Ann Arbor, Mich. — Four men’s swimmers won the first Big Ten event title for Wisconsin since 1999 with a victory in the 400 free relay Saturday, the final event of the 2003 Big Ten Championships. The Badgers took fifth overall with 348 points and Michigan won the team title with 727 points.
“I’m very pleased with our overall performance,” coach Eric Hansen said. “We end with momentum and look to take that to the NCAA championships.”
Junior Matt Marshall, plagued by second-place finishes throughout the three-day meet, led off the Badger relay and matched Michigan’s Garrett Mangieri with a 43.93. But the split was only good for second behind Saturday’s 100 free champ Terry Silkaitis. Marshall’s split ties the UW school record owned by Dale Rogers.
“Hats off to Matt Marshall, who was the third highest scoring individual at the meet,” Hansen said. “He was phenomenal.”
Sophomore Adam Mania dove in next and built a lead over Michigan and held off Penn State’s Eugene Botes, but couldn’t catch Minnesota. Eric Wiesner was third and the Badger sophomore maintained UW’s lead over Michigan and Penn State, but Minnesota held on to a slim one-second lead.
Rogers, Wisconsin’s anchor, provided the finishing touch by sprinting past the Gophers’ Sean McCaffrey in the final 25 yards. The quartet’s time of 2:55.03 is a NCAA “A” cut, a Wisconsin and Donald B. Canham Natatorium record. The relay also earned All-Big Ten honors for their victory.
Rogers and Wiesner also swam in the 100 free finals Saturday, placing sixth and eighth, respectively. Mania competed in the 200 back finals, taking fourth (1:45.59). Junior Pat Torpey also competed in finals action Saturday, swimming a NCAA “B” cut (1:46.81), good for seventh in the 200 fly.
In the 200 back consolation finals, Tim Liebhold took second (10th overall) and Brink Ciferri finished seventh (15th overall).
Junior Kevin Zakrzewski, who swam on UW’s second-place 200 medley relay and fourth-place 400 medley relay and placed 17th in the 100 breaststroke, was named to the All-Big Ten second team.
Wiesner, Mania and Marshall joined Zakrzewski in taking home All Conference honors as each swimmer won an event and were named to the All Conference First Team.
“I’m so proud of our men,” Hansen said. “We started off the meet slow, but we weren’t as rested as we could have been because our primary meet (NCAAs) is three weeks away. As the meet went on we got better and better.”
The No. 10 Badgers look to the national scene March 27-29, closing out the 2002-03 season at the NCAA championships in Austin, Texas.
-Compiled from staff reports