Get ready for an exciting day at the 2026 Men's Big Ten Championships! Today marks the first full day of competition, and we've got some thrilling events lined up. From the 100 fly to the 400 IM, 200 free, and 100 breast, these preliminary heats are sure to set the tone for the rest of the championships.
The defending champions are back and ready to make their mark in three out of the four events. Keep an eye on Tyler Ray from Michigan, aiming for a repeat victory in the 100 fly. Tristan Jankovics of Ohio State is looking to defend his title in the 400 IM, while his teammate Tomas Navikonis is on a mission to secure a third consecutive win in the 200 free.
Navikonis and Jankovics teamed up to lead the Buckeyes to an impressive victory in the 800 free relay last night, smashing the Championship Record. Wisconsin's freshman Enzo Solitario, who anchored the Badgers' relay with an incredible 1:30.43 split, is one to watch in today's 200 free event.
But here's where it gets interesting...
In the 100 fly, although Tyler Ray is the defending champion, he's seeded third coming into the meet. Ohio State's Matthew Klinge and Indiana's Owen McDonald are the top two seeds, with the fastest times this season. Will Ray be able to reclaim his title?
The 100 breast is another event to watch, with Michigan's Luka Mladenovic and Penn State's Mariano Lazzerini leading the conference this season. Lazzerini, the 2024 Big Ten champion, will be looking to improve on his distant 15th-place finish last year, when Indiana dominated the top five spots.
Let's dive into the details of each event and see who makes it to the 'A' final:
MEN'S 100 BUTTERFLY - PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 42.80, Caeleb Dressel (Florida) - 2018
- Big Ten Record: 43.85, Tomer Frankel (Indiana) - 2024
- Big Ten Meet Record: 44.28, Tyler Ray (Michigan) - 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 46.11
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 45.12
'A' Final Qualifiers:
- Tyler Ray (Michigan), 44.29
- Matthew Klinge (Ohio State), 44.61
- Stuart Seymour (Northwestern), 44.66
- Michal Chmielewski (USC), 44.85
- Jacob Johnson (Minnesota) / Owen McDonald (Indiana), 44.86
- -
- Ole Eidam (Michigan), 44.94
- Colin Geer (Michigan), 45.17
Defending champion Tyler Ray set the tone early, clocking a season-best 44.29, just shy of his championship record. Ohio State's Matthew Klinge topped the final heat with a 44.61, improving on his personal best. Northwestern's Stuart Seymour shattered his school record, qualifying third with a 44.66.
MEN'S 400 IM - PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 3:28.82, Leon Marchand (Arizona State) - 2023
- Big Ten Record: 3:34.98, Tristan Jankovics (OSU) - 2025
- Big Ten Meet Record: 3:35.51, Tristan Jankovics (OSU) - 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 3:46.19
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 3:41.61
'A' Final Qualifiers:
- Lorne Wigginton (Michigan), 3:36.46
- Josh Bey (Indiana), 3:36.92
- Tristan Jankovics (Ohio State), 3:38.15
- Josh Staples (Northwestern), 3:40.65
- Dominik Mark Torok (Wisconsin), 3:41.24
- Ryan Healy (Michigan), 3:41.40
- Noah Cakir (Indiana), 3:41.61
- Mason Edmund (Ohio State), 3:41.80
Michigan's Lorne Wigginton and Indiana's Josh Bey put on a show in the last heat, producing impressive best times to qualify first and second. Wigginton, the runner-up last season, chopped over three seconds off his previous best. Bey, relying on his breaststroke strength, opened up an advantage but was overtaken by Wigginton in the freestyle leg.
Defending champion Tristan Jankovics qualified third, improving on his season-best time. Northwestern's Josh Staples and Indiana's Noah Cakir qualified fourth and seventh, respectively, while Wisconsin's Dominik Mark Torok topped the penultimate heat.
MEN'S 200 FREESTYLE - PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 1:28.33, Luke Hobson (Texas) - 2025
- Big Ten Record: 1:29.63, Blake Pieroni (Indiana) - 2018
- Big Ten Meet Record: 1:31.01, Tomas Navikonis (OSU) - 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 1:33.93
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 1:32.27
'A' Final Qualifiers:
- Enzo Solitario (Wisconsin), 1:32.09
- Tomas Navikonis (Ohio State), 1:32.24
- Aaron Shackell (Indiana), 1:32.57
- Eitan Ben Shitrit (Michigan), 1:32.59
- Oliver Sogaard-Andersen (USC), 1:32.63
- Luukas Vainio (Wisconsin), 1:32.64
- Antoine Sauve (Michigan) / Jordi Vilchez (Ohio State), 1:32.68
Wisconsin's Enzo Solitario, fresh off an impressive split in the 800 free relay, kicked off his individual campaign with a bang. Solitario pulled away from Indiana's Aaron Shackell to win the first heat, knocking over a second off his personal best.
Two-time defending champion Tomas Navikonis topped the final heat, securing Lane 5 for tonight's final. Navikonis, the only swimmer in the Big Ten to go sub-1:32 this season, is looking to claim his third consecutive conference title.
MEN'S 100 BREASTSTROKE - PRELIMS
- NCAA Record: 49.51, Julian Smith (Florida) - 2025
- Big Ten Record: 49.69, Ian Finnerty (Indiana) - 2018
- Big Ten Meet Record: 49.94, Finn Brooks (Indiana) - 2025
- 2026 NCAA Qualifying Time: 52.58
- 2025 NCAA Invite Time: 51.58
'A' Final Qualifiers:
- Luka Mladenovic (Michigan), 50.95
- Mariano Lazzerini (Penn State), 51.32
- Alexei Avakov (Indiana), 51.38
- Travis Gulledge (Indiana), 51.41
- Ben Wiegand (Wisconsin), 51.77
- Toby Barnett (Indiana), 51.84
- Dylan Smiley (Indiana), 52.04
- Drew Gaerthofner (Wisconsin), 52.10
The top three seeds in the 100 breast held their positions, with Michigan's Luka Mladenovic leading the way. Mladenovic, an Austrian native, fired off a 50.95, just shy of his personal best. Penn State's Mariano Lazzerini, the 2024 Big Ten champion, won the penultimate heat with a 51.32.
Indiana dominated the 'A' final, landing four swimmers, including sophomore Alexei Avakov, who qualified third. Wisconsin also put two swimmers in the top eight, with fifth-year Ben Wiegand and freshman Drew Gaerthofner advancing.
Make sure to tune in for the exciting finals later today! Who do you think will emerge as the champions? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to share your predictions!
