Feb. 24, 2011
Results
2011 Big Ten Championships Website
MINNEAPOLIS -- Northwestern is in ninth place following the first full day of competition at the Big Ten Championships, but sits within striking distance of the middle of the pack with two full days remaining.
NU had amassed 86 points, 1.5 behind eighth-place Iowa, eight behind seventh-place Wisconsin and 16 in back of sixth-place Penn State. NU leads 10th-place Michigan State by 10 points.
The 2011 Big Ten Championships continue tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 25, with a preliminary session at 11 a.m. CT and the finals session at 6:30 p.m. CT. Live results and more Championships information are available at the 2011 Big Ten Championships website.
Thursday Morning Preliminary Session Recap:
Northwestern placed two swimmers in Thursday night championship finals and two in consolation finals after a number of great swims for the Wildcats at the opening full session of the 2011 Big Ten Championships.
In the 500 free Thursday morning, sophomore Charlie Rimkus (Tustin, Calif./Beckman) found himself nearly in last during the early going of the eighth and final preliminary heat in the event, but he kicked hard at the end to finish third in the heat and fifth overall to qualify for the championship final. His time of 4:20.31 was a career-best and NCAA `B' consideration effort.
Northwestern won both the second and third preliminary heats of the 500 free, with Tony Mattar (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) capturing the second and Jan Hanulik (Cavisov, Czech Republic/Sportovnia Gymnazium) winning the third. Hanulik in particular had a tremendous swim, cutting more than 12.5 seconds off his seed time to swim an NCAA `B' cut of 4:22.48--a time that also shattered his career-best in the event by almost 10 seconds. He survived through the remaining five heats to secure 14th place overall and a lane in the consolation final for the Wildcats by a mere .38 of a second.
Mattar's `B' time of 4:26.13 left him just shy of the bonus final in 28th position. Junior John Frutiger (Alma, Mich./Alma) came in 32nd overall with a `B' cut of 4:26.79, a time that was 7.2 seconds faster than his seed.
Senior Alex Tyler (Birmingham, Mich./Birmingham Groves) earned a spot in the championship final of the 200 IM with a season-best NCAA `B' time of 1:45.51, qualifying seventh overall. Tyler took fourth in the event a year ago. Classmate Sean Mathews (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette) nearly joined Tyler after a strong swim and `B' time of 1:46.63, coming in 10th overall to pick up a consolation final berth. Mathews has not traditionally competed in the 200 IM at the Big Ten level; he cut nearly four full seconds from his seed time in the race.
Fifth-year senior Jake Vogel (Canton, Ill./Canton) is the first alternate for the bonus final of the 200 IM after a career swim in the morning. He dropped almost five seconds off his seed time to swim a career-best 1:49.67 and place 25th overall, just .09 of a second away from 24th.
Swimming in his first Big Ten Championships, freshman Dominik Cubelic (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) ended up .04 of a second outside of the bonus final of the 50 free placing 25th overall as the first alternate in a season-best time of 20.37. A trio of young Wildcats were bunched in the 30s, with transfer Jake Grosser (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) placing 33rd in 20.59, Alex Ratajcazyk (Parlin, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) taking 35th with a 20.69 and Ross McAuliffe (Shapwick, United Kingdom/Millfield) coming in 37th in 20.76.
Thursday Evening Finals Session Recap:
In the championship final of the 500 free Thursday night, Rimkus came back with a 4:22.42 to take sixth overall and pick up 13 points for the Wildcats. Hanulik earned a pair of points from his consolation berth, proving his phenomenal prelim swim was no fluke with a 15th-place time of 4:24.26.
Both Wildcats who were close to the bonus final of the 500 free were able to swim in it after scratches from other schools. Mattar claimed 19th overall with a `B' time of 4:24.45 and Frutiger captured 22nd overall with a `B' cut of 4:26.52.
Tyler moved up one spot to claim sixth in the 200 IM with a `B' cut time of 1:45.29. Mathews was 11th overall following the consolation final with a `B' effort of 1:46.82. Vogel was able to get into the bonus heat in the event, swimming a 1:49.73 to tie for 20th place overall.
Cubelic also got a berth in the bonus final of the 50 free after a scratch, ending up 23rd overall with a 20.38.
The day ended with the 400 medley relay, which saw NU come in 10th after a season-best and NCAA `B' time of 3:14.20, which was a mere .08 of a second behind Iowa.
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