No. 20 swimmen dive into Big Tens

By LAUREN KOCUR
Collegian Staff Writer

Today begins the final chance this season for the Penn State men's swimming and diving team to meet with Big Ten foes when the Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships begin at Indiana.

Here's how the competition stacks up so far:

At the top of the list of the Speedo Coaches' Association poll is No. 12 Minnesota. The Golden Gophers did not face the Nittany Lions this year, but hold an undefeated record in both the regular season and the Big Ten. If past years are indicative of this year, Minnesota and Michigan will again be fighting for first place. The two teams have alternated first- and second-place finishes since 1989.

When Penn State faced No. 15 Michigan, the Lions suffered their first and only loss of the season. The Wolverines stopped the Lions in their tracks with a 148-95 defeat, but a loss to Indiana (137-106), left Michigan with a record of 4-4 (3-1 Big Ten). With 13 NCAA-best times, Michigan could be the team to beat.

The Lions finally broke into the top 25 this week. The team has earned a ranking of No. 20, giving it the third-best ranking of teams in the Big Ten. The Lions posted a 10-1 regular-season record (4-1 Big Ten), breaking the previous top school record of 9-1.

No. 22 Ohio State could prove to be a tough competitor. The Buckeyes also had a 10-1 regular season, but only swam against two Big Ten opponents, leaving them with a Big Ten mark of 1-1, the loss coming against Penn State.

On the heels of the Buckeyes, the Iowa Hawkeyes will prove to be stiff competition. They are ranked No. 23 and fifth in the Big Ten. Iowa received a crushing blow from Penn State when the Lions handed it a 223-120 defeat.

Purdue, ranked No. 24, has not faced the Lions this year but will have its chance this weekend. The Boilermakers have not fared so well this year, posting a 5-3 regular-season record and a 3-3 record in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin, just out of the top 25, finds itself sixth in the Big Ten. While it too has not faced the Lions, its numbers show that it may not be a very tough opponent. While the Badgers have a 3-3 record in the regular season, they are 0-3 in the Big Ten.

Indiana, also just out of the top 25, comes in seventh in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers suffered a 143-100 loss to the Lions earlier this year. They may, however, prove to be a tougher challenge than they seem after posting a 9-3 mark in the regular season and a 3-1 mark in the Big Ten, their only loss coming against the Lions.

Illinois (9-6, 5-4), Northwestern (3-4, 1-4) -- which both have not faced Penn State -- and Michigan State (4-4, 2-4) round out the competition.