.75        45.23 (23.48)
        1:09.22 (23.99)     1:33.51 (24.29)
  2 Newmark, Jake Q  JR Wisconsin-WI      1:33.14    1:33.53 qB     
                 22.38        45.92 (23.54)
        1:09.44 (23.52)     1:33.53 (24.09)
  3 Sherman, Nick S  SR PUR               1:33.99    1:33.56 qB     
                 21.98        45.62 (23.64)
        1:09.56 (23.94)     1:33.56 (24.00)
  4 Navikonis, Toma  FR Ohio St-OH        1:36.49    1:34.23 qB     
                 22.03        45.76 (23.73)
        1:09.82 (24.06)     1:34.23 (24.41)
  5 Gaziev, Ruslan   JR Ohio St-OH        1:33.82    1:34.47 qB     
                 22.28        46.19 (23.91)
        1:10.38 (24.19)     1:34.47 (24.09)
  6 Frankel, Tomer   JR IU-IN             1:34.24    1:34.93 qB     
                 22.02        45.90 (23.88)
        1:10.44 (24.54)     1:34.93 (24.49)
  7 Soloveychik, Ba  SO Minnesota-MN      1:34.38    1:35.38 qB     
                 22.26        46.25 (23.99)
        1:10.66 (24.41)     1:35.38 (24.72)
  8 Moraes, Eduardo  SO Michigan-MI       1:36.05    1:35.42 qB     
                 22.90        46.80 (23.90)
        1:10.83 (24.03)     1:35.42 (24.59)

100 breaststroke

The field is chasing Max McHugh, as per usual. The three-time NCAA champ is chasing his fourth straight 100 breast Big Ten title. He coasted to the top seed in the morning with a time of 51.59 seconds. That’s .12 up on Indiana’s Van Mathias.

Indiana has three in the A final, with Josh Matheny (52.31) third and Jassen Yep seventh. The Hoosiers can create some distance on Ohio State, which got only one swimmer into the three finals. Michigan pushed Brendan Fitzpatrick into the A final in eighth. Last year’s runner-up, Kevin Houseman of Northwestern, qualified fifth.

 Event 11  Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: # 50.19  3/5/2021  Maxwell J McHugh, Minnesota
         Pool: ! 51.09  2021      Thomas Cope, Michigan
                 51.40  A NCAA Qualifying
                 53.87  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 McHugh, Max J    SR Minnesota-MN        51.51      51.59 qB     
                 24.17        51.59 (27.42)
  2 Mathias, Van L   PG IU-IN               52.26      51.72 qB     
                 23.95        51.72 (27.77)
  3 Matheny, Josh M  SO IU-IN               52.30      52.31 qB     
                 24.83        52.31 (27.48)
  4 Myhre, Will D    SR Wisconsin-WI        52.70      52.43 qB     
                 24.56        52.43 (27.87)
  5 Houseman, Kevin  SR Northwestern-IL     51.83      52.47 qB     
                 24.49        52.47 (27.98)
  6 Lazzerini, Mari  FR Penn State-MA       52.73      52.49 qB     
                 24.74        52.49 (27.75)
  7 Yep, Jassen J    JR IU-IN               52.05      52.65 qB     
                 24.66        52.65 (27.99)
  8 Fitzpatrick, Br  SO Michigan-MI         53.90      52.77 qB     
                 24.57        52.77 (28.20)

100 backstroke

Perhaps the biggest argument for Indiana’s title hopes is that they’ve put themselves in good position before applying the cinder block to the accelerator that is Brendan Burns’ Saturday schedule.

The 2022 NCAA champion and reigning Big Ten Men’s Championships Swimmer of the Year has two individual events on Saturday, in the 200 back and 200 fly. His first foray Friday was a pool record and the top seed in the 100 back of 45.09. It downs the mark set by Shane Ryan of Penn State in 2014 at 45.13.

Burns leads to Indiana A finalists, with Gavin Wright third in 45.79. Wyatt Davis of Michigan shoved between them in 45.32. That’s the Wolverines’ only A finalist, while Ohio State nudged Thomas Watkins into the A final. Alex Quach could join him, but he’ll have to survive a swim off with Penn State’s Lachlan Byrne.

 Event 12  Men 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
     B1G Meet: # 44.31  2/25/2022 Brendan A Burns, Indiana
         Pool: ! 45.13  2014      Shane Ryan, Penn State
                 44.79  A NCAA Qualifying
                 47.59  B NCAA Provisional
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Burns, Brendan   SR IU-IN               45.36      45.09!qB     
                 22.05        45.09 (23.04)
  2 Davis, Wyatt M   JR Michigan-MI         46.11      45.32 qB     
                 21.97        45.32 (23.35)
  3 Wight, Gavin R   JR IU-IN               46.46      45.79 qB     
                 22.19        45.79 (23.60)
  4 Samuels, Brady   SO PUR                 46.36      45.87 qB     
                 22.14        45.87 (23.73)
  5 Morley, Cooper   FR Penn State-MA       47.28      45.89 qB     
                 22.48        45.89 (23.41)
  6 Jekel, Wes B     SR Wisconsin-WI        47.59      46.35 qB     
                 21.96        46.35 (24.39)
  7 Watkins, Thomas  SR Ohio St-OH          46.33      46.48 qB     
                 22.20        46.48 (24.28)
  8 Quach, Alex      SO Ohio St-OH          46.88      46.55 qB     
                 22.74        46.55 (23.81)
  8 Byrne, Lachlan   SR Penn State-MA       47.33      46.55 qB     
                 22.72        46.55 (23.83)

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