University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Ready for B1G Championships
2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
| 2016 B1G Men's Swimming and Diving Championships | |
| Date | Friday, Feb. 24 - Saturday, Feb. 27 |
| Time | Prelims: 10 a.m. CT | Finals: 5:30 p.m. CT |
| Location | West Lafayette, Ind. | Boilermaker Aquatic Center |
| Tickets | All-Session Pass |
| Championship Central | Available Here |
| Live Stats | Swimming | Diving |
| Broadcast | BTN2Go |
| Meet Notes | TBA |
| Social Media | @GopherSwimDive | Facebook | Instagram |
The Golden Gophers (7-3) will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana for the 2016 Big Ten Men's Swimming and Diving Championships this Wednesday, Feb. 24 through Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center. Here are five things to watch for:
1 After a sixth-place finish at last season's Big Ten Championships, the Gopher men entered the 2015-16 season ready to make a statement. The new year called for a new mantra: answer the call. The Gophers wrapped their dual season with seven wins in a row and are heating up right in time for the championship season.
2 A key fixture for Minnesota this season has been their relays. The men's team has won 12 out of 15 relays contested. As Minnesota enters this week's B1G Championships, performing well in relays will be crucial due to the heavy points up for grabs. Junior Daryl Turner has been a staple for the four out of the five Gopher relays in the postseason for the past two years. Look for Turner along with a combination of returners and sprint rookies to make a statement in this year's relays.
3 The Minnesota men return two school record holders in juniors Jakub Maly and Matt Barnard. Maly broke the 400 IM (3:42.54) and 200 breast (1:54.57) as a sophomore, and enters the postseason with his eye on the 200 IM record. At the 2015 NCAA Championships, Barnard shattered the Gophers' platform diving record (475.40) en route to a bronze medal performance. This December, Barnard broke the 3-meter record (446.40).
4 Diving coach Wenbo Chen has built one of the strongest diving programs with great depth. NCAA bronze medalist Barnard is joined by seniors Manny Pollard and Dylan Zoe that each earned All-America Honorable Mention status last season. Sophomore Daniel Monaghan has shown a strong improvement curve, and freshman Alan LeBlang has consistently been a top-five finisher in the diving well. LeBlang is joined by fresh face Taylor Hall, a junior transfer from rival Wisconsin.
5 This fall, Minnesota welcomed an 11 men freshmen class was ranked No. 11 nationally by SwimSwam at the beginning of the season. Rookies Hunter Doerr and Michael Messner have picked up a B1G Freshman of the Week honor.
2015 B1G Championships Rewind
• Minnesota placed 6th at last year's conference championships.
• Gophers scored 359 points.
• 15 top-eight finishes, including each relay.
• Gophers Daryl Turner (100 fly), Jakub Maly (400 IM) and CJ Smith (1650 free) earned bronze medals
Scouting the B1G Conference
• There are currently five B1G teams in the CSCAA NCAA Division I Top-25 (February 22, 2016). The University of Michigan, winner of the past five B1G Championships, has the top conference ranking at No. 5. Minnesota is currently ranked No. 25.
Miscellaneous Notes
• The Gopher men were named a CSCCA Scholar All-America Team after maintaining a team GPA of 3.17 during the fall semester.
• Minnesota has earned nine B1G Weekly honors, lead by six B1G Diver of the Week awards from Matt Barnard. Nick Orf was selected as the B1G Swimmer of the Week after the Gophers' meet against Florida. Hunter Doerr and Michael Messner have each been also been named B1G Freshman of the Week once this season.
Players Mentioned
