2021 Big Ten Men’s Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2021 BIG TEN MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Tuesday, March 2nd to Saturday, March 6th | Prelims 11am | Finals 5pm Tues, 6:30pm Wed-Sat (ET)
• Where: Ohio State University (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Michigan (1x) (2020 results)
• Streaming: Big Ten Network
• Championship Central
• Live Results

After Ohio State jumped out to the lead over the first two days of competition, Paul Delakis is locked and loaded to bring the Buckeyes a title in the 200 free tonight.

Delakis is the only Buckeye A-finalist tonight, though, while Michigan (8) and Indiana (6) are primed to take over by the end of the session. IU has four men in the 100 fly A-final, and the Wolverines have four in the 200 free final. The Wolverines, who are currently in third after day two’s events, are projected to vault into the lead with tonight’s events.

Meanwhile, Northwestern has the third-most swims tonight, though they’re not projected to fully make up ground on Purdue (fourth) and Wisconsin (fifth) tonight.

THURSDAY EVENING HEAT SHEETS

100 FLY – FINALS

• Big Ten meet record – 44.79, Vini Lanza (Indiana) – 2018
• Big Ten record – 44.37, Vini Lanza (Indiana) – 2019
• 2020 NCAA invite time – 45.97
• Defending champion: Miles Smachlo (Michigan), 45.05

Top 3

1. Tomer Frankel (Indiana) – 44.91
2. Brendan Burns (Indiana) – 45.26
3. Wes Jekel (Wisconsin) – 45.96

Tomer Frankel of Indiana was 44.91 to win the 100 fly title tonight, a massive performance for the freshman. He’s the #2 performer in IU history behind only Vini Lanza, the Big Ten record holder. Frankel is the eighth swimmer under 45 seconds in the nation this year, tied for fifth in the country with Alvin Jiang of Texas and Shaine Casas of Texas A&M.

Michigan’s River Wright was 45.06, the second-fastest swimmer tonight, but he was called for a 15-meter violation off of his first underwater. That moves Indiana’s Brendan Burns into second (45.26), which is the same placement he finished in last year (behind a different teammate, Lanza).

Wisconsin’s Wes Jekel broke 46 seconds for the first time ever, the sophomore swooping in for third at 45.96. He’s now just .15 off of Cannon Clifton’s program record done in 2017. Van Mathias of Indiana was 46.22 for fourth, as the Hoosiers went 1-2-4-6 here, decimating Ohio State’s lead.

In the B-final, Ohio State freshman Justin Fleagle hit a new lifetime best of 46.63 for the win.

Aside from IU coming within 20 points of the Buckeyes, Penn State also jumped Northwestern to move into sixth place by 7.5 points.

400 IM – FINALS

• Big Ten meet record – 3:38.03, Tyler Clary (Michigan) – 2009
• Big Ten record – 3:35.98, Tyler Clary (Michigan) – 2009
• 2020 NCAA invite time – 3:44.36
• Defending champion: Charlie Swanson (Michigan), 3:40.26

Top 3

1. Michael Daly (Penn State) – 3:41.09
2. Danny Berlitz (Michigan) – 3:41.45
3. Jared Daigle (Michigan) – 3:43.23

Penn State’s Michael Daly looked very strong, jumping out to a big lead after the fly leg. He continued to lead for the rest of the way, though Michigan’s Danny Berlitz went full steam ahead on the free leg, coming home in 50.11 to cut Daly’s lead by over two seconds and nearly catch him.

That’s a Penn State record for Daly, while podium finishers Berlitz and Jared Daigle of Michigan hit lifetime bests, too. Wisconsin had another top-five finish here, with Caleb Aman going 3:44.33.

In the B-final, Iowa’s Anze Fers Erzen took it in 3:46.18, with Michigan’s Bora Unalmis (3:46.69) and Purdue’s Brett Riley (3:46.74) also getting under 3:47.

Michael Brinegar of Indiana dropped almost five seconds from prelims, going 3:48.65 to take the C-final.

The Hoosiers jump into first with the 400 IM results in, leading OSU by 17.5 points, while Michigan lurks in third, 36 behind OSU. The 200 free up next has four Wolverines in the A-final, and they’ll make their big move with that event.

200 FREE – FINALS

• Big Ten meet record – 1:31.14, Blake Pieroni (Indiana) – 2018
• Big Ten record – 1:29.63, Blake Pieroni (Indiana) – 2018
• 2020 NCAA invite time – 1:34.07
• Defending champion: Andrew Loy (Ohio State), 1:31.88

Top 3

1. Paul Delakis (Ohio State) – 1:32.28
2. Patrick Callan (Michigan) – 1:33.26
3. Tomer Frankel (Indiana) – 1:33.27

A battle between juggernauts, but Ohio State senior Paul Delakis was simply too strong, downing the competition with a 1:32.28. He dropped over a second from his prelims time, and ensures another Buckeye victory in this event after Drew Loy won in 2020.

Three men followed in 1:33s, with Michigan junior Patrick Callan at 1:33.26, just a hundredth ahead of Tomer Frankel, the Indiana freshman (1:33.27). On his fourth swim of the day, Frankel improved in this race from prelims, just like he did in the 100 fly. Jake Mitchell was also under 1:34 at 1:33.56, with Wolverines Gus Borges (1:34.53) and Wyatt Davis (1:34.81) nabbing fifth and sixth, a massive showing for Michigan.

In the B-final, Purdue’s Nicholas Sherman swam a 1:34.77 to win. Jake Newmark, a Wisconsin freshman, won the C-final with a 1:34.98.

Even with Wright’s costly 100 fly DQ, Michigan holds the lead after sitting in third most of this meet, just 3.5 points ahead of Indiana. Ohio State is now in third, though they’re right in the mix, only 15.5 behind Indiana.

A race is developing in the next tier, as Purdue (483.5) is holding onto a lead ahead of Wisconsin (444) and Northwestern (413), the Wildcats jumping Penn State and now closing in on the Badgers after their 200 free performance. Iowa, meanwhile, is now 38.5 points ahead of Minnesota for eighth.

TEAM SCORES (THROUGH 200 FREE)

1. Michigan – 767
2. Indiana – 763.5
3. Ohio State – 748
4. Purdue – 483.5
5. Wisconsin – 444
6. Northwestern – 413
7. Penn State – 360.5
8. Iowa – 325.5
9. Minnesota – 287
10. Michigan State – 107