Feb. 28, 2014
Day 3 Big Ten Championships | Results | Results (PDF) | Championship Central Ann Arbor, Mich. • Canham Natatorium | 4th (265) No. 24 Penn State |
ANN ARBOR, Mich.; Feb. 28, 2014 - Sophomore Shane Ryan (Havertown, Pa.) and junior Nate Savoy (Reading, Pa.) capped off a truly memorable night for the Penn State swimming program with first and second place finishes in the 100 backstroke. The Nittany Lions also posted a win in the 200 freestyle relay, as the team tied Ohio State for the top spot with a time of 1:17.93.
"Tonight was a big night for Penn State Swimming and Diving," said head coach Tim Murphy. "We got huge wins in the 200 freestyle relay and 100 backstroke to begin and end the night. We posted a number of best times today throughout the prelims and finals.
Ryan won the race in grand fashion, besting his own record of 45.48 that he turned in at the morning prelims with a time of 45.13, making the sophomore a qualifier of the NCAA "A" standard. Teammate Savoy was the only other competitor to finish under the 46 second barrier with a time of 45.61, the best time of his career.
Ryan's title marks the first time a Nittany Lion has stood atop the podium in the 100 backstroke at the championship in program history. The gold and silver medal finish was the first time Penn State pulled off the feat in the same event at the Big Ten Championships in program history. Ryan's win is also the first victory in an individual event since 2003 and just the eighth in Penn State history.
"The first and second place finishes in the 100 backstroke was especially nice to see," said Murphy.
The 200 freestyle relay started off the historic evening for the Nittany Lions in thrilling fashion. The Penn State team of Ryan, John Hauser (Pottstown, Pa.), Savoy and Shane Austin (Kennett Square, Pa.) were neck-and-neck with Minnesota and Ohio State down the stretch. Minnesota managed to touch first with the Lions and Buckeyes recording the exact same time of 1:17.93. However, the Blue and White and OSU each claimed a share of the title, as Minnesota was disqualified for a false start. The team reached the NCAA "A" cut with the time.
The gold medal is the program's third in the 200 freestyle relay in Big Ten Championship history and just the sixth of any PSU relay team at the championships. The last time a Penn State relay team won a Big Ten Championship final was in 2002 when the 200 and 400 freestyle relays each won first.
The titles in the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle relay mark the first time the Nittany Lions have claimed multiple titles at the Big Ten Championships since 2002 and the fourth time the Blue and White has pulled off the accomplishment in program history.
Hauser continued his strong showing in the championship with a win in the "B" final of the 200 freestyle race for a ninth place finish and a Penn State record with a time of 1:34.88. The senior improved on the record he set in the opening night of the championship, where he turned in a mark of 1:35.41 in the first leg of the 800 freestyle relay.
In the diving portion of the competition, junior T.J. Schenkel (Richboro, Pa.) qualified for the "B" final in the three-meter diving event with a score of 322.15 and improved his mark to 349.00 in the evening final session to grab 14th place. Thursday's final was the first time the junior qualified for the evening session at the Big Ten Championship.
"T.J. finishing 14th in the three-meter diving event with a score of 349.00 to score points for the team is big," said Murphy. "I am most proud of our team's effort across the board. We need to carry our momentum into tomorrow's morning session."
The Big Ten Championship will wrap up tomorrow with the fourth and final day of the competition. Prelims will begin at 11 a.m. and the finals will start at 6:30 p.m.
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