Michigan
Florida
Michigan Unable to Stay With Florida in Season Opener
10/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Result: Florida 135, Michigan 106
Records: U-M (0-1), Florida (1-0)
Next U-M Meet: Friday, Oct. 20 -- at Eastern Michigan (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 6 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team opened its 2006-07 season with a 135-106 defeat at the hands of the University of Florida Saturday (Oct. 14) at Canham Natatorium. The loss marked the first time in 38 years that the men have opened their season with a loss. The Wolverines were able to take the top time or score in three of 13 the events. Michigan now holds a 5-2 all-time record against the Gators.
Michigan opened the meet with a second-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay. The team of junior Dane Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum), freshman Scott Spann (Austin, Texas/West Lake), junior Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams) and sophomore Evan Ryser (Katy, Texas/James E. Taylor) touched the wall in 3:22.51.
Senior Jon Donadee (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) led the Wolverine divers on the one-meter springboard with a 258.30, good for third place, while sophomore Kyle Schroeder (Milan, Mich./Milan) led Michigan in the three-meter diving with a runner-up score of 277.05.
Sophomore Bobby Savulich (Edison, N.J./Saint Joseph) earned Michigan's first event win of the day when he placed first in the 100-yard freestyle, clocking a time of 45.76.
Sophomore Matt Patton (Matthews, N.C./Butler) and freshman Charlie Houchin (Raleigh, N.C./William G. Enloe) both had strong showings in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing first and second, respectively. Patton finished in 4:28.21 with Houchin right behind (4:28.46).
Scott Spann had a strong debut and earned his first collegiate victory by taking first in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:02.39.
In the final event, with Florida exhibitioning its entries, Michigan's 400-yard freestyle relay team of sophomore Bobby Savulich, freshman Chris Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant), freshman Andre Schultz (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Palmares) and freshman Charlie Houchin clocked a time of 3:02.35 to finish first. Florida's top team had a slightly quicker time (3:01.71).
The Wolverines will travel east to Ypsilanti next Friday (Oct. 20) to face Eastern Michigan University. The meet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Players Mentioned
