Wolverines Celebrate Seniors, Take Third at Own Invite

Saturday, January 13

Ann Arbor, Mich.

9:00 AM

Michigan

Michigan Invitational

Wolverines Celebrate Seniors, Take Third at Own Invite

1/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) captured a pair of wins on day two of the Michigan Invitational Saturday (Jan. 13) at Canham Natatorium as the No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team placed third out of four teams earning 1,052.5 team points. Michigan celebrated the careers of seven seniors in a Senior Day presentation prior to the start of the afternoon session.

The Wolverines finished behind No. 13 Indiana (1,460.5 points) and No. 19 Notre Dame (1,074 points). Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant), Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) and Elyse Lee (Albion, Mich./Albion) also had one win apiece.

In the opening race of the day, Lindsey Smith's final leg of 23.35 in the 200-yard medley relay (1:44.77) pushed the U-M foursome of Brady, Valeria Silva (Lima, Peru/Alexander Von Humboldt), Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Smith past Indiana to take second.

Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) then placed third for Michigan's highest finish in 400-yard individual medley (4:25.20) to keep U-M within striking distance of second.

The Wolverines notched back-to-back wins in the next two events. Brady won for the second straight session -- this time in the 100-yard butterfly (55.97) -- to help U-M gain on Notre Dame. Smith followed by clinching the 100-yard freestyle (1:51.40) staving off the field in final heat for the victory. Michigan still fell back of the second-place Irish due to U-M's next-best finish in the 100-yard freestyle being 12th.

The Wolverines swam a majority of their swimmers exhibition in the next two events (100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard backstroke) and remained behind Notre Dame for the rest of the morning.

In the final race of the session, the quartet of Kelly, Brunemann, Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) and Smith took fourth as they combined for a time of 7:39.84 in the 800-yard freestyle relay.

Elyse Lee (Albion, Mich./Albion) provided a third Maize & Blue win after she took first in one-meter diving (251.30). In platform diving, Katie Skendrovic (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake) scored third (277.50) for Michigan's highest placing to begin the afternoon sesssion. The event was scored in exhibition.

Brunemann just missed an NCAA automatic-qualifying mark in U-M's first victory of the afternoon as she clocked in at 16:26.01 in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Hanson also accomplished an NCAA 'B' mark with her third-place time of 16:44.78 in the event. Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) followed suit in the 200-yard backstroke, earning consideration status in her runner-up finish (2:00.66).

Michigan stayed right on Notre Dame's heels, pulling within 38 points of second as Lindsey Smith and Brady went 1-2, respectively, in the 100-yard freestyle. Smith's mark of 50.52 and Brady's time of 50.67 both eclipsed consideration standards.

Emily Christy (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford Area Senior) netted Michigan's only top-five finish in the next two races (200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard butterfly) nabbing fourth in the 200-yard butterfly (2:05.09). As a result, the Wolverines were unable to catch up with Notre Dame heading into the final race of the day.

The Wolverines capped off the weekend on a strong note with a first-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle to best the defending conference-champion Hoosiers, who placed second. The quartet of Brady, Hannah Smith, Kelly and Lindsey Smith combined to touch the wall in consideration fashion at 3:22.23.

U-M next heads to Northwestern for the final event prior to the conference and national meets. The one-day dual meet is scheduled for next Saturday (Jan. 20, 1 p.m.) at the Wildcats' Norris Aquatics Center.

Final Team Standings

 1. Indiana 1460.5 2. Notre Dame 1074 3. MICHIGAN 1052.5 4. Illinois 417

Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 2)

200-Yard Medley Relay 1. Indiana 'A' 1:42.06# 2. MICHIGAN 'A' 1:44.77 (Kaitlyn Brady, Valeria Silva, Margaret Kelly, Lindsey Smith) 6. MICHIGAN 'B' 1:47.81 (Hannah Smith, Justine Mueller, Payton Johnson, Leigh Cole) 9. MICHIGAN 'C' 1:49.35 (Katie Smith, Ashley McLaughlin, Wendy Shieh, Noelle Martin) 16. MICHIGAN 'D' 1:52.93 (Catherine Nosal, Christine Nichols, Emily Christy, Claire Tyler) 19. MICHIGAN 'F' 1:56.42 (Keenan Koss, Michelle Uhlig, Lori Morton, Mary Catherine Steiner) 20. MICHIGAN 'E' 1:57.15 (Annie Stein, Susan Gilliam, Emily Brunemann, Emily Hanson) 400-yard Individual Medley 1. Allison Kay, Indiana 4:22.24# 3. Justine Mueller, U-M 4:25.20 8. Emily Brunemann, U-M 4:29.52 10. Claire Tyler, U-M 4:31.52 12. Michelle Uhlig, U-M 4:34.65 15. Susan Gilliam, U-M 4:37.93 17. Annie Stein, U-M 4:39.65 18. Katie Smith, U-M 4:42.67 19. Keenan Koss, U-M 4:45.19 -- Margaret Kelly, U-M 4:27.78 (ex) -- Emily Hanson, U-M 4:37.08 (ex) 100-yard Butterfly 1. Kaitlyn Brady, U-M 55.97 5. Margaret Kelly, U-M 56.86 6. Payton Johnson, U-M 57.25 9. Wendy Shieh, U-M 57.50 12. Lori Morton, U-M 58.41 17. Emily Christy, U-M 59.27 18. Noelle Martin, U-M 59.52 -- Amanda Johnson, U-M 58.42 (ex) -- Hannah Smith, U-M 58.97 (ex) -- Nikki Starr, U-M 1:00.05 (ex) -- Ashley McLaughlin, U-M 1:01.06 (ex) -- Annie Stein, U-M 1:03.24 (ex) 200-yard Freestyle 1. Lindsey Smith, U-M 1:51.40 12. Emily Hanson, U-M 1:55.08 14. Mary Catherine Steiner, U-M 1:55.88 17. Leigh Cole, U-M 1:57.20 18. Catherine Nosal, U-M 1:57.21 21. Christine Nichols, U-M 1:57.94 -- Claire Tyler, U-M 1:55.17 (ex) -- Susan Gilliam, U-M 1:55.74 (ex) -- Emily Brunemann, U-M 1:56.14 (ex) -- Payton Johnson, U-M 2:00.12 (ex) -- Emily Christy, U-M 2:01.28 (ex) -- Noelle Martin, U-M 2:04.63 (ex)
 100-yard Breaststroke 1. Sarah Stockwell, Indiana 1:02.85# 6. Valeria Silva, U-M 1:06.77 10. Ashley McLaughlin, U-M 1:08.54 -- Justine Mueller, U-M 1:06.82 (ex) -- Christine Nichols, U-M 1:09.16 (ex)
 -- Michelle Uhlig, U-M 1:09.44 (ex) -- Keenan Koss, U-M 1:15.67 (ex) 
 100-yard Backstroke 1. Leila Vaziri, Indiana 54.95# 5. Hannah Smith, U-M 58.00 10. Katie Smith, U-M 59.32 -- Kaitlyn Brady, U-M 57.15 (ex) -- Lori Morton, U-M 1:00.47 (ex) -- Leigh Cole, U-M 1:00.83 (ex) -- Lindsey Smith, U-M 1:01.46 (ex) -- Wendy Shieh, U-M 1:02.05 (ex) -- Catherine Nosal, U-M 1:03.49 (ex) -- Valeria Silva, U-M 1:03.87 (ex) -- Mary Catherine Steiner, U-M 1:04.35 (ex)
 -- Keenan Koss, U-M 1:07.27 (ex)
 800-Yard Freestyle Relay 1. Indiana 'A' 7:28.74 (Erin Mahoney, Kristen Heiss, Christine Marshall, Julia Wilkinson) 4. MICHIGAN 'B' 7:39.84 (Margaret Kelly, Emily Brunemann, Emily Hanson, Lindsey Smith) 7. MICHIGAN 'A' 7:41.60 (Susan Gilliam, Hannah Smith, Catherine Nosal, Christine Nichols) 11. MICHIGAN 'C' 7:48.21 (Payton Johnson, Leigh Cole, Claire Tyler, Emily Christy) 13. MICHIGAN 'D' 7:59.42 (Mary Catherine Steiner, Katie Smith, Michelle Uhlig, Noelle Martin) 
 One-meter Diving 1. Elyse Lee, U-M 314.10^ 4. Erica LaBont, U-M 274.30 7. Ellen Van Cleve, U-M 256.65 9. Katie Skendrovic, U-M 251.30
 1,650-yard Freestyle 1. Emily Brunemann, U-M 16:26.01# 3. Emily Hanson, U-M 16:44.78# 7. Susan Gilliam, U-M 17:12.28 9. Mary Catherine Steiner, U-M 17:21.48 12. Annie Stein, U-M 17:29.80 200-yard Backstroke  1. Presley Bard, Indiana 1:58.98# t2. Hannah Smith, U-M 2:00.66# 16. Katie Smith, U-M 2:09.45 19. Justine Mueller, U-M 2:10.15 100-yard Freestyle 1. Lindsey Smith, U-M 50.52# 2. Kaitlyn Brady, U-M 50.67# 6. Margaret Kelly, U-M 51.76 12. Leigh Cole, U-M 53.11 14. Christine Nichols, U-M 53.34 15. Claire Tyler, U-M 53.43 17. Catherine Nosal, U-M 53.75 18. Noelle Martin, U-M 53.81 -- Nikki Starr, U-M 54.23 (ex) 200-yard Breaststroke 1. Sarah Stockwell, Indiana 2:16.21# 11. Ashley McLaughlin, U-M 2:26.21 12. Valeria Silva, U-M 2:26.93 13. Michelle Uhlig, U-M 2:28.20 200-yard Butterfly  1. Katie Carroll, Notre Dame 1:59.04# 4. Emily Christy, U-M 2:05.09 7. Payton Johnson, U-M 2:06.30 9. Wendy Shieh, U-M 2:07.72 14. Lori Morton, U-M 2:10.29 16. Keenan Koss, U-M 2:15.78 -- Amanda Johnson, U-M 2:07.94 (ex) 400-Yard Freestyle Relay 1. MICHIGAN 'A' 3:22.23# (Kaitlyn Brady, Hannah Smith, Margaret Kelly, Lindsey Smith) 7. MICHIGAN 'B' 3:34.92 (Leigh Cole, Noelle Martin, Claire Tyler, Payton Johnson) 10. MICHIGAN 'C' 3:38.86 (Christine Nichols, Justine Mueller, Catherine Nosal, Katie Smith)  12. MICHIGAN 'D' 3:39.54 (Susan Gilliam, Emily Brunemann, Emily Hanson, Mary Catherine Steiner) 16. MICHIGAN 'E' 3:43.85 (Emily Christy, Nikki Starr, Michelle Uhlig, Keenan Koss) Platform Diving 1. Lindsay Weigle, LSU 298.20 3. Katie Skendrovic, U-M 277.50 4. Ellen Van Cleve, U-M 254.75 6. Elyse Lee, U-M 216.60 7. Colleen Emaus, U-M 201.45
 * NCAA automatic qualifying time # NCAA consideration time ^ NCAA zone diving qualifying mark