Wolverines Trail Bulldogs After Day One of Two-Day Meet

Friday, November 3

Athens, Ga.

6:00 PM

Michigan

Georgia

Wolverines Trail Bulldogs After Day One of Two-Day Meet

11/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving

Site: Athens, Ga. (Gabrielsen Natatorium)
U-M Team Standing: Georgia Leads 86-62 After Day 1
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, Nov. 4 -- Georgia (Athens, Ga.), 11:00 a.m.

ATHENS, Ga. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team ended day one of a two-day dual meet at Gabrielsen Natatorium down 86-62 to No. 5 Georgia on Friday (Nov. 3). Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) won two events, including a pair of NCAA consideration marks, and Emily Christy (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford Area Senior) added U-M's other individual finish with an NCAA consideration time of her own. Tonight's competition format was long-course meters.

The Wolverines fell behind early, as Georgia took the top spot in the first two races of the evening. The quartet of Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant), Mueller, Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) claimed runner-up in the opening event, the 400-meter medley relay, combining for a time of 4:20.73.

Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) just missed an NCAA 'B' mark with Michigan's top finish (3rd) in the 400-meter freestyle (4.24.71). U-M then reeled off two straight victories in consecutive events. Mueller posted a time of 2:37.24 in the 200-meter breaststroke, and Christy followed with an NCAA-consideration and first-place time of 2:18.51 in the 200-meter butterfly, finishing nearly four seconds ahead of the runner-up from UGA.

The pattern continued as the Bulldogs took home the next two wins, claiming the top two spots in the 200-meter backstroke and the win in the 50-meter freestyle. Kelly earned the top finish in the 200-meter backstroke (3rd) for the Maize and Blue, touching the wall in 2:20.60 for an NCAA consideration time. Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) also garnered an NCAA consideration time (2:21.34) with her fifth-place finish. Lindsey Smith placed runner-up in the 50-meter freestyle, clocking in half a second behind Georgia's Kara Lynn Joyce -- an Ann Arbor native -- at 56.88.

In the final individual event of the night, Mueller became the day's only two-event winner, taking first in the 400-yard IM (4:57.42). Her finish surpassed an NCAA 'B' mark.

U-M kept up the pattern of trading back-to-back wins, finishing first in the day's final race, the 200-meter freestyle relay. The foursome of Brady, Kelly, and sisters Hannah and Lindsey Smith came back to post a winning time of 1:45.60, surpassing an NCAA consideration mark.

Michigan takes on Georgia for day two of competition on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 4, 11 a.m.) at Gabrielsen Natatorium.

Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 763-4423