IU looks for victory in last meet before Big Ten Tournament

Even though they have had a three-week break, the No. 8 men’s swimming and diving team is still riding the momentum of its victory over Tennessee into this weekend. The Hoosiers will be hosting the Purdue Boilermakers in their last regular season meet on Saturday, where they hope to avenge a tough loss to their in-state rival last season. A year ago, the then-No. 11 Hoosiers lost to then-No. 18 Purdue 125-118.\nThis will be the final home meet for 10 seniors, including standout Ben Hesen. In their last competition, the Hoosiers defeated No. 7 Tennessee by a 32-point margin thanks to several victories from Hesen, including the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. The Boilermakers most recently split a tournament, defeating Wisconsin but falling to Minnesota in the Big Ten Duals. They are currently 4-1 in Big Ten competition.\nAlthough they are coming off an extended break, several members of the Hoosier squad said the thought of competition has pumped them up where the momentum of a big win may have tapered off.\n“Everyday it’s just as important to come in ready to race hard,” said junior swimmer Steffan Troxel. “And since Purdue is a big rival, it’s easy to get up for it.”\nFreshman diver Titus Knight agreed, and said the rivalry is going to help get everyone in a winning mindset, but knows that since Purdue is ranked, this meet could be more competitive than expected.\n“Rivalry is definitely going to pump you up,” Knight said. “You want to beat your rival, obviously. But we’re not going to underestimate them at all.”\nSenior diver Taylor Roberts said although their last meet was a success, the Hoosiers have been working on several weak spots in their performances and are ready to put that practice to the test.\n“We’re looking forward to really showing how hard we’ve been working,” Roberts said. “We’re ready to step up for some big competition.”\nIU coach Ray Looze said he is looking forward to this competition because it is the highest he has seen both squads ranked and expects it to be a good competition. Looze also felt his team will be racing “with a chip on their shoulder” after the loss from last season.\n“We feel like we’ve got a lot to prove,” Looze said. “I remember (last season’s) losses more than any victory. I just hope they remember as well as I do.”