Women Tankers Finish Second at Early Bird Invitational

Saturday, October 16

Ann Arbor, Mich.

10:00 AM

Michigan

Early Bird Invitational

Women Tankers Finish Second at Early Bird Invitational

10/16/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In its second meet in two days, the No. 7 University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team finished second in the four-team Early Bird Invitational, held at Canham Natatorium on Saturday (Oct. 16). The relay meet featured Michigan, ninth-ranked University of Florida, Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University.

After handing Michigan a 134.5-108.5 dual meet loss Friday evening, the Gators went on to take top honors at the Early Bird Invitational as well, defeating Michigan by 16 points despite the Wolverines' winning the final four events. The Wolverines and Gators were the only two teams to win events, with Michigan claiming victories in seven events and Florida in four. The two teams finished 1-2 in all but one event, the 300-yard breaststroke relay, in which Michigan won and Oakland out-touched Florida by seven-hundredths of a second for a runner-up finish.

Florida opened the meet with a win in the 300-yard butterfly relay, but the Wolverines countered that with a 1-3 finish in the next event, the 300-yard backstroke relay. The combination of freshman Erin Abbey (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield HS), freshman Laura Kaznecki (Wolverine Lake, Mich./Western HS) and six-time All-American junior Jennifer Crisman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Jenison HS) cruised to victory by 3.67 seconds over the Gators relay.

All-American and 1996 Olympian Shannon Shakespeare (Winnipeg, Ontario/Kelvin SS) led off the 300-yard breaststroke relay, teaming up with freshman Traci Valasco (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and senior Emily Cocks (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) for the win (3:17.44).

Crisman, Kaznecki and Shakespeare were also victorious in the 200-yard freestyle relay, adding junior All-American Missy Sugar (Newburgh, Ind./Evansville Day School) for the 1:34.85 win.

Michigan won the final four events of the morning: the 400-yard medley relay, the 200-yard medley relay, the 3x400-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Shakespeare and Crisman contributed to three of those wins, while sophomores Lindsay Carlberg (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) and Andrea Kurrle (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro HS) contributed to two of them.

Coach Jim Richardson's Wolverines have two weeks off before heading west to Michigan State University for an Oct. 30 dual meet. Michigan is 22-2 against the Spartans in a series that dates back to 1975, and the Wolverines have won the last 13 meets in the series.

RESULTS

Early Bird Invitational Team Standings

 1. Florida 272 2. Michigan 256 3. Oakland 154 4. Eastern Michigan 108

300-yard Relay-Fly: 1. A, FLOR 2:54.30; 2. A, MICH 2:55.32; 3. A, EMU 2:58.56; 4. B, FLOR 3:00.75; 5. B, OAKL 3:00.95; 6. B, MICH 3:07.59; 7. A, OAKL 3:10.31; 8. B, EMU 3:10.74.

300-yard Relay-Back: 1. A, MICH 2:52.40; 2. A, FLOR 2:56.07; 3. B, MICH 2:58.65; 4. A, OAKL 3:03.49; 5. B, FLOR 3:04.42; 6. A, EMU 3:10.89; 7. B, OAKL 3:12.73; 8. B, EMU 3:37.77.

300-yard Relay-Breast: 1. A, MICH 3:17.44; 2. A, OAKL 3:22.63; 3. A, FLOR 3:22.70; 4. B, MICH 3:26.09; 5. B, FLOR 3:35.33; 6. A, EMU 3:36.25; 7. B, EMU 3:39.59; 8. B, OAKL 3:56.42.

800-yard Relay-Free: 1. A, FLOR 7:32.78; 2. A, MICH 7:41.08; 3. B, FLOR 7:52.62; 4. A, EMU 7:56.71; 5. A, OAKL 7:57.59; 6. B, MICH 8:02.28; 7. B, OAKL 8:12.59; 8. B, EMU 8:37.15.

800-yard Relay-Medley: 1. A, FLOR 8:28.59; 2. A, MICH 8:31.93; 3. A, OAKL 8:44.01; 4. B, FLOR 8:44.53; 5. B, MICH 8:50.71; 6. A, EMU 8:54.71; 7. B, EMU 9:17.40; 8. B, OAKL 9:34.82.

200-yard Relay-Free: 1. A, MICH 1:34.85; 2. A, FLOR 1:37.38; 3. A, OAKL 1:41.58; 4. B, FLOR 1:41.72; 5. A, EMU 1:42.02; 6. B, MICH 1:43.41; 7. B, EMU 1:48.69; 8. B, OAKL 1:51.19.

1500-yard Relay-Free: 1. A, FLOR 15:07.40; 2. A, MICH 15:18.14; 3. B, FLOR 15:22.56; 4. B, MICH 15:37.98; 5. A, EMU 15:49.49; 6. A, OAKL 15:50.94; 7. B, OAKL 16:33.65; 8. B, EMU 16:53.33.

400-yard Relay-Medley: 1. A, MICH 3:52.63; 2. A, FLOR 3:56.96; 3. A, OAKL 3:59.77; 4. B, MICH 3:59.90; 5. B, FLOR 4:01.13; 6. A, EMU 4:10.01; 7. B, OAKL 4:15.64; 8. B, EMU 4:28.93.

200-yard Relay-Medley: 1. A, MICH 1:46.82; 2. A, FLOR 1:49.27; 3. A, OAKL 1:50.28; 4. B, FLOR 1:50.44; 5. A, EMU 1:51.58; 6. B, MICH 1:52.96; 7. B, OAKL 1:56.41; 8. B, EMU 1:59.44.

1200-yard Relay-Medley: 1. A, MICH 13:58.94; 2. A, FLOR 14:02.37; 3. B, FLOR 14:03.87; 4. A, OAKL 14:11.60; 5. A, EMU 14:12.59; 6. B, MICH 14:31.55; 7. B, OAKL 14:47.29.

400-yard Relay-Free: 1. A, MICH 3:26.06; 2. A, FLOR 3:32.86; 3. B, FLOR 3:38.30; 4. A, OAKL 3:39.80; 5. B, MICH 3:40.20; 6. B, OAKL 3:50.38; 7. A, EMU 3:51.76; 8. B, EMU 4:08.87.

Contact: Justin Pfauth, Barb Cossman (734) 763-4423