Hoosiers hope to make statement at Big Ten Championships

Three days. Seven ranked teams. One victor. \nThe No. 6 men’s swimming and diving team traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday to prepare to take on the rest of the conference at the Big Ten Championships, which begin today. The host team, No. 4 Michigan, is the tournament’s favorite, with No. 9 Minnesota and IU considered the two teams competing for second place. The last time the Hoosiers took the conference title was 2006. \nSix of the Hoosiers’ opponents are ranked in the top 20. In addition to Minnesota and Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State and Northwestern are ranked. Wisconsin also received votes in the latest College Swim Coaches Association of America poll. \nLast season, the Hoosiers finished fourth in the conference and placed only one point shy of third. Even with their less-than-stellar performance, several swimmers and divers still managed to make their presence known. Swimmer Ben Hesen shattered both a school and conference record in the 100-yard backstroke and set a school record in the 200-yard backstroke. \nBoth of the 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams placed second, while diver Taylor Roberts placed second on the 3-meter board and David Legler placed second on platform. Overall, the Hoosiers set 46 career-best records during the course of the three-day meet. \nThis weekend will be the first time the Hoosiers have faced defending champion Minnesota this season. Swimmer A.J. Miller called them the “ghost in the mist,” saying although they haven’t competed yet, the Hoosiers have had them on their radar all season. \n“We’ve always had our eye on Minnesota,” Miller said. “They won last year but we haven’t gotten a chance to swim against them this year.” \nThe Hoosiers have gone 2-2 against conference opponents this season; both of their losses came against Michigan. Legler said the team is feeling stronger lately and is choosing to look at the losses as positives. \n“Michigan was a learning experience,” Legler said. “We learned from our mistakes. Now we can come back and show our strengths.” \nWhile the Hoosiers are ranked in the top 10 nationally, they might be playing the role of underdog at this year’s Big Ten Tournament. IU coach Ray Looze thinks the critics might be underestimating his team. \n“This is a very good team,” Looze said. “We’re just sort of lurking in the weeds – menacing is more like it. If we do what we’re capable of doing, I’ll be very proud.”