University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 16 Minnesota Hosts Big Ten Triple Duals
1/26/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
The No. 16 Minnesota men's swimming and diving team is set to host the Big Ten Triple Duals vs. Wisconsin and No. 17 Purdue this weekend, while the No. 15 Minnesota women will play host to the Big Ten Quad Duals vs. No. 19 Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois.
Action from the University Aquatic Center will begin at 6:00 p.m. Friday and 12:00 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free for everyone. "Pack the Pool" will be held on Friday night where free t-shirts will be given to the first 300 fans, along with a face painter and Goldy in attendance for the meet! Swimmers will be throwing out t-shirts during the diving beak and swimming posters will be available along with autographs from the student athletes.
"We are very excited to host the event," head men's and women's coach Kelly Kremer said. "For all the teams involved, it's a chance to get some great racing in and prepare for the Big Ten Championships coming up."
The Gopher men are coming off a big win on the road against No. 25 Missouri, beating the Tigers, 177-120, where they improved to 3-1 on the season. The Gophers won 11 of the 16 events raced, which included a team-best three titles for senior Zach Bolin. Bolin along with Hrvoje Capan, Ben Griggs and Derek Toomey took the victory in the 400 freestyle relay to set a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:59.21.
The Minnesota women are also coming off a big win over No. 18 Missouri, 178-122, where the Gophers improved to 7-0 and won 9 out of 16 events, which included three titles for junior Haley Spencer. Spencer placed first with NCAA provisional qualifying times in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.71) and the 200 breaststroke (2:16.03), in which she broke her own meet record, and also won the 200 individual medley (2:03.86).
Both squads defeated Wisconsin on the road earlier this season in Madison, WI. The Gopher men came out with a 183-105 victory, while the Gopher women posted an impressive 177-121 win over the Badgers. The men won 13 out of the 16 events and posted either NCAA automatic qualifying times or NCAA provisional qualifying times in 12 of those competed during the Big Ten event, with sophomore Kyler Van Swol who led all Gophers with four victories. The women's team won nine of 16 events and posted NCAA provisional qualifying times in five of those competed during the Big Ten event, with freshman Tori Simenec leading all Gophers with three victories.
The Wisconsin men are coming into the meet 0-3 in Big Ten action. The Badgers' Dan Lester posted NCAA provisional times at the Texas Invitational in the 100 Butterfly (47.52), 200 Butterfly (1:45.05) and 200 IM (1:47.67). The Badger women are 1-2 in the Big Ten with two-time All American senior Beckie Thompson leading the team in the 50 Freestyle.
The Purdue men's team is coming into the Triple Duals with a conference record of 2-3, after falling to Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana. Purdue's Jamie Bissett was the Big Ten Diver of the Week and Freshman of the Week after sweeping the diving events against Michigan State with a pair of personal season-best scores. Matt Friede placed two NCAA provisional times in the 50 free (20.22) and 100 free (44.35), while Purdue's 400 freestyle relay team of Friede, Ben Ziolkowski, Danny Tucker and Ben Wachtel, also posted a NCAA provisional time of 2:57.94.
"In every case with these teams it's going to be a great competition. Purdue beat us last year for the first time in 20 years so they'll be coming in looking to take us down again. With Wisconsin, they always put up a fight against the Gophers," Kremer mentioned about the men's competition.
The Purdue women are 3-1 in the Big Ten after a loss to Indiana, where they were at their best in the 50 freestyle with Lauren Gustafson, the breaststroke with Emily Fogle, and butterfly events with Rhiannon Sheets.
The Fighting Illini women come into the weekend at 2-2 in the Big Ten after edging Nebraska, 152-148 last weekend. Sophomore Erica Lynn led Illinois, winning both the 100 breast (1:06.76) and 200 breast (2:23.42), while classmate Jessica Holz continued her winning streak, placing first in the 200 back (2:03.58) for the third consecutive meet and finishing second in the 100 back (58.30).
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