Peplowski Wins 3 Events as Cream Sweeps Indiana Cream and Crimson Intrasquad

Indiana University Cream & Crimson Intrasquad

• Friday, October 1st, 2021
• Counsilman-Billingsly Natatorium, Bloomington, IN
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

Team Scores

Men

1. Cream – 145
2. Crimson – 117

Women

1. Cream – 131
2. Crimson – 125

IU held its annual Cream and Crimson intrasquad meet Friday night, with the Cream team emerging victorious in both the men’s and women’s meets. Cream was led on the women’s side by Noelle Peplowski, a senior who won all 3 of her individual races. Peplowski, who was the Hoosiers’ leading breaststroker last season, swept the breast events to open the season. She clocked a 1:01.65 to win the 100 breast, coming in just ahead of Cream teammate Emily Weiss, who touched in 1:02.46. Peplowski led from the start, splitting 29.00 on the first 50, before bringing it home in 32.65. She then went on to post a 2:12.96 in the 200 breast, pulling away from Crimson’s Mac Looze (2:14.42) on the 2nd half of the race. Peplowski finished 6th in the 200 breast at NCAAs in both 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 NCAAs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Noelle went on to win the 200 IM in 2:00.89, holding off a vicious late charge by Looze (2:00.91). Looze was hauling coming home, especially at this early stage of the season, splitting 27.97 on the final 50 of the race. Peplowski was also a member of the winning Cream 200 medley relay, taking the breast leg. The results show inaccurate splits on the relays, however, Peplowski was joined by Cream teammates Kacey McKenna, Elizabeth Broshears, and Ashley Turak, and the squad finished in a final time of 1:40.31.

The Hoosiers saw 4 of their freshmen win events on Friday, including Peplowski’s younger sister, Anna. Anna Peplowski, representing Crimson, touched first in the women’s 100 free, posting a 50.91. It was a quality swim for the freshman, who enters the NCAA with a personal best of 50.10 in the event. The younger Peplowski nearly won the 200 free as well, as she was leading the race at the 100 mark (53.10), but was run down by Crimson teammate Ella Ristic on the back half. Ristic, a sophomore, swam a 1:49.17, while Peplowski finished in 1:49.84. Peplowski and Ristic also teamed up on the Crimson 200 free relay, helping lead the squad to victory in the event (1:34.22). Notably, Elizabeth Broshears appears to have anchored the Cream 200 free in 22.65. The relay splits at this meet are spotty, but if that time is accurate, it would be a really solid split from the sophomore at this stage of the season.

Freshman Mariah Denigan swam a brutal trio of events for the short intrasquad meet, racing the women’s 1000 free, 200 fly, then 500 free. Representing Cream, Denigan won both her freestyle events convincingly. She left little room for anyone else to challenge her in the 1000, leading the field by over 2 seconds at the 50 mark. That lead would expand to nearly 4 seconds by the 100 mark, and it would continue to grow through the end of the race. In the end, Denigan clocked a 9:58.17, a nice early season swim, though well off her personal best of 9:36.46.

It was about 20 minutes later when Denigan dove in for the 200 fly, where she would finish 3rd in 2:06.72. The swim was reasonably close to her personal best in the event, which sits at 2:03.50 from 2019. It was Mac Looze who won the 200 fly, swimming a 2:02.76 to give Crimson the win.

Denigan was back in action later on, swimming a 4:50.85 to win the race. It looked tight between Denigan and Ella Ristic through the first 150 of the race, but Denigan was able to hold her early pace, while Ristic fell off. Ristic would go on to touch 2nd in 4:57.73.

In addition to her distance free prowess, Denigan is a 4:08.35 400 IMer. It appears overwhelmingly likely the 400 IM will be Denigan’s 3rd event at championship meets, however, the 400 IM typically isn’t competed in the NCAA dual meet format.

Freshmen Rafael Miroslaw and Josh Matheny also won events at the meet. Miroslaw (Cream) got out to the early lead in the men’s 100 free, and managed to expand that lead through the finish, posting a 44.69 to win. Behind Miroslaw, the field was extremely tight:

1. Rafael Miroslaw – 44.69
2. Jack Franzman – 45.51
3. Jacob Destrampe – 45.69
4. Gavin Wright – 45.91
5. Brandon Hamblin – 45.99

Notably, Bruno Blaskovic, the Hoosiers’ fastest sprinter, did not compete at this meet. Blaskovic had to pull out of last season in January due to a back injury, and he’s opted to use his 5th year eligibility this season.

Miroslaw very nearly won the 200 free as well. If you watched the live stream of the meet, it looked like Miroslaw went out fast and faded, but in reality, he swam a well-split race. He was out in 47.16 on the first 100, and split 50.40 on the 2nd 100, for a difference of just 3.24 seconds between his 100s. Brendan Burns nearly negative split his race, which is what made it appear as though Miroslaw lost his speed coming home. Burns swam a 48.13 on the first 100, then split 48.81 on the 2nd 100. Burns won the race with a 1:36.94, while Miroslaw was 1:37.56.

Matheny (Cream) took the men’s 100 breast, swimming a 55.75. IU post-grad Youssef El-Kamash touched first in 54.61, but as a post-grad, he was racing exhibition. Matheny’s time was well off his personal best of 51.84, but he led a field that included Zane Backes, a 2-time NCAA A finalist in the 100 breast. It was fellow freshman Jassen Yep who touched 2nd, clocking a 55.84, while Backes swam a 55.97.

Matheny went on to win the 200 breast as well, touching in 2:00.99. Sophomore Max Reich was just behind, posting a 2:01.08.

5th year senior Gabriel Fantoni was on fire in his first meet of his final NCAA season. Fantoni won the men’s 100 back handily, swimming a 46.97. He was faster in the 100 fly, which he also won, swimming a 46.38. Fantoni was just 0.63 seconds off his personal best in the 100 fly. He wrapped his meet up with a 19.62 split on the 2rd leg of Cream’s 200 free relay, which won in 1:20.09.

Other event winners:

• Men’s 1000 free: Michael Brinegar – 9:10.46
• Women’s 100 back: Anna Freed – 55.63
• Men’s 200 fly: Corey Gambardella – 1:47.48
• Women’s 50 free: Ashley Turak – 23.26
• Men’s 50 free: Jack Franzman – 20.47
• Women’s 200 back: Anna Freed – 2:01.70
• Men’s 200 back: Brendan Burns – 1:44.91
• Men’s 500 free: Mikey Calvillo – 4:28.21
• Women’s 100 fly: Elizabeth Broshears – 55.29
• Men’s 200 IM: Jacob Steele – 1:50.11