Crucial diving performances and relay victories were major factors for Indiana’s 28th consecutive dual-meet victory Thursday. Despite losing a handful of close races, Indiana won both diving events and relays en route to knocking off Michigan 173.5-126.5 at home.
“It was a good win, but it could have been a lot better,” IU Head Coach Ray Looze said. “We left stuff in the pool, and I hate to do that. I told the team it’s kind of like a boxing match. We needed to go to Michigan’s body, and we only sort of wore them down."
Looze said the team was struggling on some of the individual events and pointed at some minor team injuries as part of the cause. Looze, however, took ownership of a significant portion of the team’s mistakes.
“We can be better, and I especially put that on me in particular,” Looze said.
Sophomore Gabriel Fantoni won the 100 and 200 backstroke with times of 46:51 and 1:45.44, respectively. The Brazilian was also a part of one of the team's two relay victories with a combined time of 1:26.87 on the 200 medley.
“I’m very proud of my team, and it always feels good beating Michigan, especially at home,” Fantoni said. “Ray is pushing me really hard at practice and I’m just fighting for my team to win everything and get the win.”
Alongside Fantoni in the 200 medley relay win was senior Ian Finnerty. He helped IU pick up its sixth win on the season by taking first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 53:25.
Sophomore Bruno Blaskovic took part in the 200 medley win and the team’s other relay victory, the 400 freestyle, with a time of 2:55.43. Joining him in that was freshman Jack Franzman, senior Zach Apple and junior Mohamed "the Bear" Samy.
Samy swam his way to an individual victory in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:35.24.
On the other end of the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center, IU redshirt senior diver James Connor defeated teammate and sophomore Andrew Capobianco on the 1-meter with a winning total of 409.80, extending his perfect diving win streak to eight.
It was the 3-meter dive, however, where Capobianco finally slayed Connor's streak.
“James is probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, and I’m so lucky to have and compete with him,” Capobianco said. “He’s taught me to stay within myself during the meets even though it’s hard to not look around the pool.”
Capobianco finished the 3-meter dive with 486 points, and Connor finished in second with 463.43. To earn his first win and break Connor’s undefeated streak, Cap said how he finishes means little in the long run.
“For me, it’s more about the team and earning points with college diving,” he said. “For James to go one and me to go two or me to go one and him two is all the same.”
After the meet, Connor was all smiles and had nothing but encouraging words for his younger teammate.
“When people are diving that hard and that well you can try and go up with them as much as you can but at the end of the day you can only tip your cap,” Connor said. “He really made a statement today coming out and diving incredibly well.”
There are now two meets left until the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 27. IU will hit the road for their final road meet Jan. 26 against Purdue before coming home to take on Louisville at the turn of the new month Feb. 1.
