IU prepares for final dual meets of season

This weekend will be busy for the No. 7 men’s swimming and diving team.

The Hoosier squad will split up as it competes in its final dual meets of the 2012-2013 season. On Friday, Evansville will travel to Bloomington to race against younger IU swimmers. The rest of the swimmers and all of the divers are competing against Purdue on Saturday.

“Purdue is one of our biggest rivals and nothing feels better than beating them in their own pool,” sophomore Stephen Schmuhl said. “This is the swim team’s chance to make our contribution to the IU vs. Purdue competition across all athletics to prove that IU is truly the best in Indiana.”

After defeating No. 14 Louisville 193-107 last weekend, the IU men hope to keep the momentum going as they race against their in-state rival.

Although the Hoosiers are 7-2 on the season and have been able to pull out narrow wins against solid teams, most recently in their 150-148 win over Ohio State, the Boilermakers will present challenges.

“Purdue is strong where we are weak,” Schmuhl said. “They have a lot of good sprinters and 100 butterflyers, areas where we aren’t so deep.”

Purdue’s Danny Tucker touched the wall in 44.21 in the 100-yard freestyle in a meet against Michigan State on Jan. 11. At Louisville, senior Daniel Kanorr earned a time of 45.41 in the 100-yard freestyle, over a second slower than Tucker.

While Purdue’s Danny Conway holds the Boilermaker’s top time in the 200-yard butterfly with his time of 1:49.19 at the Purdue Invitational on Nov. 18, Schmuhl led the Hoosiers to victory last weekend with a time of 1:48.14.

“IU has no weaknesses, we are strong in every event,” senior Nicholas Schwab said. “We have a wide range of talent, and great enthusiasm on this team right now.”
In last season’s match-up, IU won 166-134.

After this weekend’s meet, the men will prepare for the 2012-2013 Big Ten Championships which will take place in Bloomington from Feb. 27 through March 2.

“We are happy to have beaten Louisville, but of course our team goals are high, and we are hungry for more,” Schwab said. “I believe everyone is looking forward to the upcoming meets and having a lot of fun swimming fast.”