Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Big Ten Championships
NU in Fourth After Day One of Big Ten Championships
2/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 27, 2003
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A strong performance in the 200 individual medley has helped lead the Northwestern men's swimming team to a fourth-place standing after the first day of competition at the Big Ten Championships. The Wildcats accumulated 133 team points during the opening day. Minnesota is currently first with 206 points, six ahead of host Michigan. Indiana is third with 148.
The 'Cats earned three of the top six finishes in the 200 IM, led by a third-place performance by Tony Swanson (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids). The junior earned an NCAA "A" cut by finishing in a time of 1:46.52. Teammate Kellan O'Connor (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy Preparatory) followed immediately behind Swanson 17-hundredths of a second later (1:46.69) to additionally earn an "A" cut.
Mark Hamming (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) also reached the championship final in the event, placing sixth in 1:48.06. Chris Biedrzycki (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) was NU's fourth place-winner in the 200 IM, taking 12th in a time of 1:49.75.
Freshman Mike Oxman (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) was the Wildcats' only other individual to reach the finals of an event Thursday. The diver placed eighth on the 1-meter board with a finals round score of 243.30, following a 268.20 total in the preliminary round.
Northwestern had three individuals score in the consolation final of the 500 freestyle. Mike Shue (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers) led the NU contingent with a time of 4:23.64 to finish ninth overall. David Hersh (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) trailed Shue in 10th place (4:24.99), while Brian Davis (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah) placed 12th (4:25.27).
Freshman Ben Dexter (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) earned the Wildcats' final individual place-finish of the day, taking 15th in the 50 free in a time of 20.90 after posting a season-best time of 20.65 in the prelims.
The 400 medley relay squad of Swanson, Louis Torres (Morton Grove, Ill./Niles West), O'Connor and Dan Williams (Hinsdale, Ill./Central) placed sixth in a time of 3:16.01. The 200 free relay quartet of Swanson, Dexter, Shelby Clark (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill) and Williams captured seventh place in 1:21.01.
Action continues Friday with the preliminary round beginning at noon Eastern time, with the finals scheduled for 7 p.m.
