CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the start team of the meet. The meet will begin at 1 p.m.
The Big Ten's only undefeated swim and dive teams will enter the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center on Thursday, and only one will stay unbeaten.
No. 4 Michigan enters Bloomington while No. 3 Indiana is in search of its 28th consecutive win. The Hoosiers won the last two meetings against the Wolverines, including a 170.5-129.5 victory in Ann Arbor that ended Michigan’s promising 2017-18 season. This time around, Michigan looks for revenge in hopes of dropping Indiana to 5-1 and claiming the top spot in the conference standings.
“Michigan is fantastic and we will have our work cut out for us,” IU Head Coach Ray Looze said. “They are our main rivals in conference, so between now and then we’ll need to get fitter and train harder.”
For the Wolverines, sophomore Ricardo Vargas is off to an electric start after earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year one season ago. With career bests in the four freestyle events, the 100 and 200 butterfly, and the 400 individual medley, Vargas figures to pick up more Big Ten hardware at the end of the season.
Vargas has played a significant role in Michigan’s winning streak, with first place finishes in the 500 freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle at the University of Georgia Fall Invite.
Senior Jon Burkett has also had a career season with the Wolverines. Along with personal bests in the 50 freestyle, the 100 backstroke, and the 100 and 200 butterfly, Burkett has had a hand in several team relays wins as well.
With five relay victories and nearly two-dozen individual wins this season, the Hoosiers are primed to keep up with the Wolverines.
Last season, James Connor won the 1-meter dive with a score of 414.65 but did not won the 3-meter. The now-redshirt senior will compete in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events to defend his perfect diving record this season.
Additionally, seniors Zach Apple, Ian Finnerty and Vini Lanza are entering their final semester at IU and are having career years. Apple was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 21 and has earned three NCAA A-cuts.
Finnerty also holds three NCAA A-cuts from the first part of the year and has won more than seven first place victories. Last season, Finnerty won the 100 breaststroke and the 200 medley relay alongside Gabriel Fantoni, Ali Khalafalla and Lanza.
Lanza was victorious in the 200 IM and 200 butterfly at Michigan last year. He also holds a handful of NCAA A-cut performances this season on top of earning Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honors Nov. 14.
With only three remaining matchups before the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 27, IU will swim and dive with the same intensity and tenacity as before. The meet begins at 1 p.m. and admission is free.
