Michigan Produces Stellar First Day at EMU Invitational

Friday, December 1

Ypsilanti, Mich.

6:00 PM

Michigan

Eastern Michigan Invitational

Michigan Produces Stellar First Day at EMU Invitational

12/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team produced five wins in six swimming events Friday night (Dec. 1) in day one of the Eastern Michigan Invitational at Jones Natatorium. Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy), Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter), Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) and Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) all had wins for the Wolverines.

Michigan stormed out of the blocks, going 1-2-3 in the first two events of the evening. Brunemann started things off with a first-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:40.16), shattering a four-year-old pool record along the way. Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) and Susan Gilliam (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles, Fla.) finished second and third, respectively, in the event. Both Brunemann and Hanson surpassed NCAA 'B' standards.

Hannah Smith, Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Mueller then went 1-2-3 in the 200-yard backstroke to help U-M take command. Smith's top time of 1:59.69 broke a pool record and clipped a NCAA consideration mark.

The Wolverines could not keep the winning streak going as Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) fell .06 seconds shy of first place in the 100-yard freestyle with her consideration time of 50.65. Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) finished third at 51.23.

Michigan righted the ship in the final three swimming events when Mueller and Johnson posted back-to-back wins, and the foursome of Hannah Smith, Claire Tyler (Rochester, Mich./Adams), Catherine Nosal (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) and Lindsey Smith clinched first in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:25.07). Mueller touched the wall in 2:20.12 in the 200-yard breaststroke, and Johnson followed in the 200-yard butterfly, touching the wall in pool-record fashion at 2:02.54 to narrowly earn a NCAA 'B' time.

In one-meter diving, Colleen Emaus (Ontario, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) collected the best finish for the Maize and Blue, setting a new career-best score (214.70) for sixth.

The Wolverines return Saturday (Dec. 2) for day two of the Eastern Michigan Invitational. Session one begins at 10 a.m. with session two starting at 6 p.m.

Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 1)

1,650-yard Freestyle 1. Emily Brunemann, U-M 16:40.16# 2. Emily Hanson, U-M 16:51.34# 3. Susan Gilliam, U-M 17:00.52 6. Annie Stein, U-M 17:19.03 200-yard Backstroke 1. Hannah Smith, U-M 1:59.69# 2. Margaret Kelly, U-M 2:04.57 3. Justine Mueller, U-M 2:06.03 24. Keenan Koss, U-M 2:23.80 100-yard Freestyle 1. Maddy Pilchard, EMU 50.59# 2. Lindsey Smith, U-M 50.65# 3. Kailtyn Brady, U-M 51.23 10. Leigh Cole, U-M 53.28 -- Claire Tyler, U-M 52.65ex -- Christine Nichols, U-M 53.49ex -- Catherine Nosal, U-M 53.58ex -- Mary Catherine Steiner, U-M 54.02ex -- Nikki Starr, U-M 55.29ex 200-yard Breaststroke 1. Justine Mueller, U-M 2:20.12 4. Ashley McLaughlin, U-M 2:21.08 7. Valeria Silva, U-M 2:23.79 9. Michelle Uhlig, U-M 2:25.81 200-yard Butterfly 1. Payton Johnson, U-M 2:02.54# 2. Emily Christy, U-M 2:04.01 9. Keenan Koss, U-M 2:09.38 11. Annie Stein, U-M 2:10.30 -- Wendy Shieh, U-M 2:08.92 -- Amanda Johnson, U-M 2:12.46 One-Meter Diving 1. Megan McKinley, Toledo 281.85 6. Colleen Emaus, U-M 214.70 7. Melissa Karner, U-M 203.05 8. Stephanie O'Callaghan, U-M 196.40 9. Caitlin Dunphy-Daly, U-M 193.05 400-yard Freestyle Relay 1. Michigan 'B' 3:25.07 (Hannah Smith, Claire Tyler, Catherine Nosal, Lindsey Smith) 3. Michigan 'A' 3:30.25 (Kaitlyn Brady, Noelle Martin, Leigh Cole, Margaret Kelly) 8. Michigan 'C' 3:34.95ex (Susan Gilliam, Emily Brunemann, Mary Catherine Steiner, Emily Hanson) 15. Michigan 'D' 3:42.10ex (Christine Nichols, Keenan Koss, Amanda Johnson, Nikki Starr) # NCAA consideration time ex Swam exhibition