Weekly Release #13
3/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Thu-Sat., March 23-25 -- at NCAA Championships (Minneapolis, Minn.), Noon/7 p.m. CST
Wolverines Head to NCAA Championships
The top meet of the season is upon the eighth-ranked University of Michigan men' s swimming and diving team. The 2000 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving National Championships are Thursday through Saturday (March 23-25) at the University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The three-day affair will feature the nation's top intercollegiate swimmers and divers who have met qualifying marks during the season in order to advance to the NCAA's top meet of the year.
There is a limit of 270 participants to compete in the Championships, with all swimmers and relay teams who have achieved NCAA automatic consideration time given automatic berths. Divers qualified for the event through top performances in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships (March 10-11). Due to this being an Olympic year, the format for the event is short-course meters, which is the first time ever that it will not be swum in the traditional yard-format.
Six Wolverines Among NCAA Qualifiers
Six Michigan swimmers have qualified for the NCAA Championships March 23-25 in Minneapolis, Minn., while two others are alternates. Senior Mike McWha (Windsor, Ont./Kennedy Collegiate Institute), juniors Chris Thompson (Roseburg, Ore./Reoseburg HS) and Scott Werner (Haymarket, Va./Paul VI HS), sophomore Tim Siciliano (San Marcos, Calif./San Marcos HS) and freshman Tony Kurth (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales HS) each qualified in three events, while sophomore Jeff Hopwood (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto HS) each qualified in two events. Siciliano is the defending national champion in the 400 IM.
Among the alternates are freshmen Garrett Mangieri (Closter, N.J./Mercersburg [Pa.] Academy), in the 200-meter freestyle, and Josh Hack (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS), in the 200 breaststroke. No divers or relay teams qualified for the three-day event.
Michigan's NCAA Swimming Qualifiers
| Jeff Hopwood | 100 Breaststroke 200 Breaststroke |
| Tony Kurth | 100 Freestyle 100 Butterfly 400 Individual Medley |
| Mike McWha | 200 Freestyle 400 Freestyle 1,500 Freestyle |
| Tim Siciliano | 400 Freestyle 400 Individual Medley 1,500 Freestyle |
| Chris Thompson | 200 Freestyle 400 Freestyle 1,500 Freestyle |
| Scott Werner | 100 Breaststroke 200 Breaststroke 400 Individual Medley |
Wolverines at Last Year's NCAA Championships
At the 1999 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, Michigan placed five NCAA All-Americans, four Honorable Mention All-America honorees, and one NCAA individual champion -- Tim Siciliano in the 400-yard individual medley -- on way to an eighth-place team finish (169 points). Auburn placed first with 467.5 points.
Returning All-Americans
Michigan features four returning NCAA All-Americans from last season, as one of last year's All-Americans, Tom Malchow, has graduated. Leading the field this year is sophomore Tim Siciliano, a three-time All-American and NCAA individual champion from last year. Junior Chris Thompson was a two-time All-American, while teammates Jeff Hopwood and Scott Werner also earned All-American honors in 1999.
Michigan 1999 Returning NCAA All-Americans
| Name | Event (Place) |
| Tim Siciliano (3): | 500 Freestyle (tie-4th) 1,650 Freestyle (3rd) 400 Individual Medley (1st) |
| Chris Thompson (2): | 500 Freestyle (3rd) 1,650 Freestyle (2nd) |
| Jeff Hopwood (1): | 200 Breaststroke (4th) |
| Scott Werner (1): | 200 Breaststroke (3rd) |
Also returning is two-time NCAA Honorable Mention All-American Mike McWha, who earned the honors in both an individual and relay event. He was 15th in the 1,650-yard freestyle, while teaming with Thompson, Siciliano and Malchow in the 800-yard freestyle relay to place 12th.
Diver Falls Short in Qualifying for NCAA Championships
Michigan senior tri-captain Josh Trexler (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook HS) fell short in his attempt to qualify for the NCAA National Championships after competing in the NCAA Zone C Diving Meet (March 10-11) at Minnesota's University Aquatic Center.
Trexler was the lone U-M participant in the two-day affair, placing fifth in the platform diving with a score of 448.10, while placing eighth on both the one- and three-meter springboards with scores of 459.45 and 471.35, respectively. He was seeking to return to the NCAA Championships, having earned All-America Honorable Mention status last year in the three-meter competition.
Who's Hot
Michigan's Chris Thompson is an on incredible hot streak of late, displaying a level of consistency beyond comparison during his last four meets. Over the four meets -- Big Ten Championships (Feb. 24-26), a three-team dual meet against Ohio State and Michigan State (Feb. 4-5), vs. Indiana (Jan. 29), and at Purdue (Jan. 22) -- Thompson has won two events at each meet for a total of eight first-place performances over his last four. Also noteworthy is the fact that he won the 500-yard freestyle in all four meets. He was first in both the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles at the Big Ten Championships, while taking both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyles against the Buckeyes and Spartans. Thompson won the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles against the Hoosiers, while taking the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyles at Purdue.
Scott Werner has been on a remarkable tear of his own, turning in five first-place efforts in his last three meets -- Big Ten Championships (Feb. 24-26), a three-team dual meet against Ohio State and Michigan State (Feb. 4-5), vs. Indiana (Jan. 29). Werner was first in the 200-yard individual medley at the Big Ten meet, while winning two events each vs. the Buckeyes and Spartans (100 breast, 200 breast) and against the Hoosiers (200 breast, 200 individual medley).
Michigan Claims 31st Big Ten Crown
Michigan added another important accolade to its swimming and diving tradition by winning the 2000 Big Ten Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, held Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 24-26) in front of near-capacity crowds at Canham Natatorium. The Wolverines finished with 682 team points in winning its first conference title since 1997. Michigan's first-place team finish gives the Wolverines an impressive 31 conference titles -- eight more than second-best Indiana -- in the 90-year history of the Big Ten Championships.
Canham Natatorium pool records were set in 11 of the 18 swimming events during the meet. Michigan set four pool records -- Chris Thompson in the 500-yard freestyle (4:20.31) and 1,650 freestyle (14:50.86), Tony Kurth in the 200 individual medley (1:47.26) and Tim Siciliano in the 400 IM (3:49.16). Kurth's and Siciliano's marks were set during prelims.
All-Big Ten Conference Selections
Chris Thompson led the way as four Michigan swimmers 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
| Chris Thompson (2): | 500 Freestyle 1,650 Freestyle |
| Jeff Hopwood (1): | 100 Breaststroke |
| Tim Siciliano (1): | 400 Individual Medley |
| Scott Werner (1): | 200 Individual Medley |
Urbanchek Named Big Ten Coach of the Year
After guiding his team to the Big Ten championship, Michigan head swimming coach Jon Urbanchek was named Big Ten Swimming Coach of the Year. This is the seventh time in his career at U-M that he has received the award. His previous honors were received for the 1987, '90, '91 (co), '93, '94 and '95 seasons.
A Look at the Coaches
In his 18th season leading the Michigan men's swimming and diving team, head coach Jon Urbanchek holds an incredible 137-22 (.862) overall dual record while setting the standard for greatness with an 82-4 (.953) record within the Big Ten. He has coached U-M to 12 Big Ten Conference championships, including 10 consecutive efforts from 1986-95. Urbanchek was named the 1995 NCAA Swimming Coach of the Year after guiding the Wolverines to the NCAA title, and he has served as an assistant coach for four U.S. Olympic teams (1984-88-92-96).
Diving coach Dick Kimball is currently in his 41st season at Michigan. A 1964, 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic diving coach, Kimball was named the 1984 men's and women's NCAA Diving Coach of the Year. He is also a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree for the women (1984-87-88) and men (1990).
Assistant coach Eric Namesnik is in his third complete season as a coach at U-M after swimming for the Maize and Blue from 1989 through 1993. Namesnik is a two-time Olympic silver medalist (1992, 1996) in the 400-meter individual medley. He also earned the prestigious honor of being named to the USA Swimming Team of the Century in the 400-meter individual medley.
Also on staff is assistant coach Kit Raulerson, who is currently in his second year with the Wolverines. He came to Michigan after coaching two teams to Southern Zone championship titles in North Carolina (1997, 1998).
Wolverines Ranked Eighth in CSCAA Poll
In the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America Poll (3/9/00), the Michigan men's swimming and diving team is ranked eighth in the country. The next poll will be released March 23, 2000.
CSCAA Men's Division I Top 25 (3/9/00)
School Pts. 1. Texas 293 2. Auburn 282 3. Stanford 264 4. Arizona 263 5. California 255 6. Southern Cal 219 7. Virginia 205 8. MICHIGAN 204 9. Arizona State 183 10. Tennessee 180 11. Florida 179 12. Georgia 166 13. Minnesota 158 14. Texas A&M 137 15. Southern Methodist 136 16. Nebraska 119 17. Penn State 114 18. Hawaii 113 19. Harvard 72 20. Louisiana State 69 21. North Carolina 45 22. Florida State 43 23. North Carolina State 34 24. Iowa State 28 25. South Carolina 24
Contact: Justin Pfauth (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
