No.3/No.5 Michigan Topples No.5/No.15 Indiana, Carter Wins Thrice in Home Debut

Michigan V. Indiana

• Jan. 11, 2020
• Ann Arbor, MI
• Donald B. Canham Natatorium
• Meet Results

Tthe No. 3/No. 5 Michigan Wolverine men and women met the No. 5/No. 15 Indiana Hoosiers for a Big Ten rivalry meet on Friday. At the conclusion of the meet, both Wolverine teams successfully toppled the Hoosiers.

Women’s Meet

• Team Score: Michigan 186 – Indiana 114
• Michigan Women’s Press Release
• Indiana Combined Press Release

The Michigan women continue to look strong in their 2020 campaign as they now extended their undefeated season record to 4-0 while Indiana drops to 3-4. At the conclusion of their dominant meet, the Wolverines won 12 of the 16 swimming events while IU snagged just 4 event wins.

Michigan started off their first home meet of the decade with a tremendous win in the 200 medley relay (1:38.52). Contributing to the relay were Maggie MacNeil (23.82), Miranda Tucker (27.30), Olivia Carter (24.59), and Daria Pyshnenko (22.81).

Wolverine teammates Kaitlynn Sims and Sierra Schmidt contributed 26 total points with their 1-2 finishes in both distance events. Sims swept both the 1000 free (9:45.52) and 500 free (4:46.07) while Schmidt clinched second in both events (9:52.25/4:48.29). Finishing third in both events for the IU Hoosiers was Cassy Jernberg (10:04.21/4:54.02).

Shortly after, IU freshman Cora Dupre gave the Hoosiers their first win by winning the 200 free at 1:48.40, holding off Michigan’s sub-1:50 Sophia Kudryashova (1:49.65).

The Hoosiers’ second win came from Noelle Peplowski, who won the 100 breast (1:00.32) over Michigan senior Tucker (1:01.04). Peplowski would then sweep both breaststroke events with her winning 200 breast time of 2:13.32. Tucker took a second runner-up finish with her final time of 2:16.77.

Michigan’s 200 medley relay lead-off MacNeil won the 100 back at 51.89, nearly four seconds faster than IU runner-up Bailey Kovac (55.88). Kovac came back after the first diving break to win the 200 back at 1:59.15.

MacNeil then flipped over to win the 100 free at 48.42 while 200 free champ Dupre took second place at 50.30. Dupre earned another runner-up finish in the 50 free (22.85), finishing behind Michigan winner Pyshnenko (22.62).

Sophomore UGA-transfer Carter, who debuted for the Wolverines last week at the Orange Bowl Classic, fit in perfect for the Michigan squad with her stellar fly efforts. After contributing to the winning 200 medley relay, Carter went on to sweep both the 200 fly (1:58.80) and 100 fly (54.20), both of which were at her 2019 in-season times.

Into the 200 IM, after building a large front-half lead, IU’s Mac Looze gained on Carter with a powerful 34.60 breast split. While both swimmers hit 27-highs coming home, it was Michigan’s Carter who earned her third win at 2:01.48. Looze settled for second place at 2:01.90.

The Wolverines finished the meet on top yet again in the 400 free relay with the efforts of MacNeil, Pyshnenko, Tucker, and Kudryashova (3:20.27). The IU relay would take second place at 3:24.17.

She's the new kid on deck, but Olivia Carter looked right at home today at Canham Natatorium. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/uW4Z2PWtWK

— Michigan Swimming & Diving (@umichswimdive) January 11, 2020

Men’s Meet

• Team Score: Michigan 160 – Indiana 140
• Michigan Men’s Press Release
• Indiana Combined Press Release

Heading into the Big Ten rivalry meet, the Hoosiers were coming off defeating the Wolverines at their home November dual 165-135.

However, Michigan did not let that get to them as they started the meet off with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:25.44). Then, Michigan senior Ricardo Vargas would go on to sweep both the 1000 free (9:01.82) and 500 free (4:21.85).

Into the 200 free, Michigan’s Patrick Callan and IU’s Mohamed Samy swam almost simultaneously throughout the majority of the race. However, it was Samy who would touch out Callan by 0.03s for the win at 1:35.57.

IU senior Gabriel Fantoni carried the momentum as he would sweep both the 100 back (46.73) and 200 back (1:45.40). Michigan senior Tommy Cope answered to Fantoni’s backstroke sweep as he would sweep both the 100 breast (53.28) and 200 breast (1:56.34).

IU newcomer Brendan Burns and Michigan veteran Miles Smachlo threw down two exciting swims during both fly events. In the 200 fly, it was Burns (1:44.12) who showed up Smachlo (1:45.82).

Yet when it came to the 100 fly, it was Smachlo who had the slight lead over Burns during the first 75. However, Burns gave Smachlo a final push in the finishing meters. But Smachlo successfully avenged Burns (47.00) with his winning time of 46.84.

During the fastest event of the meet, it was Michigan’s Gus Borges who came out on top in the lone sub-20 swim of the event (19.75). After taking a narrow third place finish at 20.17, IU’s Bruno Blasovic led a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 free (43.73), ahead of teammates Jack Franzman and Samy (43.91).

Double breast-winner Cope later went on to win the 200 IM at 1:45.61, passing IU’s Samy with a powerful 28.95 breast split.

However, the IU Hoosiers would not let the meet finish without a battle as the quartet of Blasovic, Burns, Franzman, and Samy would win the 400 free relay (2:56.00) over Michigan by 0.19s.

At the conclusion of the meet, the Michigan men avenged their loss in Bloomington by defeated the Hoosiers by 20 points. The Wolverines are now 4-1 as Indiana bumped to 6-3.

Coming up next for the Michigan Wolverines will be another Big Ten dual against Ohio State in Columbus on January 18th. During the following weekend on January 25th, the IU Hoosiers can be seen facing Big Ten foe Purdue in Bloomington.