ANN ARBOR, Michigan, February 28. TODAY\u2019S prelims at the men\u2019s Big 10 swimming and diving championships set up some potentially great races for tonight\u2019s finals, with the Michigan Wolverines again at the helm with top seeds in all five swimming events.<\/p>\n
After a battle in the 200 IM last night, Kyle Whitaker and Dylan Bosch are set to go head-to-head in the 400 IM final tonight. Whitaker nearly broke Tyler Clary\u2019s meet record of 3:38.03 with a 3:38.93. It\u2019s a personal best for the Michigan senior, whose previous standard was a 3:40.94 from last year\u2019s Big 10 meet. He becomes the 16th person in history to crack the 3:40 barrier, and puts him second in the collegiate rankings this season, just three hundredths of a second ahead of Florida\u2019s Dan Wallace. Bosch posted 3:41.56 for the second-fastest qualifying time, a personal best by six tenths of a second. Connor Jaeger, who swam this race at Big 10s last year but opted for the 200 free at NCAAs, qualified third in 3:43.49, another lifetime best. Last year\u2019s champion, Indiana\u2019s Stephen Schmuhl, qualified fourth with a 3:43.56.<\/p>\n
Ohio State\u2019s Tim Phillips, who sat out the fall semester to train with the SwimMAC Carolina Elite Team, qualified first in the 100 fly with a 45.57. That\u2019s a lifetime best by just four hundredths of a second, beating the 45.61 he swam at last December\u2019s USA Swimming nationals. He\u2019ll chase the meet record of 45.45 by Chris Brady in finals. Right now, he\u2019s second in the collegiate standings and will also target Giles Smith\u2019s nation-leading 44.73.<\/p>\n
Phillips posted on Twitter recently that he tore one of his pectoral muscles, so a lifetime best after a major injury bodes well for the 23-year-old.<\/p>\n
\nI am extremely happy with my split, tearing my pec major 14 days ago. Many thanks to @e_schep<\/a> and Ohio State training staff. #GoBucks<\/a><\/p>\n
— Tim Phillips (@timphil1) February 27, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n