Freshmen Impress as Purdue Wins 20 Events at Home Opener

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Lancy Chen eclipsed the team’s freshman record in the 100 breaststroke on a day in which freshmen accounted for seven of Purdue Swimming & Diving’s 16 individual event victories at Saturday’s home opener – the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate – at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

The Boilermakers won 20 of the 24 events total after also sweeping the relays. Both the Purdue men and women won 10 events Saturday to cruise to team wins at the largest home meet of the fall.

TEAM SCORES
MEN 1.) Purdue 693 2.) IU Indy 462.5 3.) Ball State 424.5 4.) Valparaiso 125 5.) DePauw 99 6.) Indiana Wesleyan 65 7.) Manchester 24	WOMEN 1.) Purdue 717 2.) Ball State 507 3.) IU Indy 244 4.) Butler 152 5.) DePauw 84 6.) Indiana State (Divers) 79 7.) Valparaiso 74 8.) Indiana Wesleyan 73 9.) Manchester 22

Aran Bissett (200 IM), Lucy Dovison (3-meter diving), Tom Jhang (100 breast), Caroline Mallard (100 fly), Pablo Pareja (100 back) and Luca Scampicchio (100 free) joined Chen as Purdue freshmen to win events in their Burke Aquatic Center debuts.

Chen won the 100 breast in 1:00.43, moving into fourth place in program history while eclipsing Emily Fogle’s freshman record that had stood since the 2011 Big Ten Championships. Only the program’s freshman records in the distance freestyle events – held by assistant coach Caitlin Hamilton – are older (standing since 2010).

Mallard (53.60, 8th in 100 fly) and Jhang (53.60, 14th in 100 breast) also moved up Purdue’s all-time leaderboards with their winning times Saturday.

Lara Phipps impressed for the women while being part of four event winners. She was the lone competitor at the meet to win multiple individual events. She was victorious in the 200 freestyle and then was the last woman standing while representing Purdue in the 25 shootout, which made its meet debut Saturday. After avoiding finishing last in any of the first five legs of the race, the junior won a 1-v-1 final vs. Ball State’s Anna Keel. The stroke for each leg was randomly selected moments before the swimmers returned to the blocks, and underwater was featured again in the final.

Phipps also helped the Boilermakers sweep the 200 medley and 500 free relays. With the 500 free relay featuring 10 swimmers per team (10x50), Ana Rojas, Alayna Riggins and Chen were also part of both relay winners for the women.
The juniors won the men’s annual class relay challenge in the 200 medley relay. Blake Rowe, Chris Bartmess, Evan Mackesy and Will Jost teamed up for the victory. Rowe, Mackesy and Jost contributed to both relay winners.

Purdue’s divers posted a pair of springboard sweeps – with four different Boilermakers winning an event – and are now 10-for-10 in event victories over the first month of the season. Nathaniel Grannis led a 1-2-3-4 finish on 1-meter with a list score of 382.75 that moved him into 12th place in team history. Avery Worobel and Amelia Rinehart went 1-2 in the women’s 1-meter, with Worobel winning all three events in which she competed this weekend.

The Boilermakers accounted for at least the top two finishers in 11 of the 18 individual events in which teams were permitted multiple entries.

Purdue is back in action next weekend for two-day, co-ed dual vs. Oakland. Sessions are set for Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.

PURDUE’S TOP PERFORMERS

MEN Individual Event Winners Nathaniel Grannis – 1-Meter Diving Holden Higbie – 3-Meter Diving Luca Scampicchio – 100 Free Evan Mackesy – 200 Free Janis Dzirkalis/Pablo Pareja – 100 Back Tom Jhang – 100 Breast Nathaniel Thomas – 100 Fly Aran Bissett – 200 IM Freshman Event Winners Bissett, Jhang, Pareja, Scampicchio Part of Both Relay Winners Blake Rowe, Evan Mackesy, Will Jost Joined Purdue’s All-Time Leaderboards Nathaniel Grannis – 12th on 1-Meter Tom Jhang – 14th in 100 Breast 1-2 Finishes Grannis, Wills, Higbie, Miller – 1-Meter (1-2-3-4) Higbie & Wills – 3-Meter Mackesy & Scampicchio – 200 Free Dzirkalis & Pareja – 100 Back (Co-Winners) Jhang, J. Lee, Bartmess – 100 Breast (1-2-3) Thomas & Rowe – 100 Fly

WOMEN Individual Event Winners Lara Phipps – 25 Shootout, 200 Free Avery Worobel – 1-Meter Diving Lucy Dovison – 3-Meter Diving Amie Perna – 100 Back Lancy Chen – 100 Breast Caroline Mallard – 100 Fly Keira Kask – 200 IM Freshman Record Lancy Chen – 1:00.43 in 100 Breast Freshman Event Winners Chen, Dovison, Mallard Part of Both Relay Winners Ana Rojas, Lancy Chen, Alayna Riggins, Lara Phipps Moved Up Purdue’s All-Time Leaderboards Lancy Chen – 4th in 100 Breast Caroline Mallard – 8th in 100 Fly 1-2 Finishes Worobel & Rinehart – 1-Meter Diving Phipps, Hurley, Sands – 200 Free (1-2-3) Perna & Lee – 100 Back Chen, Peltcs, Sharma – 100 Breast (1-2-3) Mallard & Riggins – 100 Fly