Shakespeare Named Big Ten Meet's Top Swimmer

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Senior All-American Shannon Shakespeare (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Kelvin SS) of the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team was announced Saturday night (Feb. 19) as Swimmer of the Championship at the 2000 Big Ten Conference Championships. The 17-time All-American turned in four record-breaking performances while winning three individual events and contributing to three relay victories to help the Wolverines to a runner-up team finish.

Shakespeare

On Thursday (Feb. 17), Shakespeare was a part of two records. First, she won the 200-yard individual medley in an all-time Big Ten record mark of 1:57.66. In doing so, she became just the sixth swimmer to win a Big Ten Championships event four consecutive years. She also was part of a first-place 400-yard medley relay squad that finished in a meet-record time of 3:39.80.

Friday's (Feb. 18) action witnessed Shakespeare set the all-time Big Ten record with her first-place performance in the 200-yard freestyle, finishing in 1:46.37. In relay competition, she was part of a team that finished second in the 200-yard medley relay, clocking in with an NCAA consideration time of 1:42.00.

On the third and final day of the Big Ten Championships (Saturday, Feb. 19), Shakespeare's record-setting week concluded with a win in the 100-yard freestyle in 48.90. Her preliminaries time of 48.80 broke the previous record set by former U-M swimmer and current undergraduate assistant coach Jennie Eberwein in 1998 (49.07). Shakespeare also helped the Wolverines win the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, with an NCAA consideration time of 3:19.44.

This marks the first time in her career that she has been named Swimmer of the Championship. In 1997, she was named co-Swimmer of the Year as a freshman.

Shakespeare led a group of five Michigan swimmers who earned all-conference honors by either winning an individual event or swimming on a victorious relay team. Michigan's 2000 All-Big Ten Conference honorees:

Name	First-Place Finishes
Shannon Shakespeare (6):	100-yard Freestyle 200-yard Freestyle 200-yard Individual Medley 200-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Medley Relay
Jennifer Crisman (4):	100-yard Backstroke 200-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Medley Relay
Melissa Sugar (3):	200-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Medley Relay
Laura Kaznecki (2):	200-yard Freestyle Relay 400-yard Freestyle Relay
Lindsay Carlberg (1):	400-yard Medley Relay

U-M's divers will return to action Friday through Sunday, March 10-12, at the NCAA Diving Zone Meet in Minneapolis, Minn. The swimmers' next meet is Thursday through Saturday, March 16-18, at the NCAA National Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. The Wolverines placed seventh in last year's NCAA meet.

Contact: Justin Pfauth (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

Players Mentioned

Lindsay Carlberg

Lindsay Carlberg

Laura Kaznecki

Shannon Shakespeare

Melissa Sugar

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