Feb. 27, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's swimming and diving team broke eight records and earned another conference title Friday inside the Boilermaker Aquatic Center during the second day of the Big Ten Championships.
"I just told the team to look at the scoreboard," head coach Dan Ross said. "I said, `You guys have been talking since April of last year that you want to be in the top three. Right now, you have an opportunity. So, you wake up tomorrow, and you have a chance to realize your dreams.' I really do believe we're swimming really, really well. Look at what the divers did today. Tomorrow is arguably our best day. We still have 10 guys that have their best event tomorrow."
Freshman David Boudia earned his second springboard championship and meet record in as many days. The Beijing Olympian won the 3-meter competition with his meet-record score of 489.0 points. Boudia, who won the 1-meter Thursday with a conference, facility and school-record score, goes for the diving sweep Saturday from the platform.
"Today was a good day because I did what I needed to do," Boudia said. "I performed well in prelims, and I performed well in the final. That's what every diver is looking for is consistency, and I accomplished that."
Purdue started the second day of competition just like the first as the team earned another relay school record. Tim Watts, Aaron Koger, Andrew Langenfeld and Daniel Jung touched the wall in 1:26.67 to break the previous record of 1:28.20, set in 2002, and meet the NCAA `B' standard.
Langenfeld continued his record-setting ways with his 46.15 time that placed second in the 100 butterfly. Earlier in the day, Langenfeld lowered his school record of 47.21 to 46.45 during the preliminary race one day after breaking the facility, conference and school records while winning the 50 freestyle.
Team captain John Schmitt also broke a school record with his 1:34.94 swim in the 200 freestyle. In the afternoon session, Schmitt broke Louis Paul's Purdue record of 1:36.05 set in 2005 and eclipsed the NCAA `B' standard. In the final, Schmitt finished sixth with his time of 1:35.41.
Watts tied Purdue's 100 backstroke record and finished fourth with his 47.81 clocking. Watts improved his NCAA `B' standard time and tied Louis Paul's 2003 record.
Also in the 200 freestyle afternoon race, Ben Wachtel broke Purdue's freshman record with his 1:37.50 time. His clocking broke Javier Diaz's record of 1:37.74 from 1999 and places Wachtel third on Purdue's all-time performance list in the event.
Daniel Jung broke the school's freshman record in the 100 backstroke with his 48.93 time in the afternoon session. Jung's time breaks Illia Ayzenshtok's 49.01 clocking in 2007 as the fastest ever by a Purdue freshman and moves him to fifth on the school's all-time performance list in the event. Jung touched the wall in 49.12 during the evening session and placed 15th.
The Boilermakers ended the evening as they started it by earning another relay school record. Schmitt, Luke Zehrung, Wachtel and A.J. Boeh touched the wall in 6:29.31 to break the previous record of 6:34.63, set in 2007, and eclipse the NCAA `B' standard.
Sam Wilcher moved behind only Langenfeld on Purdue's all-time performance list in the 100 butterfly. The junior from Arlington Heights, Ill., stopped the clock in 47.11, which also is an NCAA `B' standard time, and placed ninth in the final. Brendan Joyce and Jimmy Brooks placed 18th and 19th, respectively, in the final after recording season-best times in the afternoon session.
Aaron Koger improved his standing in third on Purdue's all-time performance list in the 100 breaststroke with his 53.79 time that placed third and met the NCAA `B' standard. Albert Miller improved his place in fifth on Purdue's all-time performance list with his 54.65 time that placed 18th, and Wyatt Hodges finished 24th in the final after swimming a season-best time of 55.56 in the afternoon race.
Junior Andre Koop improved his standing in fourth on Purdue's all-time performance list and met the NCAA `B' standard in the 400 IM with his 3:50.69 clocking in the preliminaries. In that same event, Stewart moved to fifth on the school's all-time performance list by touching the wall in 3:53.83. Koop and Stewart finished 13th and 16th, respectively, in the final.
Gage Barry finished 23rd in the 200 freestyle with his time of 1:41.31. The junior from Chesterton, Ind., swam a season-best time of 1:38.84 in the afternoon session. Chris Pfaff swam a season-best time of 49.99 in the preliminaries of the 100 backstroke before stopping the clock in 50.21 for 23rd place in the final.
In the afternoon session, Zehrung moved to fifth on Purdue's all-time performance list in the 200 freestyle with his 1:38.07 time, and Boeh swam a season-best time of 1:38.83. Also in the afternoon session, Bill Arzner stopped the clock in a season-best time of 56.10 in the 100 breaststroke.
Michigan leads the Big Ten Championships with 588.5 points. The Wolverines are followed by Ohio State with 357.5 points and Minnesota with 344. Purdue has 330 points, and Indiana's 285.5 points round out the top five. Ten total records were broken during Friday's competition, highlighted by Michigan's Tyler Clary breaking the 400 IM NCAA record of 3:38.15 with his 3:38.03 time.
The meet continues Saturday at noon with preliminaries in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and platform diving. The championships conclude with the evening session, which features finals in each preliminary event, the 1,650 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay, begins at 7 p.m. Live results can be found throughout the championships at purduesports.com.