By Brian ReganThe Daily Northwestern
In the penultimate meet of their collegiate careers, seniors Mike Alexandrov and Matt Grevers want to do something they haven’t accomplished in their tenure at Northwestern: win a Big Ten team championship.
“It would be really cool,” Alexandrov said. “We are undefeated so far this year and to finish it off with a Big Ten championship would make us pretty happy.”
The last three titles have gone the way of Minnesota twice followed by Indiana last year.
But because this is more of a team event than traditional dual meets, an NU win depends on much more than just the Wildcats’ talented seniors.
“In the past we have been able to win events,” coach Bob Groseth said, “but our second and third place guys weren’t able to score, so I think that will be key to our performance.”
The team will be defending seven relay and individual Big Ten titles from last season and the No. 6 Cats are looking to increase that number this weekend.
“I am looking to win three
individual events,” Alexandrov said. “If we all swim well individually, it will put (the team) in position to win.”
Grevers and junior Kyle Bubolz are also looking to add to their collection of conference hardware.
Bubolz is looking for his third consecutive 100-yard fly championship. Grevers last season took home five championships, three of them individual, and now his goal is the same as Alexandrov’s.
“I hope to win three individual events and see the relays post good times,” Grevers said. “But we are looking to NCAA’s a little more. I want to come away with confidence that I am going to do better at NCAA’s.”
This weekend’s action in Columbus, Ohio, will be the Cats’ first competition since Jan. 27 against Michigan and Ohio State.
The stretch of not competing was extended when the meet was pushed back to today due to inclement weather for arriving teams.
NU was unable to fly to Columbus and had to settle for an 11-and-half-hour bus ride instead, causing added stress before one of the biggest meets of the year.
“Personally, there is nothing you can do about it,” Bubolz said. “You can’t let it bother you, and you have to remember that we’re to swim.”
Despite the weather, the Cats are poised to reach their goals of winning more relays and individual events than the competition.
Of the five top-20 teams in the Big Ten, the only one the Cats haven’t faced (and beaten) this season is No. 10 Minnesota, who should be hungry after losing out on a three-peat last year.
Regardless, the Cats’ confidence is high and are going to do their best to send their seniors out as winners.
“I’m looking for a win, but that’s a very high goal, so I’m not expecting it,” Grevers said. “I’m not saying the team was weak when Mike and I first got here, but we’ve definitely strengthened it. A win would be a flag in the ground for us, that we left our mark.”
Reach Brian Regan at [email protected].
