Feb. 27, 2013
Opening Night Results | Live Results | Live Dive-by-Dive Scoring
Championships Central & Order of Events | Free Live Video (Except Saturday Night)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Purdue men's swimming and diving posted a pair of season-best times that also rank among the top five in program history in the two relay events on the opening of the Big Ten Championships Wednesday.The Boilermakers' 200 medley relay team of Stephen Seliskar, Lyam Dias, Chuck Destro and Danny Tucker finished with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:27.16, registering the second fastest mark in program history. Only the program record of 1:26.67 from 2009 was faster.
Purdue finished eighth among a very fast field that featured event winner No. 3 Michigan setting a new Big Ten and pool record at Indiana's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center of 6:13.70, eclipsing the previous Big Ten benchmark by more than two seconds.
The 800 freestyle relay team of Brian Kiel, Manuel Gutierrez, Alec LaMothe and Matt Friede improved on the team's previous season-best time by almost seven seconds, finishing the event in 6:30.89. Kiel's race-opening split of 1:37.57 is a Purdue season-best time in the 200 free and the fifth fastest in program history. The final event time was good for fourth in the team record book.
The Boilermakers were ninth among another fast field. Michigan also won the event, again setting a meet and pool record by more than two seconds.
Friede had the best 200 split (1:36.37) in the 800 free relay while swimming the anchor leg.
The Big Ten Championships continue Thursday with preliminaries at 11 a.m. and finals at 6:30 p.m.
Purdue Entries
* -- Purdue Season-Best Time
(B) -- NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
200 Medley Relay
Seliskar, Dias, Destro & Tucker, 1:27.16* (B) - Finished 8th (22 Points)
Second Fastest in Program History
800 Free Relay
Kiel, Gutierrez, LaMothe & Friede, 6:30.89* -- Finished 9th (18 Points)
Fourth Fastest in Program History
Kiel opening split of 1:37.57 is a Purdue season-best in the 200 free & fifth best in program history
Opening Night Team Scores
1. #3 Michigan, 80
T-2. #8 Indiana, 66
T-2. #13 Ohio State, 66
T-4. #14 Minnesota, 54
T-4. #20 Iowa, 54
6. #24 Penn State, 52
7. Wisconsin, 48
8. Purdue 40
T-9. Northwestern, 38
T-9. Michigan State, 38