Iowa to Compete at B1G Championships

Feb. 26, 2013

2013 B1G Championships Notes

THIS WEEK
The 20th-ranked University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team will compete at the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind., Wednesday through Saturday at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.

The competition begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27, and then follows three days of non-stop action. Swimming finals will be held at 6:30 p.m. on all four days, while preliminaries will begin at 11 a.m. on Feb. 28-March 2. Diving preliminaries will begin at 1 p.m. on Feb. 28-March 2 and the finals will take place later each day.

All-session tickets are $40 for adults, and single session tickets are $8 for adults and $5 youth. Single session tickets may be purchased on the day of the event at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center. To order tickets in advance call 866-IUSPORTS (487-7678) or 812-855-4006.

2012 BIG TEN REVIEW
The Hawkeyes finished fifth place with 395 points at the 2012 Big Ten Championships in Iowa City. It marked the highest finish for the program since 1996.

Ryan Phelan, Duncan Partridge, Gianni Sesto and Paul Gordon were crowned Big Ten champions in the 200-freestyle relay. The squad broke a school record with an NCAA `A’ cut time of 1:17.61. The quartet, who posted the fourth best time in Big Ten history, was the first Iowa 200-free relay team in 17 years to be crowned Big Ten Champions.

Hawkeyes broke 12 school records during the four days of the championships.

Iowa’s 200 medley relay, consisting of Dustin Rhoads, Korey Schneider, Gordon and Phelan set a school record with a time of 1:27.16. . The quartet of Grant Betulius, Andrew Marciniak, Byron Butler and Partridge established a school record in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:11.87. Partridge, Phelan, Jordan Huff and Gordon captured Iowa’ second Big Ten Title in the 400-free relay title on the final day of the championships, finishing with a time of 2:52.53, which ranks first in Iowa history.

Gordon posted a school record in the 100 free to finish second overall 43.22. Marciniak swam to a school record in the 200 breast (1:57.88). Tyler Lentz posted two school records during the championships. Lentz reset the 400 IM school record with an NCAA provisional cut time (3:47.65), while also breaking Iowa’s record in the 200 IM (1:47.31). Phelan broke a 22-year old school record in the 50 free (19.52) to place fifth in the event. Betulius posted a school record in the first leg of the 400-medley relay (47.17). Dustin Rhoads swam to a new record in the 200 back with an NCAA provisional cut time of 1:43.92.

Five Hawkeyes earned first-team All-Big Ten: Gordon, Phelan, Partridge, Sesto, and Huff.

BIG TEN NETWORK TO AIR BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Big Ten Network will televise Saturday’s finals at the 2013 Big Ten’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. Indiana will also provide a live stream of the event at IUHoosiers.com.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Become fans of the official Iowa swimming and diving Facebook page by going to http://www.facebook.com/IowaSwimmingandDiving. Fans can also follow the black and gold on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/IowaHawkeyeSwim.

WEEKLY HONORS
Freshman Roman Trussov was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 6. The honor marked the first of Trussov’s career and the first for a Hawkeye men’s swimmer.

The Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, native earned the accolade after posting two first, one second and one fifth place finish in Iowa’s dual meet at 13th-ranked Minnesota on Nov. 2. Trussov took first place in the 100 breast (55.08) and 200 breast (2:00.60) and finished second in the 200 medley relay (1:29.93).

DUAL MEET DOMINATION
Since 2008-09, the men’s swimming and diving team has compiled 41-9 dual meet record. That mark includes a 10-1 record in 2009-10, which is the program’s best record since finishing 13-1 and placing second at the Big Ten in 1987.

IOWA IN BIG TEN HISTORY
Iowa has won three Big Ten team titles in school history (1936, 1981, 1982), and crowned 105 individual conference champions (76 in individual events, 23 in relays and eight in diving).

Three Hawkeyes have earned Swimmer of the Championships honors – Artur Wojdat (1991, 1992), Rafal Szukala (1994) and Ales Abersek (2000). Wojdat was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year three times (1990, 1991, 1992), while former Hawkeye John Davey earned the honor twice (1987, 1988). Former diving coach Bob Rydze was the Big Ten diving coach of the year three times (1985, 1986 and 1995).

Two Hawkeye divers top the list of all-time Big Ten top performers. Timo Klami scored a 625.60 on one-meter (11 dives) in 2003, while Randy Abelman posted a 448.20 on three-meter (6 dives) in 1981.

Iowa won its last Big Ten individual swimming titles in 2000 when Ales Abersek took the 100 (47.68) and 200 fly (1:44.93) crowns and Jay Glenn won the 200 free (1:36.84). Iowa’s last Big Ten diving champion was Klami on three-meter (596.40) in 2003. Iowa won two relays in 2012 — the 200 and 400 free relays. Ryan Phelan, Duncan Partridge, Gianni Sesto and Paul Gordon won the 200-free in 1:17.61, while Partridge, Phelan, Jordan Huff and Gordon won the 400-free in 2:52.53.

HEAD COACH Marc Long
Marc Long is in his ninth season as head coach for the University of Iowa swimming team. It’s his eighth as head coach of the combined program. During his tenure as head coach of both programs, 54 school records have fallen and 93 Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships.

DIVING COACH Todd Waikel
Todd Waikel began his duties as the University of Iowa diving coach in July 2012. Waikel, who was the assistant diving coach at Indiana for seven seasons, replaced long time UI diving coach Bob Rydze. Waikel comes to Iowa City with an impressive collegiate and national diving resume. He helped the Hoosiers to five Big Ten Conference titles (four women’s, one men’s) and three top 10 NCAA finishes in his seven seasons. He also has coached 10 USA Diving National Teams to titles since 2006.

IOWA SWIMMING HISTORY & TRADITION
Since 1917, the University of Iowa swimming and diving program has been rich in tradition. Iowa was one of the first schools in the nation to compete on a collegiate level, and competed at the first NCAA Championship. From 1937 to 1960, Iowa placed in the NCAA top 10 18 times, crowning nine NCAA and 22 Big Ten champions. In its 93-year history, the Iowa men’s team has produced 17 Olympians, 26 NCAA champions and 382 All-Americans.

NEXT COMPETITION
Iowa’s lone diver, freshman Addison Boschult, will travel to Houston for the NCAA Zone D Diving meet on March 11-13.