Complete All-Session Results | Dive-by-Dive Scoring | 2014 Big Tens Recap
Daily Recaps from Big Tens: Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The program's first conference champion in a swimming event since 2009 and five new school records highlighted the 2015 Big Ten Championships for Purdue men's swimming and diving.
The Boilermakers finished fourth in the team scoring to match their best showing in program history. In the process, the unranked Boilers outscored four teams that were ranked among the latest CSCAA Top 25 poll entering the conference championship meet. Under 30th-year head coach Dan Ross, Purdue also finished fourth at Big Tens in 2010, 2009, 1997 and 1988.
Freshman Steele Johnson and the senior class led the way for the Boilers. Johnson finished as the runner-up in the championship final of all three diving events to account for 51 team points, the most by a Boilermaker since David Boudia totaled 60 while sweeping the diving events in 2011. After Johnson, six of the team's top eight scorers were seniors.
Senior Lyam Dias won the 200 breaststroke in his final race at the Big Ten Championships, becoming Purdue's first Big Ten champion in a swimming event since Andrew Langenfeld was victorious in the 50 free in 2009. Dias was the Boilers' fourth Big Ten champion in a breaststroke event during Ross's tenure. Dias also finished fourth in the A final of the 100 breast to rank fourth on the team with 35 points. He was named First Team All-Big Ten and Johnson garnered Second Team honors.
With Jamie Bissett, Nate Cox, Sean Mokhtari and Johnson each scoring in all three diving events, the diving well was where the Boilers enjoyed their highest-scoring events. After having five of the Top 10 finishers in platform diving, Purdue earned 65 points in the event. And the 58 points that the aforementioned quartet racked up in the championship final of platform as the penultimate event of the meet were very timely as well, allowing the Boilers to leapfrog Wisconsin and retake fourth place.
Purdue's divers also teamed up for five of the top 13 finishers on 1-meter, accounting for 48 points Thursday.
The Boilermakers opened the meet Wednesday evening with new program records in the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays. The medley relay benchmark had stood since 2009. Guillermo Blanco contributed to both new relay records and then established a new Purdue record in the 200 individual medley while taking third in the event. After eclipsing a 200 IM mark that had stood since 2005, the Spaniard now holds the program record in both individual medley events. Blanco qualified for A finals in all three of his individual races to finish second on the team with 44 points.
Marat Amaltdinov eclipsed his own Purdue freshman record in the 200 breast while finishing third in the A final of the event, teaming with Dias to make it the team's highest-scoring (36 points) swimming event.
Blanco led the way as four Boilers scored in the 400 IM, adding up to 29 team points. Danny Conway had a career-best swim in the A final of 200 butterfly, moving up to second in program history with a time of 1:45.09. He and Blanco accounted for 27 points by qualifying for the A final of the 200 fly.
Conway (400 IM) and Cox (1-meter diving) each won the B final of an event as well.
Stephen Seliskar led off the 400 medley relay Thursday with a program record of 47.42 in the 100 backstroke. Purdue's 100 back benchmark had stood since 2009.
Johnson improved on his second-best scores in program history on 3-meter and platform. His list in the platform final earned an award of 510.20, allowing him to join Boudia as the only divers in program history to exceed 500 points from the tower.
Jan Karel Petric, Alec Back, Bissett, Cox, Dias and Mokhtari finished their careers at the Big Ten Championships having scored all four years. Bissett (136) remains the program's active career scoring leader at Big Tens after scoring in all three diving events in three of his four seasons. He did not compete on platform last season.
The NCAA will announce the full list of swimming qualifiers for the men's national championship meet next week (March 10 or 11). The three-day, six-session meet will also be held in Iowa City this season. The divers will need to punch their tickets via the annual Zone C Championships, set for March 12-14 in Columbus.
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Post by Purdue Swimming and Diving.Purdue's Individual Scoring Recap
Team Points Earned by Championship (A) & Consolation (B) Finals Qualifiers
1.) Steele Johnson - 51 Points
1-Meter Diving - Finished 2nd in A Final (17 Points)
3-Meter Diving - Finished 2nd in A Final (17 Points)
Platform Diving - Finished 2nd in A Final (17 Points)
2.) Guillermo Blanco - 44 Points
200 IM - Finished 3rd in A Final (16 Points)
400 IM - Finished 4th in A Final (15 Points)
200 Fly - Finished 6th in A Final (13 Points)
3.) Jamie Bissett - 39 Points
3-Meter Diving - Finished 5th in A Final (14 Points)
Platform Diving - Finished 5th in A Final (14 Points)
1-Meter Diving - Finished 8th in A Final (11 Points)
4.) Lyam Dias - 35 Points
200 Breast - Big Ten Champion/Won A Final (20 Points)
100 Breast - Finished 4th in A Final (15 Points)
5.) Nate Cox - 30 Points
Platform Diving - Finished 3rd in A Final (16 Points)
1-Meter Diving - Won B Final (9 Points)
3-Meter Diving - Finished 4th in B Final (5 Points)
6.) Danny Conway - 23 Points
200 Fly - Finished 5th in A Final (14 Points)
400 IM - Won B Final (9 Points)
7.) Sean Mokhtari - 18 Points
Platform Diving - Finished 8th in A Final (11 Points)
1-Meter Diving - Finished 5th in B Final (4 Points)
3-Meter Diving - Finished 6th in B Final (3 Points)
8.) Marat Amaltdinov - 17 Points
200 Breast - Finished 3rd in A Final (16 Points)
100 Breast - Finished 8th in B Final (1 Point)
9.) Alec Back - 14 Points
1-Meter Diving - Finished 2nd in B Final (7 Points)
Platform Diving - Finished 2nd in B Final (7 Points)
10.) Austin Flager - 7 Points
100 Fly - Finished 5th in B Final (4 Points)
100 Free - Finished 6th in B Final (3 Points)
11.) Jan Karel Petric - 4 Points
400 IM - Finished 5th in B Final (4 Points)
12.) Adam Johnston - 2.5 Points
50 Free - Finished T-6th in B Final (2.5 Points)
13.) Stephen Seliskar - 2 Points
100 Fly - Finished 7th in B Final (2 Points)
14.) Adam Noens - 1 Point
400 IM - Finished 8th in B Final (1 Point)
Top Scoring Events
Platform Diving - 65 Points (5 of Top 10 Finishers)
1-Meter Diving - 48 Points (5 of Top 13 Finishers)
3-Meter Diving - 39 Points (4 of Top 14 Finishers)
200 Breast - 36 Points (2 of Top 3 Finishers)
400 IM - 29 Points (4 Scored)
200 Fly - 27 Points (2 of Top 6 Finishers)
New Purdue Records Established at 2015 Big Ten Championships
200 Breast (Saturday)
Marat Amaltdinov, 1:54.33 (Broke His Own Freshman Record)
100 Back (Thursday)
Stephen Seliskar, 47.42 (On Opening Leg of 400 Medley Relay)
200 IM (Thursday)
Guillermo Blanco,1:43.87
200 Medley Relay (Wednesday)
Seliskar, Dias, Blanco & Flager, 1:26.57
800 Free Relay (Wednesday)
Blanco, Petric, Ehrman & Brooks, 6:27.10
Daily Highlights from Big Tens: Purdue's Top Finishers & Notables
* - New Purdue Season-Best Time
^ - New Personal Season-Best Time
(B) - NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
(Z) - NCAA Zone Qualifying Score
WEDNESDAY
200 Medley Relay
Seliskar, Dias, Blanco & Flager, 1:26.57* (B) - Finished 7th (24 Points); NEW PROGRAM RECORD
800 Free Relay Blanco, Petric, Ehrman & Brooks, 6:27.10* - Finished 7th (24 Points); NEW PROGRAM RECORD
Guillermo Blanco's opening-leg split 1:36.38 third fastest in program history
THURSDAY
1-Meter Diving
Steele Johnson, 415.85* (Z) - Finished 2nd in A Final (17 Points); Improved on His 3rd Best Score in Program History
Jamie Bissett, 378.05 (Z, Prelim Score) - Finished 8th in A Final (11 Points)
Nate Cox, 349.45^ (Z) - Won B Final (9 Points)
Alec Back, 347.95^ (Z) - Finished 2nd in B Final (7 Points)
Sean Mokhtari, 322.35^ (Z) - Finished 5th in B Final (4 Points)
50 Free
Adam Johnston, 19.98* (B, Prelim Time) - Finished T-6th in B Final (2.5 Points); Improved on His 9th Best Time in Program History
Austin Flager, 19.99^ (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 2nd in C Final
Stephen Seliskar, 20.18^ (Prelim Time) - Finished 7th in C Final
500 Free
Jan Karel Petric, 4:23.86* (Prelim Time) - Finished 8th in C Final
Nate Hopkins, 4:24.15^ (Prelim Time) - Finished 4th in C Final; 6th Fastest in in Program History
200 IM
Guillermo Blanco, 1:43.87* (B) - Finished 3rd in A Final (16 Points); NEW PROGRAM RECORD
Danny Conway, 1:47.48^ (B) - Finished 2nd in C Final; 7th Fastest Time in Program History
Josh Brooks, 1:48.10^ (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 4th in C Final
Josh Ehrman, 1:48.44^ (Prelim Time) - Finished 7th in C Final
400 Medley Relay
Seliskar, Dias, Blanco & Flager, 3:11.31* - Finished 8th (22 Points); 3rd Fastest in Program History
Seliskar Program-Record 100 Back Split of 47.42 on Opening Leg
FRIDAY
3-Meter Diving
Steele Johnson, 476.05* (Z) - Finished 2nd in A Final (17 Points); Improved on His 2nd Best Score in Program History
Jamie Bissett, 435.96 (Z) - Finished 5th in A Final (14 Points)
Nate Cox, 351.30^ (Z) - Finished 4th in B Final (5 Points)
Sean Mokhtari, 337.00^ (Z, Prelim Score) - Finished 6th in B Final (3 Points)
200 Free
Jes Stephens, 1:37.04* (B, Prelim Time) - Scratched From C Final; 6th Fastest in Program History
Josh Ehrman, 1:37.89^ (B, Prelim Time) - Scratched From C Final; T-10th Fastest in Program History
100 Back
Stephen Seliskar, 48.22 (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 6th in C Final
100 Breast
Lyam Dias, 52.72* (B) - Finished 4th in A Final (15 Points)
Marat Amaltdinov, 53.96^ (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 8th in B Final (1 Point); Improved on His 6th Fastest Time in Program History
100 Fly
Austin Flager, 47.54^ (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 5th in B Final (4 Points); T-5th Fastest in Program History
Stephen Seliskar, 47.53* (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 7th in B Final (2 Points); 4th Fastest in Program History
400 IM
Guillermo Blanco, 3:44.47* (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 4th in A Final (15 Points)
Danny Conway, 3:47.73^ (B) - Won B Final (9 Points); 5th Fastest in Program History
Jan Karel Petric, 3:48.60^ (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 5th in B Final (4 Points); Improved on His 6th Fastest Time in Program History
Adam Noens, 3:50.36^ (B, Prelim Time) - Finished 8th in B Final (1 Point); 8th Fastest in Program History
Josh Brooks, 3:49.12^ (B) - Won C Final
200 Free Relay
Flager, Seliskar, N. Thomas & Johnston, 1:18.92 (B) - Finished 6th (26 Points); 5th Fastest in Program History
SATURDAY
200 Breast
Lyam Dias, 1:53.92* (B) - BIG TEN CHAMPION (20 Points); Pool Record Time at Iowa's Natatorium
Marat Amaltdinov, 1:54.33^ (B) - Finished 3rd in A Final (16 Points); New Purdue Freshman Record & Improved on his 2nd Fastest Time in Program History
Platform Diving
Steele Johnson, 510.20* (Z) - Finished 2nd in A Final (17 Points); Improved on His 2nd Best Score in Program History
Nate Cox, 463.35^ (Z) - Finished 3rd in A Final (16 Points); 3rd Best Score in Program History
Jamie Bissett, 401.40^ (Z) - Finished 5th in A Final (14 Points)
Sean Mokhtari, 379.60 (Z, Prelim Score) - Finished 8th in A Final (11 Points)
Alec Back, 394.90^ (Z) - Finished 2nd in B Final (7 Points)
100 Free
Austin Flager, 44.00* (B) - Finished 6th in B Final (3 Points); 7th Fastest in Program History
1650 Free
Jan Karel Petric, 15:22.27* (B) - Finished 18th; Improved on His 9th Fastest Time in Program History
200 Back
Alex Toetz, 1:46.85^ (Prelim Time) - 29th in Prelims as Top Purdue Finisher; 10 Fastest in Program History
200 Fly
Danny Conway, 1:45.09* (B) - Finished 5th in A Final (14 Points); 2nd Fastest in Program History
Guillermo Blanco, 1:45.32^ (B) - Finished 6th in A Final (13 Points); Improved on His 3rd Fastest Time in Program History
400 Free Relay
Flager, Seliskar, Stephens & Ehrman, 2:57.02* - Finished 9th (18 Points); 7th Fastest in Program History