Feb. 23, 2012
• Wednesday Results | • Thursday Results
MADISON, Wis. – For the Wisconsin men’s swimming team, good things just might come in twos, as Michael Weiss and Dan Lester set school records on the second day of the Big Ten Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.
Weiss’s 4:19.07 finish in the 500 free eclipsed his own school-record by nearly a second, vaulting him into a fifth-place finish in the event. Lester joined Weiss in the record book with a third-place finish ( 1:44.47) in the 200 IM, also breaking his own school-record. Both records also doubled as NCAA provisional qualifying times.
“What we saw today was two great swims by two great swimmers,” said head coach Whitney Hite. “They’ve swam great all year, and it’s very exciting any time you can break a school record, especially with the great tradition we have here at UW.”
The run on NCAA ‘B’ qualifying times continued, headlined by Wes Lagerhausen’s strong finish in the 50 free. The senior placed 15th, capturing a 19.96 provisional qualifying time while breaking the 20-second barrier for the first time. Lagerhausen would also join teammates Drew TeDuits, Tariq Miller, and Lester in in capturing an NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time of 3:13.13 in the 400 medley relay, en route to a seventh-place finish.
“Wes stepped up in the 50 free tonight,” Hite said. “It was awesome. We’re going to need performances like that if we want to make our mark at this meet.”
Sophomore Tyler Hines made sure he wasn’t left out, finishing the day with a 19th-place finish in the 500 free, posting an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:24.15 in the process.
The Badgers sit in eighth place at the midpoint of the meet, but with the leaderboard tightly packed, their 110 points only trail fourth-place Iowa by 42. Which means that tomorrow will be an opportunity for the Badgers to make up some ground.
“We’re only 14 points out of fifth place,” Hite said. “That’s the beauty of the Big Ten Conference, it’s a very competitive conference. We know it’s a big challenge ahead, but I think the team is ready. If we’re going to gain ground, it’s going to come down to a team effort.”
Big Ten Championships Breakdown
School Records
-200 Medley Relay: TeDuits, Miller, Lester, Lagerhausen (1:26.87)
-200 Free: Weiss (1:34.99)
-500 Free: Weiss (4:19.07)
-200 IM: Lester (1:44.47)
NCAA 'B' Cut Times
-200 Medley Relay: TeDuits, Miller, Lester, Lagerhausen (1:26.87)
-800 Free Relay: Weiss, Lester, Lagerhausen, Mulchrone (6:26.07)
-500 Free: Weiss (4:19.07)
-500 Free: Hines (4:24.15)
-200 IM: Lester (1:44.47)
-50 Free: Lagerhausen (19.96)
-400 Medley Relay: Teduits, Miller, Lester, Lagerhausen (3:13.13)
