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Gophers steal spotlight from tankers

The scene last night at Canham Natatorium was an educational lesson.

The Big Ten Championships provided spectators and swimmers alike an opportunity to learn the colors and fight songs of the conference's members.

After completing six events, the meet has been quite a monotonous lesson. One tune is ringing in the ears of music students and only two colors compose the pallet of the art students: the Minnesota fight song and the Gopher's maroon and gold.

With two days of competition remaining, Minnesota leads the 10-time defending Big Ten champion Wolverines 208.5-136.

In the evening's first event, the 200-yard freestyle relay, Minnesota thrashed its competition. The Gophers set a pool record with a time of 1:20.05.

The Michigan squad of Derya Buyukuncu, Jason Lancaster, Ryan Papa and John Piersma finished seventh, two full seconds behind Minnesota.

Michigan had a solid showing in the 500 freestyle. Piersma, last year's Big Ten champion in the event, placed third. The freshmen trio of Joe Palmer, Tom Mal-chow and Andy Potts finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

Much like an 8 a.m. lecture, it seemed that some of Michigan's upperclassmen were playing hooky. Juniors Tom Dolan, last year's NCAA 500 champion, and Chris Rumley, who finished fourth at the NCAAs, did not qualify for the Big Ten finals.

Although Dolan and Rumley placed first and second respectively in the fourth heat of the preliminaries, their times were not fast enough to earn a spot in the finals.

In the consolation heat, Rumley finished second and captain Jan Wenzel, who finished as the first alternate after the morning's prelims, replaced Dolan and finished fifth.

As predicted, Minnesota's Bernie Zeruhn had a good showing and took the event, setting a pool record as well as qualifying for NCAAs, with a time of 4:20.42.

Jason Lancaster helped salvage an otherwise dreary day for the Wolverines, setting a pool record in the preliminaries of the 200 individual medley. He finished first in the championship, as well.

"I swam pretty well in the 200 IM," Lancaster said. "I had no idea that I had even broken the record this morning.

"Last year I set the Big Ten record, so I was a little disappointed that I was off that this (year), but the pool record made me feel better."

The 50 freestyle was a monochromatic art lesson, consisting mainly of red hues -- Indiana crimson and Minnesota maroon. No Michigan swimmer even entered the event.

Last year's Big Ten and NCAA one-meter diving champion, Minnesota's P.J. Bogart, repeated his title, while Michigan's Alex Bogaerts finished fifth.

The 400 relay team of Buyukuncu, Dolan, Lancaster and Piersma finished first on the scoreboard but were disqualified for a false start on one leg.

The disqualification was not seen as a complete loss for the Wolverines.

"We all know we swam our best," Lancaster said. "Things happen and (the disqualification) is what happened. It was a good swim for us, though."

Another bright note of the disqualification is that Buyukuncu's backstroke split time of 47.70 seconds qualified him for NCAAs.

With two days of competition remaining, the Wolverines hope to become dropouts. Of the school of hard knocks, that is.

"Everything's turned out okay considering the 50 freestyle, the relay and the fact that the 500 didn't turn out the way we wanted," Lancaster said. "(But these) problems we have to take care of in the next two days, but it is possible."