It all comes down to this.
The grueling hours of practice, the extra lifts in the weight room and the physical stress of the dual-meet season were all preparation for the Big Ten Championships, which begin Thursday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
It is also a chance for the team to finally silence the critics who said Northwestern could not contend without arguably the two greatest swimmers in school history, Mike Alexandrov and Matt Grevers.
“Our goal is to carry on the tradition that those guys set,” coach Bob Groseth said. “Success will be a good comment on how our team has come together.”
It has been an up-and-down season for NU, which enters the tournament ranked 18th in the country and sixth in the Big Ten. The Wildcats have shown hints they can post really fast times, but have struggled to translate that into victories.
NU went 2-5 against ranked opponents and finished with a 7-6 dual-meet record.
But while those numbers may give us something to talk about, they mean little to the swimmers themselves.
“It’s been a growing year for sure,” said junior John Franklin, a breaststroke specialist. “We lost some talent, but we’re a much more level team.”
Without Grevers and Alexandrov, the Cats’ success will come down to the performances of a few key swimmers.
Senior Kyle Bubolz will be seeking an unprecedented fourth straight conference title in the 100 fly. Bubolz is ranked fifth in the country in that event and holds the three fastest times in Big Ten history. But his fourth title is hardly a lock.
“This year he definitely faces his stiffest competition yet,” Groseth said. “(Chris) Brady of Michigan (ranked 11th in the country) and (Ben) Hesen of Indiana present real challenges. But he’ll be ready.”
Senior Bruno Barbic, the Cats’ sprint specialist, will be looking to defend his title in the 100 free. While Barbic has not swam his fastest this season, he is still ranked 49th in the country and holds the Big Ten’s fourth fastest time in the event.
The championships will also see star junior Eric Nilsson compete for his first individual conference title in the 200 free, 500 free and 200 fly. Nilsson has been the Cats’ best all-around swimmer this season, and a strong performance will be crucial to the team’s success.
Also key will be the showing of the diving team. Junior Alex Kiaie and senior Ryan McIntosh have enjoyed solid seasons and could be difference makers in the Cats’ overall score.
In addition to the veterans, NU will also need good showings from its freshmen if it expect to compete for a title. Newcomers Peter Park and Alex Tyler have emerged as strong contenders in 400 IM (both in the top 100), while Park could also post good times in the 1,000 free and 200 fly.
“I’m very excited about the this year’s freshman class,” Groseth said. “They’ve been training real hard, and this is their first real shot on the big stage. I’m excited to see how they perform.”
The biggest question mark surrounding the team is how the relays will perform. NU is the four-time defending champion and NCAA record holder in the 400 medley relay, but the team has not swam particularly fast this year and comes in as an underdog.
That being said, NU should be in contention Saturday. Despite their struggles, the Cats have shown a lot of fight all year, and there is no reason to expect they won’t continue that this weekend.
