Big Ten Weekly Preview: Michigan-Indiana Will Have Championship Feel

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Dan D’Addona.

After a relatively slow start to the new year, the Big Ten will have plenty of action this week.

Wisconsin will swim against USC in a nationally ranked battle (more on that in the Pac-12 weekly preview), and most of the teams will be in action.

The marquee matchup in the Big Ten this week is Michigan at Indiana.

The Hoosiers are ranked No. 4 in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America men’s poll and the Wolverines are No. 12. In the women’s poll, Michigan is No. 6 and Indiana is No. 13.

Friday’s meet will be a battle of teams that will be in contention for the Big Ten championship next month.

In the men’s meet, Michigan’s Paul Powers and Indiana’s Ali Khalafalla have the top two times in the conference in the 50 freestyle, while the Hoosiers have several more swimmers on their tails.

Indiana’s Blake Pieroni has having a stellar season and has the top 100 freestyle time in the Big Ten (42.31) and also in the 200 freestyle (1:33.43). Marwan El Kamash is tops in the Big Ten in the 500 freestyle (4:13.44), four seconds ahead of Michigan’s Felix Auboeck.

In the 200 backstroke, the meet will feature the top two swimmers in the conference with Indiana’s Bob Glover at 1:41.96) and Michigan’s Luke Papendick at 1:43.58.

Indiana also has the top times in the conference in the 100 butterfly (Vinicius Lanza, 45.56) and 100 breaststroke (Ian Finnerty, 52.68), both set at USA Winter Nationals.

The women’s meet could come down to the backstroke events. Both teams have several strong swimmers in the 100 and 200.

Indiana’s Kennedy Goss, Alexandra Rockett, Marie Chamberlain, Gia Dalesandro and Brooklynn Snodgrass are all in the top 11 in the Big Ten in the 100-yard backstroke, as are Michigan’s Clara Smiddy, Catie DeLoof and Gabby DeLoof.

Olympic gold medalist Lilly King will handle the breaststroke events for the Hoosiers while the Wolverines will be led by Gillian Ryan, Yirong Bi in the distance events and Siobhan Haughey, who has been dominant in just about everything this season.

In other meets this week, Illinois and Iowa swim at Notre Dame on Thursday-Friday and Purdue hosts Michigan State on Friday. Northwestern hosts Notre Dame and Nebraska faces Omaha on Saturday. Friday-Saturday meets are Minnesota at Denver, Penn State/Rutgers vs. Yale and Ohio State at Cincinnati along with Mid-major power Oakland and Division III power Kenyon.

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