Weekly Release #3
11/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Upcoming Schedule
Thu-Sat., Nov. 21-23 -- at Nike Cup (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 10 a.m./6 p.m.
Thu-Sat., Dec. 5-7 -- at U.S. Open (Minneapolis, Minn.)
This Week
The University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team will participate in the Nike Cup hosted by North Carolina on Thursday through Saturday (Nov. 21-23) at Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Michigan will compete against nine other squads, with preliminary events starting at 10 a.m and finals beginning at 6 p.m. each day.
At the Nike Cup
Michigan will be able to gauge where it stands with a diverse group of entrants at the Nike Cup this weekend. The Maize and Blue will line up with ACC opponents No. 11 North Carolina and N.C. State, the SEC's Kentucky and LSU, Syracuse and Virginia Tech from the Big East and Kansas from the Big 12. East Carolina and Kenyon round out the 10-team field. Results from the competition will be posted online following the completion of each session at www.tarheelblue.com.
Last Meet
The Maize and Blue fell to 0-2 on the season with a 238-132 loss to No. 15 North Carolina (Nov. 1-2) at Chapel Hills, N.C., however, Wolverine juniors Kelli Stein (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Waterson HS) and Anne Weilbacher (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis De Sales HS) teamed up to earn three NCAA consideration times in their respective events. Stein posted a victory in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:17.12) and a second-place result in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.86). Weilbacher earned a win in the 100-yard fly with a time of 55.58. Both swimmers helped Michigan's 400-yard medley relay team take first place by just two-tenths of a second over UNC's top squad. Diver Tealin Kelemen (Riverton, N.J./Moorestown Friends School) won the one- and three-meter diving events with NCAA zone diving qualifying scores in both events.
Speedy Delivery
At North Carolina, Wolverine junior Anne Weilbacher set a personal-best mark in the 200-yard butterfly for the second time in as many meets this season. Weilbacher's top time of 2:03.31 surpassed her previous result of 2:04.83, set in the first meet of the year against Florida (Oct. 26).
Freestyle Competition
Both Laura Kaznecki (Wolverine Lake, Mich./Western HS) and Traci Egnatuk (Albion, Mich./Albion Senior HS) set season bests in the 50-yard freestyle with times of 23.90 and 24.04, respectively, at UNC.
"T" Time
Junior diver Tealin Kelemen has taken individual titles in three of four events in which she has competed this season. Kelemen took first in the three-meter competitions against both Florida and North Carolina and won the title in the one-meter event against the Tar Heels.
Anyone Anyone
Wolverine junior Kelli Stein is among the top 20 in the nation in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. Stein's time of 1:03.86 in the 100-yard breaststroke ranks 14th in the nation, while her 2:17.12 mark in the 200 ranks 15th through events completed before Nov. 7.
She'll Be There for a Weil
Anne Weilbacher currently holds the nation's 10th-fastest result in the 100-yard butterfly, as of Nov. 7, with her time of 55.58, achieved in the Wolverines' last meet against North Carolina.
Just to Relay Some Information
Michigan has three top-10 relay teams in the Nov. 7 listing of the nation's best times. Both its 200- and 400-yard medley relay squads hold the eighth best time in the nation this season at 1:44.79 and 3:46.24, respectively. The Maize and Blue 800-yard freestyle relay team's time of 7:37.73 is currently ninth in the country.
Where Plummeting Towards the Earth Is a Good Thing
Michigan's divers have shown steady improvement in Michigan's two meets this season. Sophomore Alexis Goolik (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) set a personal best and had an NCAA zone diving qualification score with her mark of 267.70 in one-meter event at UNC. Goolik's also surpassed her personal best with a score of 266.95 in the one-meter diving competition. Junior Emily Koglin (Heyworth, Ill./Normal University HS) saw her scores improve in both the one- and three-meter events in just her second meet after a sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Leaders and Some of the Best
The Wolverines have named two captains for the 2002-03 season, as senior Erin Abbey and junior Anne Weilbacher have been selected to lead the Maize and Blue. Abbey earned All-America Honorable Mention last season, while Weilbacher is one of the most decorated Wolverines, with four NCAA All-America Honorable Mentions.
Head Coach Jim Richardson
Michigan head coach Jim Richardson is in his 19th season at the helm of the Wolverines. Over that time, his teams have dominated the Big Ten Conference, winning 12 consecutive league titles from 1987-98 and adding the team's 13th in 2001. During the 1998 season, Richardson recorded his 100th career dual-meet victory, against Indiana University on Jan. 30. Since he took over the program in 1985-86, Michigan has finished in the NCAA top 10 all but six years. In 1995, Michigan finished in second place as a team and followed that in 1996 by hosting the NCAA Championships and finishing third.
Let's Look at the Polls
The Michigan Wolverines received votes in the most recent College Swim Coaches Association of America Top 25 dual meet poll, released Nov. 11. The Wolverines have competed against two squads in the top 11 -- No. 3 Florida and No. 11 North Carolina -- while the Big Ten Conference boasts a total of four teams in the poll.
CSCAA Top 25 Dual Meet Poll (Nov. 11)
Rank, Team Pts. Prev 1. Auburn (8) 200 1 2. Georgia 190 T2 3. Florida 183 5 4. Stanford 179 T2 5. Southern Methodist 166 6 6. Texas 156 7 7. Southern Cal 151 8 California 151 4 9. Arizona 136 9 10. Virginia 128 10 11. North Carolina 109 15 12. UCLA 108 12 13. Wisconsin 105 18 14. Indiana 102 13 15. Notre Dame 79 14 16. Arizona State 75 11 17. Penn State 70 16 18. Maryland 66 20 19. Purdue 49 NR 20. Missouri 40 21 21. South Carolina 33 25 22. Washington 29 NR 23. Florida State 23 NR Texas A&M 23 25 25. Rutgers 22 24 Also receiving votes: Alabama, MICHIGAN
On the Horizon
The Maize and Blue is not scheduled to compete again until Jan. 3, 2003, when it races at the Rainbow Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii, as part of its annual winter training trip. However, several members of the Wolverines' squad will participate at the U.S. Open (Dec. 5-7) held by USA Swimming in Minneapolis, Minn.
Contact: Andrew Ladd (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
