Weekly Release #5
12/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, Jan. 4 -- at Southern Cal (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1 p.m. PST (exhibition)
Friday, Jan. 7 -- at Stanford (Palo Alto, Calif.), 1 p.m. PST
Saturday, Jan. 8 -- at California (Berkeley, Calif.), 1 p.m. PST
This Week: California Competition
The ninth-ranked University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team will participate in three meets to wrap up its winter training in California. The Wolverines will start the stretch with an exhibition meet against No. 1 Southern Cal on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. PST in Los Angeles, Calif.
Following the exhibition meet, Michigan will compete in back-to-back dual meets against No. 5 Stanford and No. 8 California. U-M will face the Cardinal on Friday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. PST at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center in Palo Alto, Calif.. The Wolverines will then take on California on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. PST at the Spieker Aquatic Center in Berkeley, Calif.
Michigan vs. Stanford
Michigan's meet at Stanford will mark the sixth consecutive year the two collegiate powers have met. Overall, Stanford holds a 10-4 advantage in the all-time series, including the last four meetings. Last season, the Cardinal captured a 215.5-191.5 victory in Ann Arbor.
Michigan vs. California
The Wolverines have faced California nine times in the schools' history, with Michigan holding a 5-4 advantage. However, California has won the last four meetings, including a 129-114 victory in Berkeley, Calif., in the 2002-03 season.
Scouting the Opponents
Stanford-- This season, Stanford is ranked fifth nationally after starting the year 1-0 and placing first in the Speedo Cup on Nov. 18-20 in Long Beach, Calif. Head coach Skip Kenney is in his 24th season with the Cardinal. Stanford on the Web: http://gostanford.com.
California-- The No. 8 Golden Bears are in their 31st season under head coach Nort Thornton. California has started the season 3-0 with a first place finish at the University of Pacific Speedo Invitational and a fourth place showing at Texas Invitational. California on the Web: http://calbears.com.
Michigan Takes Fourth at the Texas Invitational
The No. 9 University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team finished fourth out of 12 teams at the Texas Invitational on Dec. 4-6 in Austin, Texas. On the first day of competition, Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) led the way with a victory in the 500-yard freestyle, out-touching Southern Cal's Ous Mellouli to win an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 4:15.32. Davis Tarwater (Knoxville, Tenn./The Webb School) and Chris DeJong (Holland, Mich./Holland HS) also turned in strong performances, finishing third and fifth, respectively, in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard individual medley.
On day two, the Wolverines claimed the title in the 800-yard freestyle relay with the team of Peter Vanderkaay, Tarwater, Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) and DeJong posting an NCAA automatic time of 6:24.88 to beat their competition by more than four seconds. DeJong also won the 100-yard backstroke, while Peter Vanderkaay added a pair of top-three finishes in the 400-yard individual medley and the 200-yard freestyle.
On the final day of the invitational, DeJong and Tarwater paved the way for Michigan with victories in the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard butterfly, respectively. Peter Vanderkaay added a second-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle, and the trio teamed up with Christian Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) to produce a second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Over the three-day event, the Wolverines compiled 471 points to trail only Texas (764.5), Arizona (702) and Southern Cal (497).
We're Going Live
If you're unable to make it to Canham Natatorium this season, you can keep up on all the U-M swimming and diving action as it is happening. MGoBlue.com will provide living scoring for both of Michigan's scheduled dual meets in 2004-05.
Straight A's
At the Texas Invitational, the Wolverines picked up seven NCAA automatic times and also earned a spot in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Peter Vanderkaay hit the 'A' standard in the 200-yard freestyle (1:35.29), the 500-yard freestyle (4:15.32), the 1,650-yard freestyle (14:47.99) and the 400-yard individual medley (3:45.74). Chris DeJong earned automatic times in the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes with times of 47.23 and 1:42.14, respectively. Davis Tarwater rounded out the NCAA automatic times with a qualifying time in the 200-yard butterfly (1:44.80). The three teamed with Alex Vanderkaay to post a time of 6:24.88 in the 800-yard freestyle relay, also good for an NCAA automatic berth.
Is That The Best You Can Do
Peter Vanderkaay, Davis Tarwater and Brendan Neligan (Briarwood, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy HS) all set personal records at the Texas Invitational. Vanderkaay clocked in at 44.34 to set a personal record and earn an NCAA consideration time in the 100-yard freestyle and also set a personal record in the 400-yard individual medley with an NCAA automatic time of 3:45.74. Tarwater set a personal record with an NCAA consideration time of 1:36.73 in the 200-yard freestyle and Neligan clocked in at 1:48.93 to set a personal record in the 200-yard butterfly.
Youth Improvement
A number of Michigan's freshman set personal bests at the Texas Invitational. Alex Vanderkaay shattered his previous best by nearly five seconds in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:52.59 and also set records in the 500-yard freestyle (4:24.05) and the 200-yard butterfly (1:46.75). Johnny Austermann (Huntington Woods, Mich./Berkley HS) also shattered his 1,650-yard freestyle time by 10 seconds, improving to 15:42.57. Austermann also set a personal record in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:30.77. Dane Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum HS) set three personal records at the Texas Invitational. Grenda broke his personal records in the 100-yard backstroke (50.78), the 200-yard backstroke (1:48.77) and the 400-yard individual medley (4:01.56).
The Michigan 500
Traditionally, the Wolverines have had a dominate swimmer in the 500-yard freestyle and have won the last eight Big Ten titles in the event. This season, Michigan has won the 500-yard freestyle at every meet so far. Brendan Neligan won the 500-yard freestyle at Eastern Michigan in 4:35.15 and freshman Alex Vanderkaay has won the event in U-M's next two meets with a time of 4:43.85 at Wisconsin and a time of 4:35.25 at Michigan State. Most recently, Peter Vanderkaay claimed the top spot in the 500-yard freestyle at the Texas Invite, clocking in with an NCAA automatic time of 4:15.32.
CSCAA Top 25 (12/16/04)
RANK, SCHOOL Points 1. Southern Cal 193 2. Auburn 191 3. Florida 186 4. Arizona 176 5. Stanford 170 6. Minnesota 161 7. Texas 149 8. California 138 9. MICHIGAN 136 Virginia 136 11. Tennessee 117 12. Kentucky 115 13. Indiana 104 14. North Carolina 92 15. Northwestern 90 16. Georgia 80 17. Purdue 70 18. Hawaii 66 19. Texas A&M 52 Wisconsin 52 21. Notre Dame 41 22. BYU 28 23. Pittsburgh 22 24. Florida State 13 25. Alabama 8
On the Horizon
The Wolverines will head face off against No. 5 Stanford and No. 8 California in a pair of top 10 dual meets. Michigan will take on the Cardinal on Friday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. PST in Palo Alto, Calif., before squaring off with California on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. PST in Berkeley, Calif.
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
