Michigan State University
Northwestern Invite
Spartan Men Win TYR Northwestern Invite, Women Earn Second
11/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
Men's Results | Women's Results
EVANTSON, Ill. - Michigan State swimming & diving claimed the men's team title at the TYR Northwestern Invite on Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Norris Aquatics Center in Evanston, as the women finished in second.
"Overall, I was very pleased with the three days," said head coach Matt Gianiodis. "We got a lot accomplished and had some outstanding swims. Being just the midway point though, we have a lot of work ahead of us. I am happy with it though."
The men's team found early success on the third day of competition, placing three swimmers in the top five of the 1,650 free. Junior Jon Burke recorded MSU's lone first-place finish of the final day, turning in a 15:21.12. Sophomore Joe Szczupakiewicz finished in second, tapping the wall in 15:32.26. Junior Adam Henley beat out fifth place by just over 10 seconds with a 15:42.71 for fourth.
After a strong day two that saw a first-place finish, junior Sarah Love took fourth in the 50 fly with a 25.21.
The Spartan men showcased their depth in the 50 fly, earning three lanes in the championship heat. Senior Jacob Moore took third with a 22.18, as sophomore Alex Trompke followed in fourth in 22.38. Freshman Gabe Whitaker showed he can contribute early in his MSU career, finishing in seventh with a time of 22.48.
"This was a much different swim than what we will have even at Big Ten Championships," Gianiodis said. "They did a great job though of competing and kept coming back. Sometimes you touch the wall first and sometimes you don't"
Freshman Cathryn Armstrong was the lone Spartan to make the finals of the 200 back, turning in a fourth-place performance of 2:01.57.
The women earned a pair of spots in the championship heat of the 100 free, with sophomore Racheal Bukowski pacing MSU with a 51.13. Freshman Courtney Aycock was sixth in 51.38.
Senior Marina Borri and junior Kennedy Cutler earned crucial points in the 200 breaststroke and 100 yard IM, respectively. Borri clocked a 2:17.39 for third place in the 200 breast, as Cutler went 58.02 for third in the 100 IM.
With the final day coming to a close, the men tallied 54 points in the 100 IM with four Spartans earning lanes in the finals. Sophomore Tal Hanani took fourth with a 51.85, as junior Ben Martin took fifth in 51.96. Sophomore Nick Leshok continued his impressive weekend with a sixth-place finish with an effort of 52.06, while junior Alex Kandt finished in 52.43 for seventh.
The women ended the meet with a third-place performance in the 400 free relay. Sophomore Anna Stephens, Bukowski, senior Emily Parsons and Aycock combined for a time of 3:27.56.
Northwestern claimed the women's team title with 1,188.5 points. MSU amassed a score of 962 for second. Grand Canyon finished in second on the men's side behind Michigan State's 1,161.5 points.
The Spartans' fall schedule has come to a close. Michigan State returns on Jan. 15 for a two-day dual at Ohio State.
Players Mentioned
