Feb. 17, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A number of personal records were set by the Boilermakers Saturday at the Big Ten Championships, but none was bigger than Romain Maire's varsity record performance in the 400 individual medley.
Maire finished second in this event to Michigan's Alex Vanderkaay (3:44.86) with a time of 3:47.33. The previous record of 3:47.54 was set 10 years ago by Matt Brown, who was a two-time Big Ten Champion in this event.
Maire began the day with a seed time of 4:01.89 then lowered his lifetime best in prelims to a 3:49.80. His personal best entering this season was 3:51.24.
Purdue freshman Andre Koop also scored in the 400 IM with a 14th-place time of 3:57.42.
Maire helped record a second varsity record later in the night as the 800 freestyle relay team, finished seventh in 6:34.63. The old record of 6:34.74 was set in 2001 by Javier Diaz, Kyle Jackson, Matthew Martin and Jeremy Wright.
"It feels great to have achieved two varsity records in one night, and a second-place finish in the 400 IM; I was definitely not expecting all of this," said Maire. "I've had a better, more consistent year of training, and a lot of it's due to this team - they've worked my butt off."
Joining Maire on the varsity-record setting relay were Craig Thompson, John Schmitt and Trey Smith.
The Boilermakers received points from at least two individuals in three events, including the 400 IM. Jon Ranochak and Sam Wilcher finshed 9th and 12th in the 100 fly, and in the 200 free, Schmitt and Thompson placed fifth and 13th.
Ranochak, a junior, lowered his personal best to 47.75 during finals. Schmitt, a sophomore, held onto his fifth-place prelim showing with a 1:37.09.
Freshmen Aaron Koger and Ilia Ayzenshtok placed in the consolations of the 100 breaststroke and backstroke. Koger came in 13th at 55.57 while Ayzenshtok recorded a personal best of 49.01, the fourth-fastest in school history.
All eight of Purdue's finalists posted personal records during prelims. Koop went 3:56.04 in the 400 IM, Wilcher 48.11 in the 100 fly, and Koger 54.78 in the 100 breast. Schmitt and Thompson's lifetime bests from the 200 free were 1:36.73 and 1:38.76.
Schmitt's 200 free prelim mark is the second fastest in school history and just .68 seconds off Louis Paul's varsity record of 1:36.05. Paul set the record in 2005 as part of the 800 freestyle relay.
Boilermaker diving made another impact as all four of its divers placed among the top 11. Freshman J.P. Perez was the team's top scorer with a third-place and personal best total of 368.15 points. Zach Schultz and Danny Cox were fifth and sixth with 347.55 and 344.70 points, and rookie Kyle Mitrione was 11th with a lifetime best tally of 299.50 points.
The Boilermakers are on a proverbial island with regards to the conference standings, sitting in sixth place with 260.5 points. The Old Gold and Black are comfortably ahead of seventh-place Penn State (190) by 70.5 points, but are 64.5 points behind fifth-place Indiana (325).
The wide point margin is not deterring the team from going after the Hoosiers.
"We're only 60 points behind and we can have as many finalists tomorrow as we did the first two days," said head coach Dan Ross. "Let's keep going after them until this meet is over."
The final day of competition at the Big Ten Championships begins tomorrow at noon with prelims. Finals are slated for 7 p.m.