Bowman, Wolverines Guide Club Team to National Title
8/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
IRVINE, Calif. -- Under the direction of University of Michigan men's swimming coach Bob Bowman, Ann Arbor-based Club Wolverine, featuring eight current U-M men's swimmers, captured the men's title at the ConocoPhillips National Championships on Wednesday through Sunday (Aug. 3-7). Club Wolverine captured five individual titles and a pair of relay championships, including a U.S. Open record in the 800-meter freestyle relay, to edge Longhorn Aquatics with 399 total points.
Club Wolverine got off to a fast start on the first day of the championships with Klete Keller and U-M senior Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) cruising to a 1-2 finish in the 800-meter freestyle with times of 7:56.66 and 7:58.30, respectively.
On day two, U-M senior Chris DeJong (Holland, Mich./Holland HS) edged the competition by nearly two seconds to win his first national championship in the 200-yard backstroke. DeJong posted a time of 1:58.25 in the event to give Club Wolverine its second individual title of the meet. Michigan volunteer assistant coach Michael Phelps then made it two straight victories for the Wolverines with his win in the 200-meter butterfly, touching the wall in 1:55.26.
Club Wolverine continued to build its momentum on the third day of competition by capturing three of the top five places in the 200-meter freestyle. Phelps won his second event of the meet with a time of 1:46.40, while Keller finished in second at 1:46.87 and DeJong took fifth at 1:49.75. The Wolverines closed out day three by setting the U.S. Open record in the 800-meter freestyle relay. The team of Vanderkaay, Phelps, Keller and DeJong combined to post a time of 7:12.35, nearly 20 seconds faster than the second-place squad. Club Wolverine also took sixth in the event with the team of U-M sophomore Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS), U-M senior Davis Tarwater (Knoxville, Tenn./The Webb School), U-M sophomore Johnny Austermann (Huntington Woods, Mich./Berkley HS) and Jason Piercey recording a time of 7:36.31.
Keller started the fourth day with a victory in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:45.20 and was followed to the wall by former Wolverine Andrew Hurd (Oakville, Ontario/Trafalger HS) placing second at 3:52.38. After Tarwater took second in the 100-meter butterfly, touching the wall in 53.25, Club Wolverine won its second relay of the championships with its victory in the 400-meter freestyle. The squad of Peter Vanderkaay, Phelps, Tarwater and Benjamin Michaelson teamed up to post a time of 3:19.38. The team of DeJong, Keller, Alex Vanderkaay and Piercey took seventh at 3:26.43.
Club Wolverine cruised on the final day of competition, taking both third and fourth in the 400-meter medley relay. The team of DeJong, U-M senior Andrew Albright (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), Michaelson and Peter Vanderkaay took third at 3:43.26, while Phelps, U-M sophomore Grant Burtch (Holland, Mich./Holland HS), Tarwater and Keller finished fourth, touching the wall in 3:43.93.
Event Winners/U-M, Club Wolverine Finishes
(Preliminary time in parentheses if faster than finals time)
800-meter Freestyle
1. Klete Keller, Club Wolverine 7:56.66 2. Peter Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine/U-M 7:58.30 4. Matthew Patton, Mechlenburg Aquatic/U-M 8:05.30 18. Christian Sprang, Gcit Swimming/U-M 8:15.15 20. Johnny Austermann, Club Wolverine/U-M 8:15.53 23. Jason Piercey, Club Wolverine 8:16.41 49. Steven Hill, Club Wolverine 8:27.60
100-meter Freestyle
1. Rola Schoeman, Tucson Ford 48.38N 18. Benjamin Michaelson, Club Wolverine 50.95T 42. Andrew Hurd, Canada/U-M 51.67 46. Bobby Savulich, Scarlet Aquatic/U-M 51.71 47. Davis Tarwater, Club Wolverine/U-M 51.73 61. Evan Ryser, Katy Aquatics/U-M 52.27
200-meter Breaststroke
1. Matthew Lowe, Longhorn Aquatic 2:14.40T 15. Andrew Albright, Club Wolverine/U-M 2:20.34T 35. Grant Burtch, Club Wolverine/U-M 2:22.97
200-meter Backstroke
1. Chris DeJong, Club Wolverine/U-M 1:58.25T
200-meter Butterfly
1. Michael Phelps, Club Wolverine 1:55.26T 9. Matthew Patton, Mecklenburg Aquatic/U-M 2:00.55T 10. Alex Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine/U-M 2:00.88T 34. Curtis Dauw, St. Charles/U-M 2:04.44
200-meter Freestyle
1. Michael Phelps, Club Wolverine 1:46.40T 2. Klete Keller, Club Wolverine 1:46.87T 5. Chris DeJong, Club Wolverine/U-M 1:49.75T 9. Bobby Savulich, Scarlet Aquatic/U-M 1:50.23T 12. Davis Tarwater, Club Wolverine/U-M 1:51.01T (1:50.98) 21. Matthew Patton, Mecklenburg Aquatic/U-M 1:52.41T (1:52.27) 47. Evan Ryser, Katy Aquatics/U-M 1:53.83
400-meter Individual Medley
1. Robert Margalis, Saint Petersburg 4:18.66T 11. Alex Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine/U-M 4:28.00T (4:27.05)
800-meter Freestyle Relay
1. Club Wolverine 7:12.35O (Peter Vanderkaay, Michael Phelps, Klete Keller, Chris DeJong) 6. Club Wolverine 7:36.31 (Alex Vanderkaay, Davis Tarwater, Johnny Austermann, Jason Piercey)
100-meter Backstroke
1. Randall Bal, Stanford Swimming 54.09T
400-meter Freestyle
1. Klete Keller, Club Wolverine 3:46.20N 2. Andrew Hurd, Canada/U-M 3:52.38T 16. Matthew Patton, Mecklenburg Aquatic/U-M 4:01.76 (3:56.55) 17. Chris DeJong, Club Wolverine/U-M 3:56.13T 24. Christian Sprang, Gcit Swimming/U-M 4:02.88 44. Bobby Savulich, Scarlet Aquatics/U-M 4:03.23 59. Johnny Austermann, Club Wolverine/U-M 4:05.04
100-meter Breaststroke
1. Matthew Lowe, Longhorn Aquatic 1:01.64T 19. Andrew Albright, Club Wolverine/U-M 1:04.87 (1:04.72) 30. Grant Burtch, Club Wolverine/U-M 1:05.45
100-meter Butterfly
1. Rola Schoeman, Tucson Ford 53.08T 2. Davis Tarwater, Club Wolverine/U-M 53.25T 4. Benjamin Michaelson, Club Wolverine 53.43T (53.23)
400-meter Freestyle Relay
1. Club Wolverine 3:19.38 (Peter Vanderkaay, Michael Phelps, Davis Tarwater, Benjamin Michaelson) 7. Club Wolverine 3:26.34 (Chris DeJong, Klete Keller, Alex Vanderkaay, Jason Piercey)
200-meter Individual Medley
1. Timothy Liebhold, Wisconsin 2:01.75T
50-meter Freestyle
1. Ben Wildman-Tobriner, Stanford 22.13T 17. Benjamin Michaelson, Club Wolverine 23.32T 51. Evan Ryser, Katy Aquatics/U-M 24.18
1,500-meter Freestyle
1. Charles Peterson, Carteret Current 15:19.03T 4. Matthew Patton, Mecklenburg Aquatic 15:35.31T 11. Alex Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine/U-M 15:45.78T 16. Jason Piercey, Club Wolverine 15:48.72T 36. Christian Sprang, Gcit Swimming/U-M 16:10.85 41. Johnny Austermann, Club Wolverine/U-M 16:15.23 45. Steven Hill, Club Wolverine 16:21.75
400-meter Medley Relay
1. Tucson Ford 3:42.23 3. Club Wolverine 3:43.26 (Chris DeJong, Andrew Albrignt, Benjamin Michaelson, Peter Vanderkaay) 4. Club Wolverine 3:43.93 (Michael Phelps, Grant Burtch, Davis Tarwater, Klete Keller) O - indicates U.S. Open record N - indicates LC Nationals record T - indicates Olympic Trial cut
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
