2024 Men’s Big Ten Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2024 MEN’S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Dates: February 28 – March 2, 2024
• Location: McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion – Columbus, Ohio
• Defending champions: Indiana (2x)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap
• Full meet results

The final night of the 2024 Men’s Big Ten Championship meet is here. The session will begin with the fastest heat of the men’s 1650, followed by finals of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. Platform diving and the 400 free relay are also on the schedule, and will occur at the end of the night.

The defending champions, the Indiana Hoosiers, have put themselves in position to defend their title. Hoosier Brendan Burns, who won the 100 back yesterday, will feature in both the 200 back and 200 fly tonight. He won the tough double last year, and is in position to challenge for both titles once again.

The Indiana breaststroke crew posted the top four times in this morning’s 200 breast, with junior Josh Matheny (1:52.06) leading the way. Michigan senior Bence Szabados recorded the fastest preliminary 100 free time, hitting the wall in 42.31.

MEN’s 1650 FREESTYLE — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 14:12.08, Robert Finke (FLOR) — 2020
• Big Ten Record: 14:22.88, Felix Auboeck (MICH) — 2017
• Big Ten Championship Record: 14:29.25, Felix Auboeck (MICH) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 14:37.31
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 14:53.84

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Sam Campbell (OSU) – 14:42.63
2. Bar Soloveychik (MINN) – 14:45.59
3. Charlie Clark (OSU) – 14:48.39
4. Andrew Martin (NU) – 14:51.13
5. Yigit Aslan (WISC) – 14:55.20
6. Christopher Nagy (MINN) – 14:58.97
7. Alex Axon (OSU) – 15:01.79
8. Warren Briggs (IU) – 15:01.96

Ohio State sophomore Sam Campbell was victorious in the men’s 1650 free, winning by nearly three seconds. Building upon his 7th place showing in the 500 free and 5th place ranking in the 400 IM, he shattered his previous 1650 best by over five seconds. Campbell split 26-high to 27-low the whole way (after the first 50), before dropping down to 26-mid, 26-low, and 25-mid over the final three 50s. He was 9th in this event a year ago, where he finished with a personal best of 15:06.04.

Minnesota junior Bar Soloveychik dropped 14.97 seconds from his entry time, claiming silver in 14:45.59. His time tonight checks-in as a personal best, dropping over five seconds from his time at this meet last year.  Soloveychik is having a great week in Columbus, as he already broke Minnesota school records in the 200 and 500 frees. His 1650 time tonight is just 0.39 shy of the school record, which was set nearly two decades ago by Justin Mortimer (14:45.20).

Charlie Clark of OSU finished 3rd tonight, swimming a time of 14:48.39. Clark has been as fast as 14:35.38 in the event, but did recently arrive back in the United States from the Doha World Championships. In Doha, he placed 10th in the long course version of this event.

Andrew Martin (Northwestern), Yigit Aslan (Wisconsin), and Christopher Nagy (Minnesota) placed 4th through 6th, also clocking sub-15 times. Martin was 4th in the 500 free earlier in the meet and Aslan was the winner in that distance.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:35.73 – Ryan Murphy, Cal (2016)
• Big Ten Record: 1:37.58 – Tyler Clary, Michigan (2009)
• Big Ten Championship Record: 1:38.22 – Brendan Burns, Indiana (2023)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.13
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:40.62

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Brendan Burns (IU) – 1:39.50
2. Kai Van Westering (IU) – 1:39.74
3. David Gerchik (NU) – 1:41.75
4. Jacob Newmark (WISC) – 1:41.99
5. Eitan Ben-Shitrit (MICH) – 1:42.41
6. Jacque Wenger (MICH) – 1:42.46
7. Cooper Morley (PSU) – 1:42.50
8. Dylan Burau (PUR) – 1:44.50

An exciting race unfolded in tonight’s 200 back, with defending champion Brendan Burns facing a tough battle from teammate Kai Van Westering. The two touched just 0.24 apart at the finish, with Burns grabbing gold (1:39.50). Van Westering finished in 1:39.74, a best time by over a second. The two Hoosier teammates were the only individuals under 1:41 tonight, both clearing the field by over two seconds.

Northwestern freshman David Gerchik earned himself a bronze medal, finishing in a time of 1:41.75. He entered the meet with a best time of 1:44.83, so he dropped nearly three seconds on the day for this podium appearance.

Wisconsin’s Jacob Newmark (1:41.99), who won the 500 freestyle Big Ten Championship in both 2022 and 2023, put his hand on the wall 4th. Michigan teammates Eitan Ben-Shitrit (1:42.41) and Jacque Wenger (1:42.46) touched just 0.05 apart for 5th and 6th, with Cooper Morley (Penn State) and Dylan Burau (Purdue) rounding out the field in 7th and 8th.

Michigan’s Jack Wilkening dropped about half a second from his prelim performance, winning the B-final in 1:41.82. The sophomore was 3rd in yesterday’s 100 back final, where he touched the wall in 45.57. Wilkening’s 200 time tonight represents his first ever sub-1:42 performance in the event, and would’ve been fast enough for 4th in the A-final.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 39.90 – Caeleb Dressel, Florida (2018)
• Big Ten Record: 40.83 – Bowe Becker, Minnesota (2019)
• Big Ten Championship Record: 41.38 – Ruslan Gaziev, Ohio State (2023)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.50
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 42.32

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Bence Szabados (MICH) – 42.09
2. Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (WISC) – 42.10
3. Tomas Navikonis (OSU) – 42.22
4. Victor Baganha (PSU) – 42.41
5. Braden Samuels (PUR) – 42.50
6. Mikkel Lee (IU) – 42.51
7. Davide Harabagiu (MINN) – 42.95
8. Gavin Wight (IU) – 43.01

After a second place finish in the 50 free, Michigan senior Bence Szabados secured his first individual title. Stopping the clock in 42.09, he reset his personal best from today’s prelim session (42.31). Wisconsin sophomore Taiko Torepe-Ormsby almost completed the sprint free double, touching just 0.01 behind Szabados for silver. Torepe-Ormsby was the only swimmer to break 19 seconds in the 50 free final earlier this week.

Szabados and Torepe-Ormsby approached the race similarly, both flipping through the first 50 under 20 seconds. Szabados turned in 19.88 to Torepe-Ormsby’s 19.92, with Torepe-Ormsby closed 0.03 faster to nearly grab the win.

Ohio State’s Tomas Navikonis, who garnered the 200 free title on Friday, finished 3rd with a time of 42.22. Victor Baganha (Penn State), Braden Samuels (Purdue), Mikkel Lee (Indiana), and Davide Harabagiu (Minnesota) finished 4th through 7th, swimming times under 43 seconds. Gavin Wight of Indiana was 8th at the wall, recording a time of 43.01.

Indiana junior Rafael Miroslaw won the B-final, dropping 0.28 from prelims with a time of 42.78. Wisconsin senior Andrew Benson also dipped under 43 seconds, hitting the wall in 42.98. Minnesota senior Matthew McDonald (43.80) claimed the C-final win.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:46.91 – Leon Marchand, Arizona State (20232)
• Big Ten Record: 1:48.76 – Max McHugh, Minnesota (2022)
• Big Ten Championship Record: 1:49.45 – Max McHugh, Minnesota (2022)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:51.09
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:52.94

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Jassen Yep (IU) – 1:50.40 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
2. Josh Matheny (IU) – 1:51.50
3. Toby Barnett (IU) – 1:51.95
4. Maxwell Reich (IU) – 1:52.07
5. Mariano Lazzerini (PSU) – 1:52.94
6. William Regan (OSU) – 1:55.42
7. Joseph Rudd (MINN) – 1:55.59
8. Coleman Modglin (PUR) – 1:55.64

IU breaststroke was on full display again tonight, as they swept the top four places. Jassen Yep led the way for the Hoosiers, posting a new best time of 1:50.40. His previous best stood at 1:50.71, which he recorded in November at the Ohio State Invitational. Josh Matheny (1:51.50), Toby Barnett (1:51.95), and Maxwell Reich (1:52.07) were 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

The time from Barnett is a new best time, while Reich was a few tenths shy of his best time from November. Matheny has been as fast as 1:50.12 in the event, so look for him to near that mark at the upcoming NCAA Championships.

Yesterday’s 100 breast champion, Penn State’s Mariano Lazzerini, posted a big best time of 1:52.94. It obliterated the previous PSU school record of 1:53.79, which was set back in 2022.

William Regan (Ohio State), Joseph Rudd (Minnesota), and Coleman Modglin (Purdue) posted times in the 1:55-range, finishing in 6th, 7th, and 8th.

Northwestern’s Connor Morikawa (1:54.50) finished 1st in the B-final, minutes after Matthew Segal (1:55.87) of Wisconsin claimed C-final victory.

Watch the IU sweep, courtesy of Indiana Swim & Dive on Twitter: 

BREASTSTROKE U‼️

One. Two. Three. Four. pic.twitter.com/XHnZDUYTZ3

— Indiana Swim & Dive (@IndianaSwimDive) March 2, 2024

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:37.35 – Jack Conger, Texas (2017)
• Big Ten Record: 1:38.71 – Brendan Burns, Indiana (2022)
• Big Ten Championship Record: 1:39.22 – Brendan Burns, Indiana (2021)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.16
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:42.57

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Gal Cohen Groumi (MICH) – 1:39.60 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
2. Tomer Frankel (IU) – 1:39.80 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
3. Brendan Burns (IU) – 1:40.24
4. Tyler Ray (MICH) – 1:40.80
5. Colin Geer (MICH) – 1:41.32
6. Dominik Mark Torok (WISC) – 1:42.01
7. Diego Nosack (NU) – 1:42.76
8. Charles Gustafson (OSU) – 1:42.98

After winning the 200 back/200 fly double over the past few years, Brendan Burns was denied this time around. Michigan’s Gal Cohen Groumi had a great swim, breaking 1:40 for the first time in his career. He hit the wall in 1:39.60, undercutting his previous lifetime best of 1:40.20 from the 2023 B1G Ten Championships. Cohen Groumi was 2nd to Burns last year, so he upgrades to gold this time around, building upon his 1st place 200 IM performance from Thursday.

Indiana’s Tomer Frankel (1:39.80) touched for 2nd ahead of teammate Burns, also breaking 1:40 for the first time in his career. Frankel’s previous best stood at 1:40.34, which he put on the books at 2023 NCAAs. Burns hit the wall in 1:40.24, with Michigan’s Tyler Ray (1:40.80) posting another massive best time on the day for 4th.

Ray’s freshman teammate, Colin Geer, dropped 0.55 from his prelim performance to take 4th. Both Ray and Geer owned best times of 1:43 in the event prior to today, so Michigan had a great day in the butterfly realm of things, to say the very least.

Geer was the final competitor under 1:42, as Dominik Mark Torok (Wisconsin), Diego Nosack (Northwestern), and Charles Gustafson (Ohio State), clocked 1:42 performances for 6th through 8th. Minnesota’s Kaiser Neverman won the B-final in 1:42.47, shortly after Purdue’s Charles King touched in 1:45.31 to take the C-final.

MEN’s PLATFORM DIVING — FINALS

• Big Ten Championship Record: 557.90 points — David Boudia, Purdue (2011)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Carson Tyler (IU) – 462.60 points
2. Jordan Rzepka (PUR) – 433.65 points
3. Maxwell Weinrich (IU) – 395.55 points
4. Andrew Bennett (MINN) – 380.70 points
5. Lyle Yost (OSU) – 374.00 points
6. Clayton Chaplin (OSU) – 371.65 points
7. Quentin Henninger (IU) – 360.95 points
8. Mohamed Noaman (OSU) – 354.05 points

After winning the 3-meter competition on Friday, Indiana junior Carson Tyler claimed his second win of the meet. He scored 462.60 points to win platform diving, with Purdue’s Jordan Rzepka (433.65 points) and IU teammate Maxwell Weinrich (395.55 points) rounding out the podium.

MEN’s 400 FREESTYLE RELAY — FINALS

• NCAA Record: 2:44.07 – Florida (2023)
• Big Ten Record: 2:47.11 — Indiana (2018)
• Big Ten Championship Record: 2:47.16 — Ohio State (2022)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:50.44

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Indiana University – 2:48.19 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
2. University of Michigan – 2:48.45 (NCAA ‘A’ Cut)
3. University of Wisconsin – 2:50.48
4. Ohio State University – 2:50.88
5. University of Minnesota – 2:51.51
6. Penn State University – 2:52.73
7. Purdue University – 2:53.18
8. Northwestern University – 2:53.92

Indiana and Michigan battled the whole way in the 400 free relay. Indiana’s Tomer Frankel opened the relay with a 42.25 split, which gave them the lead. Gal Cohen Groumi, who claimed 200 fly gold earlier in the session, opened in a swift 42.52 to keep the Wolverines in contention. 100 free champ Bence Szabados grabbed control of the race for Michigan, splitting 41.21 to give them a full second advantage. Indiana’s Rafael Miroslaw battled back on the third leg, putting them only 0.01 behind Michigan with one leg to go.

Mikkel Lee of Indiana split 41.76 to anchor the Hoosiers to relay gold (2:48.19), with Jack Wilkening (42.03) turning in the 2nd fastest split on Michigan’s silver medal relay (2:48.45). See a full splits comparison below:

Splits Comparison:

FINAL TEAM SCORES

1. Indiana University — 1520 points
2. Ohio State University — 1226 points
3. University of Michigan — 1153.5 points
4. University of Wisconsin — 1044.5 points
5. University of Minnesota — 849.5 points
6. Northwestern University — 725 points
7. Penn State University — 683 points
8. Purdue University — 651.5 points