Michigan
Big Ten Championships (Day 1)
U-M Seizes First-Day Lead at Big Ten Championships
2/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Behind strong efforts in the relays and the 50-yard freestyle, the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team grabbed the first-day lead at the Big Ten Conference Championships on Thursday (Feb. 15) at Indiana University. The Wolverines racked up 203 points for a 28-point edge over second-place Indiana (175) after six events. Penn State (167) is third and two-time defending champion Minnesota (112) is fourth.
Michigan's lone victory came in the final event, the 400-yard medley relay, as the team of Jennifer Crisman (Hudsonville, Mich./Jenison HS), Traci Valasco (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS), Annie Weilbacher (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales HS) and Samantha Arsenault (Peabody, Mass./Gardner HS) set meet and pool records with a time of 3:38.76, which also met the NCAA automatic qualifying standard.
Crisman set an all-time Big Ten record in the 100-yard backstroke as the leadoff leg of the 400 medley relay, clocking in at 53.87 to break her own mark of 54.05 swam in the 400 medley relay at the 2000 Big Ten meet.
In the first event final of the opening day, Crisman and Arsenault teamed with Missy Sugar (Newburgh, Ind./Evansville Day School) and Laura Kaznecki (Wolverine Lake, Mich./Western HS) to place second in the 200-yard freestyle relay, just 0.09 behind Indiana (1:31.07).
The Wolverines gained 62 points in the 50-yard freestyle as Crisman led a 2-3-4 finish with her NCAA automatic time of 22.52. Arsenault (22.87) and Kaznecki (23.19) swam NCAA consideration times to finish third and fourth, respectively, while Sugar placed eighth in an NCAA consideration time of 23.42 to round out U-M's four finalists in the event.
The three-day competition resumes Friday with preliminaries beginning at 11 a.m. and finals at 7 p.m. at the Counsilman and Billingsley Aquatics Center. Crisman will be shooting for her fourth straight title in the 100-yard backstroke.
Complete results are available at Indiana's site.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. MICHIGAN 203 2. Indiana 175 3. Penn State 167 4. Minnesota 112 5. Wisconsin 96 6. Northwestern 93 7. Purdue 71 8. Illinois 70 9. Michigan State 69 10. Iowa 66 11. Ohio State 46
Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 1)
(Preliminary time in parentheses if faster than finals time)
200-yard Freestyle Relay
1. Indiana 1:31.07# (Jenn Cristy, Anne Williams, Sarah Bowman, Susan Woessner) 2. Michigan 1:31.16# (Jennifer Crisman, Laura Kaznecki Samantha Arsenault, Missy Sugar)500-yard Freestyle
1. Ellen Stonebraker, Wisconsin 4:44.96* 6. Lori Eberwein, U-M 4:49.40# 7. Emily Fenn, U-M 4:52.13# (4:48.21#) 12. Mara Sveum, U-M 4:54.51 22. Lindsay Johnson, U-M 4:57.47 25. Jenay Karlson, U-M 4:58.34 39. Julie Kern, U-M 5:02.67200-yard Individual Medley
1. Katy Christoferson, Minnesota 2:00.22*$ 5. Sara Johnson, U-M 2:02.60# (2:02.35#) 7. Annie Weilbacher, U-M 2:03.82# (2:03.41#) 12. Lindsay Carlberg, U-M 2:03.76 17. Andrea Kurrle, U-M 2:05.30 29. Traci Valasco, U-M 2:07.67 50. Lisbeth Gobel, U-M 2:11.88 55. Gwen Weingart, U-M 2:13.4650-yard Freestyle
1. Jenn Cristy, Indiana 22.32*$ 2. Jennifer Crisman, U-M 22.52* 3. Samantha Arsenault, U-M 22.87# 4. Laura Kaznecki, U-M 23.19# 8. Missy Sugar, U-M 23.42# (23.40#) 14. Jennifer Arndt, U-M 23.56 34. Erin Abbey, U-M 23.85 41. Heather DeHainaut, U-M 24.04 64. Maya Mandel, U-M 25.17400-yard Medley Relay
1. Michigan 3:38.76*$! (Jennifer Crisman, Traci Valasco, Annie Weilbacher, Samantha Arsenault)One-Meter Diving
1. Summer Mitchell, MSU 299.35 11. Tealin Kelemen, U-M 277.75 22. Lindsey McElroy, U-M 205.95 25. Kelly Vander Kuyl, U-M 201.70 27. Theresa DeSitter, U-M 196.20 * NCAA automatic qualifying time # NCAA consideration time $ Counsilman and Billingsley Aquatics Center record ! Big Ten Championships meet record
Contact: Karen Simpson (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
