Michigan
Texas A&M Invitational
Wolverines Finish Second at Texas A&M Invitational
11/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) became the fourth Wolverine to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship, and Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) and Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) each won events to help solidify Michigan's runner-up placing.
For the third straight day, a U-M diver earned took second. Ellen Van Cleve's (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) score of 241.85 was good for runner-up in platform diving and led all Wolverines.
Michigan stormed out of the gates, placing three swimmers in the top five in the opening 1,650-yard freestyle. Brunemann posted a runner-up and NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 16:21.03. Her mark bettered her previous career high by over eight seconds. Meanwhile, Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) placed third in the event at 16:27.78 and Susan Gilliam (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles, Fla.) earned fifth at 16:43.92. Hanson and Gilliam both eclipsed NCAA 'B' standards.
After winning the 200-yard backstroke preliminary race, Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) delivered a sixth-place time (1:59.30) for U-M's top finish in the finals. Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) touched the wall right behind her for seventh (1:59.62). Both marks also surpassed NCAA 'B' standards.
Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) narrowly missed an NCAA automatic-qualifying mark in the next event, clocking in third with consideration time of 49.66 in the 100-yard freestyle. Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) also scored in the 'A' final with her seventh-place, consideration mark of 50.66.
Michigan captured wins in the final two individual races, including placing three in the top eight in the 200-yard butterfly. Mueller had the first of the two wins, beating the entire field by nearly two seconds in the 200-yard breaststroke with her consideration time of 2:14.69. Johnson followed that up, winning the 200-yard butterfly (1:59.28). Emily Christy (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford Area Senior) and Annie Stein (Longmont, Colo./Germantown Academy) also each scored in the butterfly 'A' final. Christy's consideration time of 2:00.24 was good for fourth, while Stein's mark of 2:05.66 earned her an eighth-place finish.
To complete the weekend, Michigan's 'A' quartet of Brady, Kelly, Hannah Smith and Lindsey Smith mustered up a third-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The foursome combined for a consideration clip of 3:20.32.
Following Thanksgiving break, the Wolverines will participate in two events. Valeria Silva (Lima, Peru/Alexander Von Humboldt) and redshirting senior Melissa Jaeger (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) will travel to West Lafayette, Ind., for the U.S. Open (Thur.-Sat., Nov. 30-Dec. 2) at Purdue University's Boilermaker Aquatic Center. The remaining athletes from the women's swimming and diving team will compete at the Eastern Michigan Invitational (Fri.-Sat., Dec. 1-2) at the Jones Natatorium in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Team Standings (Final)
1. Texas A&M 1,282.5 2. MICHIGAN 1,048 3. Southern Methodist 685 4. Louisiana State 409 5. Illinois 295.5 6. Pacific 169 7. Houston 100
Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 3)
(Prelim time in parentheses if faster than finals time)
1,650-yard Freestyle 1. Anja Carman, SMU 16:18.92* 2. Emily Brunemann, U-M 16:21.03* 3. Emily Hanson, U-M 16:27.78# 5. Susan Gilliam, U-M 16:43.92# 9. Annie Stein, U-M 17:01.97 200-yard Backstroke 1. Julia Wilkinson, Texas A&M 1:55.48* 6. Hannah Smith, U-M 1:59.30# 7. Kaitlyn Brady, U-M 1:59.62# 9. Margaret Kelly, U-M 1:59.98# 11. Justine Mueller, U-M 2:03.21 16. Valeria Silva, U-M 2:13.45 (2:07.16) 26. Michelle Uhlig, U-M 2:09.22 27. Annie Stein, U-M 2:09.26 31. Keenan Koss, U-M 2:17.13 100-yard Freestyle 1. Petra Klosova, SMU 48.84* 3. Lindsey Smith, U-M 49.66# 7. Margaret Kelly, U-M 50.66# 15. Leigh Cole, U-M 51.87 (51.73) 16. Hannah Smith, U-M 52.32 (51.35) 22. Claire Tyler, U-M 52.35 23. Noelle Martin, U-M 52.51 (52.10) 29. Catherine Nosal, U-M 52.90 200-yard Breaststroke 1. Justine Mueller, U-M 2:14.69# 10. Ashley McLaughlin, U-M 2:21.62 13. Valeria Silva, U-M 2:22.21 14. Susan Gilliam, U-M 2:23.93 22. Claire Tyler, U-M 2:30.94 23. Emily Brunemann, U-M 2:31.19 (2:25.40) 19. Michelle Uhlig, U-M 2:26.47 (prelim) 200-yard Butterfly 1. Payton Johnson, U-M 1:59.28# 4. Emily Christy, U-M 2:00.24# 8. Annie Stein, U-M 2:05.66 (2:05.27) 11. Keenan Koss, U-M 2:04.63 20. Emily Hanson, U-M 2:11.89 400-Yard Freestyle Relay 1. Texas A&M 'A' 3:17.23* 3. MICHIGAN 'A' 3:20.32# (Kaitlyn Brady, Margaret Kelly, Hannah Smith, Lindsey Smith) 7. MICHIGAN 'B' 3:26.83 (Leigh Cole, Claire Tyler, Noelle Martin, Payton Johnson) 13. MICHIGAN 'C' 3:32.24 (Susan Gilliam, Emily Brunemann, Emily Hanson, Justine Mueller) 18. MICHIGAN 'D' 3:39.13 (Keenan Koss, Valeria Silva, Ashley McLaughlin, Emily Christy) Platform Diving 1. Hali Saucier, LSU 294.30 2. Ellen Van Cleve, U-M 241.85 4. Katie Skendrovic, U-M 224.50 6. Elyse Lee, U-M 210.75 * NCAA automatic qualifying time # NCAA consideration time ^ NCAA zone diving qualifying mark
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Jim Richardson
On today ... "Emily Brunemann swam well in the mile, earning her automatic cut. Emily Hanson and Susan Gilliam also had very good swims. Emily swam one of her best times ever in the mile. Susan is coming back slowly to where she was. In the 200 backstroke, it was a lifetime best for Hannah Smith. There were good swims all around for everybody. Lindsey's (Smith) time in the 200 free was her best of the season. In the 200 breaststroke, Justine (Mueller) was very strong. In the 200 fly, Payton Johnson I think made the NCAA meet. That time (1:59.28) has always made the NCAA Championships. Our relay at the end was very good also; 3:20.32 was about what we went at Big Tens last year. I thought we swam tough all the way throughout the meet and in every single session. We didn't finish all that far behind No. 5 Texas A&M. They put 200 points on us yesterday in three events and we held really solid with them today. We outswam No. 9 SMU as a team. I am very pleased with the whole weekend and where we are right now."
On winning the final two individual races of the weekend ... "The thing we talked about was finishing every session and being tough. It didn't matter if it felt good or didn't feel good, we wanted to just to get out there and race the way we train to race. They did a great job and have a lot of pride now. I am really happy for them."
On junior Justine Mueller's performance throughout the weekend ... "She was really tough in terms of how she raced. I know she was a little disappointed in her 200 IM, but she came back and swum two really good 400 IMs. Making the automatic cut in the 400 IM was a great performance. She had a good 200 back and 200 breaststroke tonight and won the 200 breaststroke. She just swam tough."
Players Mentioned
