Breaking News: Ohio State Achieves Historic Third-Year Sweep Against Rival Michigan…
In an unprecedented display of dominance, both the men’s and women’s Ohio State teams secured victories over Michigan on Saturday for the third consecutive year.
This historic achievement marked the first time in the program’s history that the Buckeye women triumphed over the Wolverines in three consecutive seasons. Additionally, the men replicated this feat for the first time since the early 1950s.
Fifth-year standout Josie Panitz led the charge for OSU, claiming victory in three individual events: the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.06), 200 breast (2:12.46), and 200 IM (2:00.96). Notably, Panitz holds season bests in the 100 breast (59.00), 200 breast (2:08.27), and 200 IM (1:56.18), ranking 10th, 13th, and 19th in the NCAA, respectively.
The Buckeyes showcased their freestyle prowess, with four different swimmers securing titles in various disciplines. Notable wins include OSU junior Teresa Ivan edging out senior teammate Katherine “Kit Kat” Zenick by a mere 0.01 seconds in the 50 free (22.53). Other victories came from Amy Fulmer in the 100 free (48.85), Maya Geringer in the 500 free (4:49.10), and Gwen Woodbury in the 1000 free (9:49.34).
While Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini prevented a complete OSU freestyle sweep by winning the 200 free (1:46.95), OSU’s Zenick claimed victory in the 100 fly (53.59) and played a crucial role in the 400 free relay. Despite Michigan’s strong freestyle reputation, OSU’s relay upset the rankings.
Michigan’s Casey Chung secured wins in the 100 back (53.24) and 200 back (1:57.09), contributing to their performance alongside freshman Hannah Bellard’s 200 fly victory (1:58.41).
In the men’s events, OSU senior Charlie Clark triumphed in the 500 free (4:23.56) and 1000 free (9:00.94), showcasing his prowess since returning from an Olympic redshirt. Buckeyes sophomore Tristan Jankovics secured victories in the 200 back (1:44.68) and 200 IM (1:45.95).
A thrilling moment occurred in the 200 free, where OSU freshman Tomas Navikonis narrowly outdueled Michigan’s Eitan Ben-Shitrit by a tenth of a second (1:35.62 to 1:35.72).
Michigan’s Tyler Ray emerged as a standout, winning the 100 fly (46.58) and 200 fly (1:44.38), while Ansel Froass swept the breaststroke events with victories in the 100 breast (54.74) and 200 breast (1:58.13).
With nearly 1,000 fans witnessing the exciting competition at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Ohio State’s historic triumph over Michigan added another chapter to their storied rivalry.
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