Weekly Release #3 (vs. Indiana, Texas)
10/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sat., Nov. 2-3 -- at No. 23 Indiana, No. 8 Texas (Bloomington, Ind.), Noon /9 a.m.
Fri-Sun., Nov. 16-18 -- Texas A&M Invitational (College Station, Texas), 9 a.m. /6 p.m.
Fri-Sat., Nov. 30-Dec. 1 -- Eastern Michigan Invitational (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 6 p.m. /9 a.m.
Off The Block
No. 13 Michigan rolls to Bloomington, Ind., for its first double-dual meet of the year, taking on No. 8 Texas and No. 23 Indiana Friday and Saturday (Nov. 2-3). Action starts at noon on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Schedule of Events
| Friday -- Noon Friday -- 6 p.m. | Saturday -- 9 a.m. |
Scouting the Opponents
Indiana -- The 23rd-ranked Hoosiers (1-1, 1-0 Big Ten) slipped out of the gate before they righted the ship in their Big Ten opener with Northwestern. Sophomores Presley Bard and Ashley Jones make up a strong backstroke contingent for Indiana. All-Americans Sarah Stockwell and Amilee Smith are among the 13 returning letterwinners that were joined by a strong recruiting class this fall.
Ray Looze is in his second year serving as head coach for Indiana. He also serves as the men's team coach -- a position he's held for five seasons. Michigan is 16-5-0 in dual meets against its fellow Big Ten school. The two have no met since the Wolverines earned a 136-102 victory in 1997-98. Indiana on the Internet: www.iuhoosiers.com
Texas -- The Longhorns (0-0) bring 17 letterwinners back for the 2007-08 campaign. The eighth-ranked squad finished sixth at the 2007 NCAA Championships after struggling to a 2-6 record during the regular season. Texas returns seven All-Americans from the 2006-07 squad that took second at the Big 12 Championship and adds 2006 NCAA All-American Gisela Morales from Auburn to go with a 10-member freshman class.
Head coach Kim Brackin is in her second year with the Longhorns. Michigan is yet to beat Texas in a dual meet, falling in both match-ups. On Nov. 17, 2000, the then-No. 10 Wolverines fell 168-132 to then-No. 11 Texas in Canham Natatorium. Texas on the Internet: www.texassports.com.
Big Ten Recognizes Mueller's Performance
Senior Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) was named Big Ten co-Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday (Oct. 30). Mueller shares the award with Indiana's Presley Bard. Mueller clicked off the top time in three individual events and a relay as Michigan downed Toledo (Oct. 26). Mueller earned her first NCAA consideration time of the year in the 200-yard breaststroke and tied a career best in the 100-yard breaststroke. She is the first Michigan swimmer to earn the laurel since Lindsey Smith (2004-07) was tabbed last November (11/21/06).
Making the Cut
Emily Brunemann became the first Wolverine of the season to achieve an NCAA 'A' standard, punching her ticket to the 2008 NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio. She and four of her teammates have clicked off NCAA consideration times in six events. For complete 2008 qualifying standards, click here.
| NCAA 'A' Standard | NCAA 'B' Standard |
| | Emily Brunemann -- 400-meter Freestyle Emily Hanson -- 1,650-yard Freestyle Hannah Smith -- 200-meter Backstroke Margaret Kelly -- 200-meter Individual Medley Justine Mueller -- 400-meter Individual Medley 200-yard Breastroke |
Highway to the Diving Zone
Three Wolverines have also turned in NCAA Zone qualifiers. Elyse Lee has achieved the standard in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events. She earned an NCAA Honorable Mention in the three-meter last season.
| NCAA Zone Qualifying Marks | |
| Elyse Lee -- One-meter Diving (287.63) Three-meter Diving (315.30) Katie Skendrovic -- One-meter Diving (281.85) Erica Labont -- One-meter Diving (270.60) |
Flip Turns
Justine Mueller
Tied a career best in the 100-yard breaststroke vs. Toledo (1:03.86).
Big Ten co-Swimmer of the Week (Oct. 30).
Melissa Jaeger
Earned three victories in the butterfly in her first two weekends of competition. She had to sit out the 2006-07 season due to transfer rules.
Elyse Lee
Swept the diving portion in both of Michigan's dual meets this season.
Katie Skendrovic
Set a personal best in the one-meter, posting a 285.81 vs. Toledo.
Ranked and Filed
Michigan opened the 2007-08 season ranked eighth in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) preseason rankings. The Wolverines return five NCAA All-Americans from a team that finished runner-up at the Big Ten Championships and ninth at the NCAA Championships in 2006-07. For complete rankings, visit CollegeSwimming.com.
Top Returning Times & Scores from 2006-07
50-yard Freestyle: Hannah Smith 23.08#
100-yard Freestyle: Margaret Kelly 49.53r%
200-yard Freestyle: Hannah Smith 1:48.84r
500-yard Freestyle: Emily Brunemann 4:44.50%
1,650-yard Freestyle: Emily Brunemann 16:00.89!@%
100-yard Butterfly: Margaret Kelly 52.78%
200-yard Butterfly: Payton Johnson 1:57.90@%
100-yard Backstroke: Margaret Kelly 55.11#
200-yard Backstroke: Hannah Smith 1:57.26*
100-yard Breaststroke: Valeria Silva 1:03.31#
200-yard Breaststroke: Justine Mueller 2:14.69#
One-Meter Diving (Dual): Erica LaBont 331.28^
Three-Meter Diving (Dual): Elyse Lee 332.55^
Platform Diving: Katie Skendrovic 277.50
* NCAA automatic qualifying time
# NCAA consideration time
^ NCAA zone diving qualifying mark
% at 2007 NCAA Championships
r achieved on first leg of relay
! Big Ten record
@ Michigan school record
Welcome to Ann Arbor
Michigan welcomes seven newcomers to its 2007-08 roster. Sophomore Mary Grace Godfrey (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) joined the Wolverines after she transferred from Notre Dame. The freshman class features three divers and three swimmers, including divers Jillian Drow (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea), Katie Faiver (Haslett, Mich./Haslett) and Rachael Ropeik (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron), and swimmers Brett Pedley (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines), Natasha Moodie (Miramar, Fla./Miramar) and Katrin Vetter (Orion, Mich./Lake Orion).
Introducing the Captains ...
Michigan's senior class will serve as captains this season. The 2007-08 senior class: Melissa Jaeger (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), Erica LaBont, Elyse Lee, Ashley McLaughlin (Monroe, Mich./Monroe), Wendy Shieh (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron), Valeria Silva, Katie Skendrovic, Katie Smith (Plano, Texas/Hebron) and Michelle Uhlig (Boalsburg, Pa./State College Area).
Summer Success for Several Wolverines
It was a busy summer for athletes on Michigan's roster that spent time competing on the national or international level.
Brunemann scored an individual national title in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2007 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships. Sophomores Emily Hanson and Margaret Kelly contributed to a pair of top-five relay finishes. The duo clinched a third-place finish in the 800-meter freestyle relay and fifth-place in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Hanson and Kelly were joined by senior Justine Mueller in a 12th place performance in the 400-meter medley relay. Kelly turned in personal bests in three events, claiming top-20 finishes in each. Fifth-year senior Melissa Jaeger, junior Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) and Hannah Smith each set a pair of new personal bests. Senior Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) and Hanson each set a new career benchmark in one event.
Senior Valeria Silva represented her native Peru at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, in March, and Silva participated in the XV Pan American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in late July.
Senior diver Katie Skendrovic clinched a second-place finish in the senior womens platform event at the 2007 USA Diving National Preliminary Zone A. Skendrovic's finish earned her a trip to the 2007 Senior National Diving Championships, where she finished in 25th place in the opening round.
Additionally, former U-M swimmer Lindsey Smith (2003-07) clinched a gold medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay for the United States at the World University Games.
The Leader of the Wolverines
Michigan head swimming coach Jim Richardson enters his 23rd season at the helm for the Wolverines. Over that time, his teams have dominated the Big Ten, winning 12 consecutive league titles from 1987-98 to add to the program's 13th in 2001 and 14th in 2004. Since taking over in 1985-86, Michigan has finished in the NCAA top 10 on 13 occasions. In 1995, U-M finished in second place as a team, following that in 1996 by hosting the NCAA Championships and finishing third.
Richardson holds a career record of 149-52 in dual meet competition, including an impressive 98-13 mark in Big Ten action. Richardson has coached seven individual national champions, 155 NCAA All-Americans and 179 honorable mention All-Americans. On the conference level, he has guided 155 individual and relay conference champions and has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year six times. A two-time NCAA Coach of the Year (1993, '95), Richardson's athletes have excelled in the classroom as well as the pool, with 30 CSCAA Academic All-Americans and 206 Academic All-Big Ten nominations.
Chris Bergre enters his sixth season as the head diving coach, and Stefanie Kerska begins her tenth season as an assistant to Richardson.
On the Horizon ...
Michigan ventures to the Texas A&M Invitational Friday through Sunday (Nov. 16-18). The Wolverines took second place in the seven-team field in 2006.
Contact: Ryan Sosin (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
