COLUMBUS, OH. – Penn State men's swimming concluded its last day of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday evening at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. In total the Nittany Lions swam for three new school records, two podium finishes, and 23 additional individual top-24 finishes, including 14 top-16 times.
They finished the meet in seventh place with 619.5 points.
Top Swims - Day Five
Junior Michael Daly represented Penn State in the 200 back A-finals, swimming a NCAA B-cut time of 1:41.85 for fifth overall.
Senior William Roberson locked in 10th in the 100 free with a NCAA B-cut time of 43.13. His preliminary swim in the event (43.10) was good for a spot in the B-finals.
Freshman Jake Houck notched a personal best in the event, earning 22nd with a time of 43.98. He rounded out the event in prelims to qualify for the C-finals.
Sophomore Daniel Raisanen led the Nittany Lions in the 200 breast B-finals. The school-record holder secured 13th in the event with a NCAA B-cut time of 1:56.08.
Two Nittany Lions competed for Penn State in the 200 breast C-finals.
Junior William Lulek achieved a career best time and NCAA B-cut of 1:56.84 for 18th overall. He becomes the sixth-fastest Nittany Lion to ever swim the event.
Senior Hayden Harlow closed out his college career with a 20th-place finish in the 200 breast, swimming a NCAA B-cut time of 1:58.34.
Sophomore Sam Rennard competed in the distance events for the team. He earned 23rd in the 1,650 free (15.28.65).
Day Four
Daly highlighted the individual events for the Nittany Lions, earning seventh in the 100 back with an NCAA B-cut of 46.54. He swam a personal best time of 46.47 in the preliminary heats to qualify for the A-finals. He moved up to No. 5 all-time in Penn State history.
Junior Zac Zwijacz also recorded a seventh-place finish in the 200 fly with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:45.83. His preliminary time (1:45.12) was good for a spot in the A-finals.
Two Nittany Lions represented the team in the 200 fly B-finals, finishing consecutively in the event.
Junior Carlos Vasquez locked in 13th with an NCAA B-cut time of 1:46.56. He swam for a personal best in his prelim race (1:46.17) to become the fifth-fastest in the event in program history.
Senior Jacob Deckman finished narrowly behind Vasquez, securing 14th with a career best swim of 1:46.81 to secure the No. 9 spot on the all-time list.
Roberson and sophomore Lachlan Byrne rounded out the 100 back in the C-finals. Roberson's NCAA B-cut time of 47.63 was good for 19th overall. He posted a career best in the preliminary race of 47.61 to move up to sixth-best in Penn State history.
Behind him was teammate Byrne, who finished 24th in the event (48.24). He also secured his personal best in his preliminary heat, swimming 48.12 to become the ninth-fastest Nittany Lion to race the event.
Raisanen was the only Nittany Lion to qualify for finals in the 100 breast. He earned 19th overall, swimming a NCAA B-cut and personal best time in both his final and prelim races (53.61). He takes over as the seventh-fastest Penn Stater to swim the event in program history after previously being ninth-best.
Day Three
Daly finished his day at the top of the podium in the 400 IM, clinching gold with a career best, NCAA B-cut, and school record time of 3:41.09. He previously broke the record in 2019, swimming for 3:42.48. On night one of competition, he also locked in a new Penn State best in the 200 free for his lead-off split in the 800 free relay. His final time of 1:34.39 also broke his own school record which he achieved at last year's Big Tens in the same event. He became Penn State's first ever Big Ten champion in the 400 IM.
Competing in the 400 IM A-final alongside Daly, was Lulek, who swam a personal best and NCAA B-cut time of 3:45.71. He took over the No. 2 spot on Penn State's all-time list in the event after previously holding third.
Four Nittany Lions represented the team in the 100 fly finals.
Zwijacz led Penn State in the B-finals, swimming an NCAA B-cut of 47.12 to secure 11th overall. His preliminary race earned him a career best time of 47.02 to become the third-fastest Nittany Lion to ever swim the event.
He was followed closely by Houck who clinched 16th in the B-finals (47.45). He swam for a personal best and NCAA B-cut time of 47.24 in the preliminary heats to tie for fourth on Penn State's all-time list.
Deckman placed 19th overall, swimming a personal best and NCAA B-cut of 47.35 in the C-finals. His time becomes the fifth-fastest in program history for the event.
Rounding out the C-finals was Vasquez who achieved 21st place overall (47.62). His preliminary NCAA B-cut time of 47.36 is a personal best and earns him the No. 6 spot on the Penn State all-time list.
Day Two
Roberson led the Nittany Lions with a top-three finish in the 50 free. His career best and NCAA B-cut time of 19.17 earned him a bronze in the event. He took over the No. 3 spot on Penn State's all-time list.
Following narrowly behind him was Houck who impressed with a sixth-place finish overall in the event (19.38). His preliminary time of 19.29 was a personal-best and NCAA B-cut, making him the fourth-fastest Nittany Lion to swim the event.
Rounding out the A-finals was senior Gabe Castano, who swam an NCAA B-cut time of 19.44. He secured his season-best in the preliminary heat, swimming a time of 19.36.
Harlow placed 13th in the 200 IM B-finals, shaving nearly a second off his preliminary race for a final time of 1:45.62. His prelim run of 1:46.35 earned him an NCAA B-cut.
Lulek swam for 1:46.64 in the 200 IM B-Finals to clinch 16th after locking in a career best and NCAA B-cut time in his prelim race. His best of 1:46.51 moves him up to sixth fastest all-time in the event in Penn State history.
Nittany Lion Relays
To highlight the relays, the 200 free team of Castano, Roberson, Houck, and Sutton earned an NCAA bid, swimming an A-cut time of 1:17.07 in the event - only missing the school record by three hundredths of a second. Penn State qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 free for the second straight season.
The 200 medley relay team of Roberson, Raisanen, Houck, and Castano locked in Penn State's new best time, swimming 1:24.86 for a fifth-place finish. The previous school record in the event has stood since 2014.
On night one of competition, the 800 free relay team consisting of Daly, Harlow, Byrne, and Lulek secured ninth with a final time of 6:25.43.
During day two, the 400 medley relay team composed of Daly, Raisanen, Houck, and Roberson swam for ninth with a final time of 3:08.38. Daly's lead-off split in the 100 back (46.07) became his personal-best and ranked him third all-time in program history.
The 400 free relay team closed out B1G's with a fifth-place finish. Roberson, Zane Sutton, Houck, and Castano swam for the second-fastest time in program history, going 2:52.76.
Awards
Daly finished the meet earning First Team All-Big Ten honors. He is Penn State's 33rd First Team All-Big Ten selection all-time.
Teammate Deckman locked in the Sportsmanship Award for Penn State.
Next Up
The men's swimming & diving NCAA Championships will be held on March 24-27 in Greensboro, N.C. at the Greensboro Aquatic Complex.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Instagram at @pennstateswimdive, Twitter at @PennStateSWIM and on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving.