Wolverines Continue Strong Show in U.S. Open Day Two

Friday, December 1

West Lafayette, Ind.

Michigan

U.S. Open (Day 2)

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

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Members of the No. 12 ranked University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team completed day two of competition at the U.S. Open on Friday (Dec. 1). The Wolverines sent 17 swimmers to the three-day, non-diving event that features some of the world's top competitors. All U.S. Open events are being held in a 50-meter long course.

Sophomores Bobby Savulich (Edison, N.J./St. Joseph) and Matt Patton (Matthews, N.C./Butler) both captured NCAA consideration 'B' times in the 200-meter freestyle. Savulich finished seventh in the A-final with a time of 1:51.77, while Patton swam to a fourth-place finish in the B-final, touching the wall in 1:52.65. Freshman Andr Schultz (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Palmares) took second in the C-final with a time of 1:54.35.

Juniors Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams) and Dane Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum) also captured NCAA 'B' times in the 400-meter individual medley. Grenda placed seventh in the A-final, clocking 4:29.94, and Alex Vanderkaay won the B-final with a time of 4:27.75.

Freshman Chris Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) and sophomore Curtis Dauw (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) swam in the in 100-meter butterfly C-final. Brady clocked a time of 56.07 to finish third, with Dauw a fraction of a second behind in fourth (56.17).

Freshman Alon Mandel (Netanya, Israel/Eldad) saw his first action of the 2006-07 season, swimming in both the 100-meter backstroke and the 100-meter butterfly. Mandel was able to finish in fifth-place (58.98) in the 100-meter butterfly C-final.

The Wolverines also had a 4x100-meter medley relay team capture an NCAA 'B' time. The team of Patton, freshman Scott Spann (Austin, Texas/Westlake), Brady and Savulich finished with the second fastest time (3:46.76) in the event. The mark was just one-hundredth of a second behind the dominant Club Wolverine group (3:46.75) that includes Michigan volunteer assistant coach Michael Phelps, former U-M stars Peter Vanderkaay and Davis Tarwater, and club wolverine swimmer Klete Keller. The U-M team of Mandel, junior Grant Burtch (Holland, Mich./Holland), Dauw and sophomore Evan Ryser (Katy, Texas/James E. Taylor) finished the event seventh overall (3:52.01).

Phelps also won the 200-meter freestyle A-final (1:49.48) and placed second in the 400-meter individual medley, clocking 4:18.32. Tarwater swam in the 100-meter butterfly, placing fifth in the A-final with a time of 54.53. Peter Vanderkaay took first in the 200-meter freestyle B-final, touching the wall in 1:51.39.

Future Wolverine Dan Madwed of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club had very strong performances. He finished eighth in the 100-meter butterfly A-final, touching the wall in 55.32, and also finished second in the 200-meter freestyle B-final with a time of 1:52.08.

The Wolverines return to the pool Saturday (Dec. 2) for the final day of the U.S. Open. The Michigan swimmers and divers who are not present at the U.S. Open will be competing in the final day of the EMU Invitational tomorrow at Jones Natatorium in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 2)
"CW" denotes Club Wolverine

100-meter backstroke A-Final (1-8 overall) 1. Ryan Lochte, Dayton Beach Fla. 54.37 C-Final (17-24 overall) 5. Alon Mandel, UM 58.98 Prelims 26. Sal Barba, UM 59.51 Chris Brady, UM DQ 200-meter freestyle A-Final (1-8 overall) 1. Michael Phelps, CW 1:49.48 6. Klete Keller, CW 1:51.55 7. Bobby Savulich, UM 1:51.77# B-Final (9-16 overall) 1. Peter Vanderkaay, CW 1:51.37 4. Matt Patton, UM 1:52.65# C-Final (17-24 overall) 2. Andre Schultz, UM 1:53.87 Prelims 37. Charlie Houchin, UM 1:56.50 40. Sal Barba, UM 1:56.59 49. Adam DeJong, UM 1:57.00 58. Evan Ryser, UM 1:57.83 100-meter butterfly A-Final (1-8 overall) 1. Ian Crocker, Longhorn Aquatic 52.78 5. Davis Tarwater, CW 54.53 C-Final (17-24 overall) 3. Chris Brady, UM 56.07 4. Curtis Dauw, UM 56.17 Prelims 60. Alon Mandel, UM 58.60 400-meter individual medley A-Final (1-8 overall) 1. Ous Mellouli, unatt. 4:15.61 2. Michael Phelps, CW 4:18.32 7. Dane Grenda, UM 4:29.94# B-Final (9-16 overall) 1. Alex Vanderkaay, UM 4:27.75# Prelims 34. Shaun Weinberg, UM 4:43.40 400-meter medley relay 1. Club Wolverine 3:46.75 (Michael Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay Davis Tarwater, Klete Keller) 2. UM-A 3:46.76# (Matt Patton, Scott Spann Chris Brady, Bobby Savulich) 7. UM-B 3:52.01 (Alon Mandel, Grant Burtch Curtis Dauw, Evan Ryser) # NCAA consideration time