Weekly Release #1
10/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 27 -- vs. California (Canham Natatorium), 5 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 28 -- vs. Michigan State (Canham Natatorium), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5 -- vs. Georgia (Canham Natatorium), 1 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 11 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 3 p.m.
This Week
The University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team begins its 32nd season of varsity competition this weekend at home in Canham Natatorium. The Wolverines will host California on Thursday (Oct. 27) at 5 p.m. and Michigan State on Friday (Oct. 28) at 6 p.m.
Scouting the Opponents
California -- Michigan faces a challenging opponent in the California Golden Bears. California held a 9-2 overall record last season and finished third in the Pac-10 and ninth at the 2005 Swimming and Diving NCAA Championships. California returns 17 letterwinners from last season's squad, including nine NCAA All-Americans. Nine of California's returning letterwinners competed nationally and internationally over this past summer. Its freshman class includes five U.S. Olympic Trial qualifiers and two swimmers with international experience, including world record holder Jessica Hardy, who set a world record in the 100-breaststroke at the XI FINA World Championships in Montreal and Jessica Hardy, who placed sixth in the 100-backstroke the United States at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey. Two other California swimmers, Ashley Chandler and Sherry Tsai, also swam at the World University Games, while current Golden Bear Emily Silver swam with Hardy at the XI FINA World Championships. Head coach Teri McKeever is in her 14th year as head coach of the California women's swimming and diving program. McKeever served as an assistant coach on the U.S. swim team at the 2004 Olympic Games and was the first woman ever to do so. She has led the Golden Bears to eight straight Top 10 national finishes, including the eighth-place at last season's National Championships in West Lafayette, Ind. California on the Internet: www.calbears.com.
Michigan State -- Michigan will face the Michigan State Spartans on Friday (Oct. 28). The Spartans have had only one other meet this season, defeating Grand Valley State 145-71 on October 21. The Spartans return 23 letterwinners from last year's squad that finished 1-8 (0-5 Big Ten). Eve Brusie, Courtney Ellabargar, Rachael Hagerman, Tesla Hughes, and Katrina Kniff are the top returners for the Spartans. Head coach Matt Gianiodis is in his eighth year with the Spartans and in his second season as head coach. Michigan State on the Internet: www.msuspartans.com.
All-Time Dual Meet Record Against California and Michigan State
The Wolverines have dropped two out of three dual meets all-time against the Golden Bears. California defeated Michigan in the 1990-91 season (197-103) and in the 1996-97 season (170-130). The Wolverines won in the 1994-95 season 161-135. Against Michigan State, the Wolverines hold a dominating record of 16-2 all-time. The Wolverines have won every meet against the Spartans since 1985-86, including last season's 194-88 win on October 27 in East Lansing, Michigan.
U-M in Season Openers
The Wolverines will look to win their 15th season opener over the last 20 years with the opening dual meet against California on Thursday night (Oct. 27). Since the 1986-87 season, Michigan has posted a 14-6 record in season-opening dual meets, which includes one tri-meet that was held in 2000-01 against Iowa and Wisconsin. Last season's dual meet opener, the Wolverines dropped a 164-131 decision to Florida at Canham Natatorium, which was one of only two loss in the regular season for the Wolverines.
U-M 15th in CollegeSwimming.com Poll
The Wolverines hold the 15th spot in the most recent CollegeSwimming.com Division I poll. Michigan's opponent, California, holds the eighth spot. Sixteen Division I assistant and head coaches vote to determine the rankings and polls that are put out bi-weekly. CollegeSwimming.com is in its fifth year of existence and works to enhance knowledge of college swimming programs throughout the country. CollegeSwimming.com is in conjunction with the CSCAA. Florida (No. 1), Auburn (No. 2) and Georgia (No. 3) round out the top three.
2004-05 Season in Review
The University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team provided many stellar individual and group performances during the 2004-05 season. The Wolverines earned their third straight winning season after posting a 4-2 record overall and a 3-1 record in the Big Ten. Last season, Michigan placed fourth at the Big Ten Conference championships and finished in a tie with Texas A&M for 14th-place at the NCAA Championships.
The highest ranking the Wolverines held in the CSCAA Top 25 Dual Meet Poll during the season was 13th, which the Maize and Blue held for three consecutive weeks (Jan. 11-Feb. 1). The unranked Wolverines began the season at home against Florida on Oct. 16, but dropped the meet 164-131 despite finishing the meet with five first-place finishes.
In their first road meet of the season, the Wolverines took first place in 12 of the 14 events at Michigan State on October 27 on their way to a 159-133 victory. Susan Gilliam (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles) swept the distance freestyle events, finishing nearly 29 seconds ahead of the second-place holder in the 1,000-yard freestyle, with a time of 9:52.62.
The Maize and Blue finished in fifth place out of eight teams at the Boilermaker Challenge (Nov. 5-6). Gilliam ensured her trip to the 2005 NCAA Championships after earning qualifying times in both the 500-yard freestyle (4:45.02) and 1650-yard freestyle (16:20.85) races. The Wolverines then won their second home meet on Nov. 19 with a 126-112 win over Ohio State. Gilliam (500-yard and 1,000-yard freestyle), Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) (100-yard and 200-yard freestyle) and Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasent) (50-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke) each took first place in two individual events.
The Wolverines faired well in the Indiana Invitational (Nov. 19-21), placing second out of eight teams in the three-day event. Gilliam and Brady nabbed first place finishes each day. The Wolverines won their first invitational of the year at the Eastern Michigan Invitational with an outstanding 1,091 points, besting second-place Eastern Michigan's 976 points. Brady set a Jones Natatorium pool-record time of 2:01.45 in the 200-yard backstroke on the first day. Both Ellen Van Cleve (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), in the three-meter, and Elyse Lee (Albion, Mich./Albion), in the one-meter springboard, earned individual titles for the first time.
Two weeks after a 209-170 exhibition win over Notre Dame, the Wolverines defeated Illinois and Notre Dame at the Notre Dame Invitational tri-meet (Jan. 14-15) 204-163. Michigan dropped a 168-132 decision at No. 23-ranked Northwestern (Jan. 22). Brady, Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) and Amy McCullough each won two individual races. The Wolverines defeated Notre Dame 161-138 in the season finale at home on Jan. 28. McCullough captured a top finish in her final race at Canham Natatorium with a season-best time of 1:51.31 in the 200-yard freestyle. Alexis Goolik, in her final appearance as well, surpassed NCAA zone qualifying standards in the one-meter board (313.50) and the three-meter board (300.30).
The Wolverines claimed fourth place at the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind. (Feb. 16-19). The Maize and Blue won eight Big Ten titles during the four-day event. Brady won the 50-yard freestyle and Smith had wins in both the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle races, including a record-breaking time of 1:45.26 in the 200-yard freestyle. Mueller attained a team-best and Big Ten Championship-best three individual titles of her own. She won the 200-yard breaststroke and set pool record times in both the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medleys. The Michigan relay teams grabbed the 400-yard and 800-yard freestyle relay titles. Mueller earned Big Ten Conference Swimmer of the Championship and Freshman of the Year honors.
Michigan finished in a tie for 14th-place at the NCAA Championships in West Lafayette, Ind. (March 17-19). The quartet of Brady, McCullough, Abby Seskevics (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven), and Smith held the best finish for Michigan, placing fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Smith gave Michigan its only individual All-America honor in the 200-yard freestyle, while the 200-yard freestyle relay quartet earned All-America honors in both the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays.
Brady (50-yard freestyle), McCullough (200-yard freestyle) and Mueller (200-yard and 400-yard individual medley) each earned NCAA Honorable Mention All-America Honors.
Going International ...
Two members of the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team competed at the 2005 U.S. World Championship Trials at IUPUI's University Natatorium (April 1-6). Freshman Justine Mueller qualified for the finals in three events, including a 10th-place finish in the 200-meter individual medley, and was named to this summer's World University Games roster. Sophomore Lindsey Smith qualifed for "C" finals in a pair of freestyle events.
Mueller's top finish came on the first day of the trials (Friday, April 1), as she touched in 10th in the 200-meter IM at 2:16.74.
At the 23rd World University Games (Aug. 13), Mueller touched the wall in 2:21.48 to earn seventh place in the "B" final (15th overall) after clocking in at 2:20.91 in her preliminary heat.
The World University Games, or "Universiade," is an Olympic-style sporting and cultural festival for student-athletes. Approximately 9,000 athletes from 170 countries participate in 14 different sports throughout the competition. The inaugural Universiade took place in Turin, Italy, in 1959 and the Games have been staged in a different city every two years since then. The United States hosted the 17th World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1993.
Welcome to Ann Arbor
Michigan welcomes nine newcomers to its 2005-06 roster. Aubriana Ard (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South), Courtney Beyer (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Los Altos), Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy), Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial), Melissa Karner (Dundee, Mich./Dundee), Noelle Martin (Winston-Salem, N.C./Reynolds), Lori Morton (Portage, Mich./Central), Christine Nichols (Fairfax, Va./Woodson), and Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) all join the U-M swimming and diving program this season.
Introducing the Captains ...
The Wolverines have named two captains for the 2005-06 season. Senior Elsa Larson (Portland, Ore./Lincoln) and junior Lindsey Smith have been selected by their teammates to lead the team as captains in the 2005-06 season. Both swimmers also garner the accolade for the first time in their respective careers at Michigan. Larson, Michigan's most experienced breaststroker, is one of three returning Wolverines in their fourth year at Michigan. Larson was one of two Wolverines, graduated senior Tracy Egnatuck being the other, to earn CSCAA Honorable Mention Academic All-America honors in 2005. Smith had the best showing of any Wolverine at the NCAA Championships last season, earning the only individual NCAA All-America honor (200-yard freestyle) for the Wolverines last season to go along with her two relay NCAA All-America honors (200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay). Her sister, Hannah Smith, is a freshman swimmer on this year's Wolverine squad.
The Leader of the Wolverines
Michigan head swimming coach Jim Richardson is entering his 21st year at the helm of the Wolverines. Over that time, his teams have dominated the Big Ten, winning 12 consecutive league titles from 1987-98 and adding the team's 13th in 2001 and 14th in 2004. Since taking over the program in 1985-86, Michigan has finished in the NCAA top 10 all but nine years. In 1995, U-M finished in second place as a team and followed that in 1996 by hosting the NCAA Championships and finishing third. He holds a career record of 142-47 in dual meet competiton, including an impressive 92-12 mark in Big Ten action.
Richardson has coached seven individual national champions, 121 NCAA All-Americans and 150 Honorable Mention All-Americans. On the conference level, he has guided 139 individual and relay champions and has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year six times. A two-time NCAA Coach of the Year (1993, '95), Richardson's athletes have excelled in the classroom as well as the pool, with 22 CSCAA Academic All-Americans and 179 Academic All-Big Ten nominations.
On the Horizon ...
Michigan will stay at home to face Georgia at Canham Natatorium on Saturday, Nov. 5. The dual meet with the Bulldogs is slated to start at 1 p.m. in Ann Arbor.
Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
