2003-04 SDM at NCAA Championships -- Day 3 Quotes
3/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
N O T E S
In his 22nd and final year as the head man of the Michigan men's swimming and diving program, Jon Urbanchek guided eight swimmers and a diver to fifth place with 271 points. It marked the first time since 1996 the Wolverines finished in the nation's top five. At the 1996 NCAA meet, Michigan place third. All told, Urbanchek has led his Wolverines to eight top-five national finishes and 16 top-10 performances, including a national championship in 1995.
| | Saying farewell: Urbanchek led U-M to fifth place in his final NCAA Championships. |
All nine Wolverines who qualified for the NCAA Championships earned at least one All-America honorable mention award, meaning all nine athletes played a part in Michigan's 271 points.
Over the three days of competition at the NCAA Championships seven Michigan swimmers combined for 21 All-America honors. The 21 All-America citations smashed last year's three-day total of nine earned by five Michigan athletes. The six swimmers are Dan Ketchum, Andrew Hurd, Chuck Sayao, Christian Vanderkaay, Davis Tarwater, Chris DeJong and Peter Vanderkaay.
Peter Vanderkaay became the 15th swimmer in NCAA history to double in the equivalent of the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles. Those 15 swimmers have combined to accomplish the feat 25 times. Northwestern's Richard Howell is the only other swimmer to sweep the metric version of the races, in 1924.
Vanderkaay became just the third Wolverine to complete the individual distance sweep, winning the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyles over the three-day NCAA Championships. Tom Dolan (1994-96) and Marcel Wouda (1993-95) each completed the 500- and 1,650-yard sweep, with Dolan accomplishing the feat twice, in 1995 and '96, and Wouda capturing both titles in 1993.
With individual victories in the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyles and a win as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay team, Vanderkaay became the first Wolverine to win three NCAA titles since 1997, when John Piersma (1994-97) posted victories in the 200- and 500-freestyles and anchored the national champion 800 free relay team.
Vanderkaay became the 10th Wolverine in the 83-year history of the program to win at least two individual championships at a single NCAA meet. The last was John Piersma in 1997. Tom Dolan and Gustavo Borges hold the school record of three individual event wins, with Dolan doing so in 1995 and '96 and Borges tripling in '95.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Jon Urbanchek
On his final NCAA Championships ... "Considering we haven't finished that high since 1996, this is really sweet. Having only eight swimmers and a diver and to do what we did is great. We got a lot of mileage out of everybody and squeezed every ounce of energy out of everybody. I think the boys wanted to do well for me, too. I could feel that on the pool deck. I think that helped, we had that extra power. This was really, truly one of my best years."
On his three-minute standing ovation during the award ceremony of the 1,500-meter freestyle ... "I don't like all the limelight, but it finally sunk in that I was leaving. After the warm ovation from the crowd and handing the winning award to Peter (Vanderkaay), it finally sunk it that this was my last meet. I feel a lot of people appreciated me over the years. There is never a good time to leave, but I chose this time and I am going to honor it. It felt good to go out with tremendous support from the swimming community."
On Peter Vanderkaay ... "He is a workhorse. He is amazing. I think he is in line to be the next Michigan great. I will feel much joy to watch him develop into one of the best Michigan swimmers of all-time. There is a wealth of talent coming back on this team, and I think the next coach can build a tremendous team around that returning core of guys."
Senior Captain Dan Ketchum
On winning his first NCAA championship, in Friday's 800-meter freestyle relay ... "It's about time. I have had way too many second and thirds and it was the way I wanted to do it, on the relay. I think it means more to me that winning an individual. I have been wanting to win that relay since my freshman year."
On getting head coach Jon Urbanchek a top-five finish in their last year together ... "To have only nine guys here and finish fifth speaks to his ability as a coach. He pulls the best out of all of us."
On Jon Urbanchek ... "He is the reason where I am in my swimming development. He told me before I came here that he would put me in position to make the Olympic Team, and that is where I am right now. The rest is up to me. He has done everything in his power to make me into the swimmer I am today."
Sophomore Peter Vanderkaay
On having head coach Jon Urbanchek as the 1,500-meter award presenter ... "I was very happy that I could win it for Coach Urbanchek. He really brings out the best in us. He brought out the best in me this year. I am very thankful that I had the opprotunity to swim for him in these last two years."
On being mentioned with some of the Michigan greats ... "I know I am not there yet. It is a great compliment, but I have a long way to go before I can be compared to Tom Dolan, Tom Malchow, Gustavo Borges and all the other great swimmers that have come through this program."
On what this means heading into the summer swimming season ... "It gives me a little more confidence. Winning the 1,500 here and the 400 earlier does nothing but help my confidence heading into the trials for the USA Olympic Team."
On his performances this weekend ... "I was just happy to go in there and get the points for Michigan. We are in a dogfight to stay in the top five, so I just wanted to put us in the best position possible. We are all trying very hard to make this the best meet we can for Coach Urbanchek."
Players Mentioned
