Feb. 8, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 18 Purdue mens' swimming and diving team fell to the No. 25 Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, 127-116. With the loss, the Boilermakers drop to 7-5, 2-5 Big Ten. The Hoosiers improve to 7-1, 4-1 Big Ten.
"It hurts to lose to these guys today," said Purdue head men's swimming coach Dan Ross. "We thought we had a really good chance to win and it's really disappointing to have lost the last five in a row, even though four of them were to ranked teams. We have a lot of heart, but we still haven't figured out a way to win. We haven't gotten over that hump and we have to find a way to do that before Big Ten's.
"My hat's off to Giordan (Pogioli) and Tamas (Bessenyei) who went 1-2 there at the end. The 400 medley relay is still looking really strong and I think they have a good shot at the NCAA's. Louis Paul continues to do a great job for us in the backstroke and the 200 IM. And, finally the 400 free relay there at the end with the seniors and the job they did to come out and win that was unbelievable and just incredible."
The Boilermakers began the day's events with a win in the 400 medley relay, as Paul, a sophomore, Bessenyei, a junior, and seniors Tad Sayce and Jeremy Wright tallied a Doris Z. Holloway Pool record and a season-best time of 3:17.69. The 'B' team of sophomore David Hughes, Pogioli, freshman Blake Scholz and sophomore John Arzner finished third with a time of 3:24.75.
In the 200 freestyle, Boilermakers swept the first, second and third-place spots with junior Kyle Jackson in first with a time of 1:40.87, Wright in second in 1:41.69 and sophomore Eric Prugh in third with a time of 1:42.21.
In the 50 freestyle, sophomore Ignatius Goh finished second with a time of 21.05 and freshman Andre Pereira finished fifth in 21.48. Sophomore Adam King was sixth in 21.51.
Scholz was the top Purdue finisher in third with a time of 1:51.94 in the 200 butterfly, while junior Nick Cenci was fourth with a time of 1:54.09. Bessenyei was fifth with time of 1:54.73.
In the 100 free, Indiana finished first and second, but the Boilermakers swept third through sixth places. Sayce, Goh, Prugh and senior Will Seelbach finished with times of of 46.76, 46.89, 47.59 and 47.61, respectively.
Paul finished first in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:48.93, while junior Kyle Jackson and Hughes finished fifth and sixth.
In the 500 freestyle, sophomore Rion Epping was second in 4:38.48 and sophomore Steuart Martens was third in 4:39.48. Freshman Mark Wolfred and senior Ehud Dekter wrapped up the Purdue 2-3-4-5 sweep in fourth with a time of 4:40.67 and fifth in 4:48.18.
Bessenyei and Pogioli finished 1-2 in the 200 breaststroke with times of 2:00.16 and 2:01.41, respectively. Senior Gui Rego finished fifth and junior Tony Ten Haagen was seventh.
In the 400 freestyle relay, the Boilermakers' 'A' team came from behind in an exciting and tight race to win with a time of 2:00.16. The 'B' team finished fourth in 3:07.45.
In a controversial race, the 200 IM had to be re-swum as the final event of the day, due to an equipment malfunction during the race within the meet. The scoring result of the meet was very close and in the re-race of the 200 IM, Paul of Purdue finished first, while the Hoosiers swept second through fourth to take the win.
"I have to hand it to Indiana today, though," said Ross. "They swam a heck of a meet, having swum Kentucky at home last night and turning around to swim and beat us here today."
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