Indiana open road to NCAA bids

A pair of relays could open a number of doors for the men's swimming team this weekend at the Indiana Open at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center. \n"We need to have two relays swim better times to advance further and qualify for the NCAAs," Swimming coach Kris Kirchner said. "If that happens, it frees up a lot of people to swim individual events, and then we're good -- we're great. But it's contingent on those relays getting there. \n"Sunday is the absolute last day to qualify for men's NCAAs. It's kind of like the final hour, the final shot -- you've got one bullet left and where are you going to put it?"\nThe NCAA sets two standards for each swimming event: An automatic A cut and a slower B cut. An A cut in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay would enable the Hoosiers to compete in those two relays at NCAAs, as well as nine other individual events in which they have already set B times during the year. \nThe squad of sophomore backstroker Matt Leach, junior breaststroker David Schulze, freshman butterflier Murph Halasz and sophomore freestyler Claes Andersson is .94 off pace of an A cut in the 200 medley relay. Andersson said the 200 free relay shouldn't be a problem either.\n"We need to qualify the 200-free relay to the NCAA time," Andersson said. "That's the goal. I believe 100 percent that we can do it. We didn't swim very well last week, but I think we can go much faster than that. Our chances are good." \nThe 200-yard free relay squad of sophomore Dale Ramsy, Andersson, sophomore Mike Payne and freshman Nicolas Burgess already holds the school record and is .82 off an A time. \n"I think we will swim much faster this week," Andersson said. "Everyone wants to swim fast."\nSchulze led the Hoosiers for much of Big Tens, swimming in four relays and three individual events, the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes and the 200-yard individual medley. Kirchner said Schulze could swim a similar lineup at NCAAs, but this weekend is just about qualifying the relay.\n"I expect Dave just to swim a really fast 50 (yards), that's it," Kirchner said. "He swam 10 times in three days at Big Tens. That's asking a lot, but (fatigue) isn't an issue with him. He's incredible, the go-to guy."\nThe diving squad vies for NCAA bids at the NCAA Zone Diving competition March 15-16 at Purdue. \n"Our goal has really been to peak at NCAAs," Diving coach Jeff Huber said. "We hope we do our best diving at NCAAs. Looking back, some of our guys that weren't Big Ten champions wound up doing better at NCAAs. So, I hope we have a real good meet." \nThe Indiana Open kicks off at 4 p.m. tomorrow.