By Blake Dowson
With the fall portion of the season over and the Big Ten meet slightly more than two months away, The Daily Iowan takes a dip into the Big Ten men’s swimming power rankings.
1. Michigan
The Wolverines sit at the top of the Big Ten power rankings seemingly every season, and this one is no different. No. 6 Michigan had 11 swimmers make it to the finals of the AT&T Winter National on Dec. 4-6 in Federal Way, Washington. Seniors Dylan Bosch and Anders Nielsen are back for the Wolverines with 13 Big Ten titles between them.
2. Indiana
Sophomore Blake Pieroni and junior Anze Tavcar put together good performances at the Winter Nationals, both posting Olympic-trials-qualifying times. The No. 11 Hoosiers have earned wins versus No. 16 Tennessee and No. 15 Wisconsin this fall, and they seem prepared to compete for a Big Ten title.
3. Ohio State
Matt McHugh looks poised to tear up the rest of the Big Ten. The junior from Wisconsin was named national Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com in late November, and he has posted a top-10 time nationally in the 100 fly. The No. 14 Buckeyes finished second at the Ohio State Invitational behind No. 4 Florida and ahead of Kentucky.
4. Wisconsin
The No. 15 Badgers had a tremendous fall, picking up conference wins against Minnesota and Northwestern and putting together a good performance at the Texas Invitational. The Badgers distance-relay team finished as runner-up in the event, and Wisconsin placed four squads in the top 10 of the event.
5. Minnesota
Although the Gophers are 2-3 on the year, make no mistake — they will compete in the Big Ten. Platform diver Matt Barnard finished third at the NCAA Championships last spring, and he has set a personal best in the event this fall. The Gophers’ three losses have come to No. 4 Florida, No. 15 Wisconsin, and No. 23 Florida State.
6. Purdue
The Boilermakers have had a decent fall, picking up wins in the Indiana Intercollegiate, Purdue Invitational, and dual wins versus Michigan State, Miami (Ohio), and Iowa. But they haven’t been tested much. Marat Amaltdinov is a stud in the 200 breast for Purdue, finishing fifth at the AT&T meet.
7. Iowa
The Hawkeyes will lean heavily on NCAA qualifiers Roman Trussov and Jerzy Twarowski for points this season. Iowa got off to a quick start with wins over Chicago and Michigan State but failed to compete against Minnesota and Purdue. Freshman Jack Smith will be a key for the Hawkeyes.
8. Penn State
The Nittany Lions have a long way to go if they want to compete in the Big Ten. Losses to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, No. 6 Michigan, No. 21 Virginia, and a sixth-place finish at the Georgia Invitational have marked their autumn.
9. Michigan State
Michigan State did not have much success this fall, earning a 1-4 record. Alec Kandt recorded the Spartans’ top finish at the AT&T Winter National, a 27th-place finish in the 200 breast. Michigan State’s lone win this fall came against Northwestern.
10. Northwestern
With losses this fall to Eastern Michigan and Southern Illinois, along with some others, the Wildcats bring up the rear of the Big Ten power rankings. With Notre Dame, Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue left on the schedule, their best chance at a win may be behind them.
Follow @B_Dows4 for Iowa men’s swimming news, updates, and analysis.