Weekly Release #1
10/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Oct. 12 -- Eastern Michigan (Canham Natatorium), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 13 -- Alumni Team (ex) (Canham Natatorium), 9 a.m.
Fri/Sat., Oct. 19-20 -- Florida (Gainesville, Fla.), 7 p.m./10 a.m.
This Week: Eastern Michigan Dual and U-M Alumni Team (Exhibition)
The University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team opens its 2007-08 season at home in Canham Natatorium. The Wolverines will welcome Washtenaw County rival Eastern Michigan Friday (Oct. 12) at 6 p.m. and the U-M Alumni Team Saturday (Oct. 13) at 9 a.m. Both meet formats will be short-course yards.
Schedule of Events (Oct. 12)
100-yard backstroke
100-yard breaststroke
100-yard butterfly
1,000-yard freestyle
200-yard freestyle
50-yard freestyle
200-yard individual medley
One-meter diving
200-yard butterfly
100-yard freestyle
200-yard backstroke
500-yard freestyle
Three-meter diving
200-yard breaststroke
200-yard freestyle relay
Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan is the most familiar non-Big Ten opponent to the Michigan men's swimming and diving program. Dating back to their first meeting in the 1970-71 season, the two teams have competed against each other in dual meets 27 times. The Wolverines are perfect in those meets with a 27-0 record, including a 165-107 victory last year in Michael H. Jones Natatorium in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Scouting the Opponents
Eastern Michigan -- The Eagles are coming off a successful 2007 campaign, winning the 2007 MAC Championship. The championship was a conference-record 26th overall for EMU. Under the leadership of 19th-year head swimming coach Peter Linn, Eastern Michigan is 138-38 overall and 87-6 in the MAC action.
U-M Alumni -- The University of Michigan Alumni Team will be headlined with past Big Ten and NCAA champions, all-time record holders and Olympians: Chris Thompson (1998-2001), Peter Vanderkaay (2003-06), Dan Ketchum (2001-04), Chris DeJong (2003-06), Davis Tarwater (2003-06), Brent Lang (1987-90), Andrew Hurd (2002-05), Andy Potts (1996-99), Jorge Carral (2003-06), Marty Moran (1986-89) along with others. The team will also be coached by former U-M coach Jon Urbanchek (1982-2004) who led Michigan to a NCAA national championship in 1995 and was a member of the Olympic coaching staff in 1984, '88, '92, '96, 2000 and 2004.
Michigan in Openers
Since the 1967-68 season, when the Wolverines fell to Indiana (40-83), Michigan won its opening dual meet for 38 straight seasons. The streak included wins over top-ranked teams such as Georgia, Florida and California. The Wolverines streak came to an end as they were downed by Florida, 135-106, in Canham Natatorium to kick off the 2006-07 season.
We're Going Live
If you're unable to make it to Canham Natatorium this season, you can keep up on all the U-M swimming and diving action as it is happening. MGoBlue.com will provide living scoring for all of Michigan's home scheduled dual meets in 2007-08.
New Faces
The Wolverines welcome nine new faces to the team for the 2007-08 season: Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif./Poly HS), Brad Holm (Oregon, Ill./Oregon HS), Neal Kennedy (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska HS), Jared Miller (Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota East HS), Ryan Piza (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS), James Ridgeway (Chicago, Ill./Saint Patrick HS), Tony Wahl (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Jesuit HS), Sam Wensman (Durham, N.H./Oyster River HS) and Noah Whitener (Saline, Mich./Saline HS).
Leader of the Pack
Head coach Bob Bowman returns for his fourth season at the helm of the U-M men's swimming and diving program. Last season, Bowman led the Wolverines to a dual meet record of 6-5-1, including a 3-1-1 mark in the Big Ten. Following the dual meet season, Bowman led 10 members to the NCAA Championships, where U-M took seventh place in the final team standings.
Defering Enrollment
Iincoming freshman Dan Madwed (Stamford, Conn./Towson HS) has decided to defer his enrollment until the fall of 2008 in order to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Swimming For Gold in Beijing
The Michigan program looks to continue its long tradition of Olympic success at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. A group of athletes from the University of Michigan men's swimming program were posted on the 2007-08 U.S. National Team roster. The list includes current members junior Matt Patton (Matthews, N.C./Butler HS), who has the sixth-best time in the 400-meter freestyle, sophomore Scott Spann (Austin, Texas/Westlake HS), who holds the fifth-best time in the 200-meter breaststroke, and senior Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS), who is listed sixth in two events -- the 400-meter IM and 200-meter butterfly.
Three former Wolverine stars are listed in different events: Peter Vanderkaay (first in the 400-meter freestyle and second in the 200-meter freestyle), Chris DeJong (fourth in the 200-meter backstroke), and Davis Tarwater (second in the 200-meter butterfly and fourth in the 100-meter butterfly).
Volunteer coach Michael Phelps holds top-three times in eight events, including the best mark in the 200- and 400-meter IM, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter freestyle. He ranks second in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke and third in the 400-meter freestyle.
Madwed, who signed a National Letter of Intent with U-M in fall 2006 and deferred his enrollment until 2008, is on the National Team roster, owning the fifth-best time in the 200-meter butterfly. He won a bronze medal in the event at the 2007 World University Games.
The All-Americans
The 2007-08 Wolverines feature seven returning NCAA All-Americans from the 2006-07 season. Alex Vanderkaay and Matt Patton each claimed three All-America honors, while Scott Spann, junior Sal Barba (Hudson, Mass./St. Johns HS), junior Curtis Dauw (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East HS), junior Bobby Savulich (Edison, N.J./Saint Joseph HS) and senior Dane Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum HS) each claimed one title. Vanderkaay earned his first of the three when he won the NCAA National Championship in the 400-yard IM.
Conference Crowns
Michigan returns four Big Ten Champions and All-Big Ten first-team selections from a year ago. Matt Patton finished first in the 500-yard freestyle, the 1,650-freestyle, and Patton helped the Wolverines claim the title in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Alex Vanderkaay won the 400-yard IM, the 200-yard butterfly, and Vanderkaay was a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay. Bobby Savulich finished first in the 200-yard freestyle, and Savulich finished first with Vanderkaay, Savulich and Sal Barba in the 800-yard freestyle relay. All four earned All-Big Ten first-team citations as members of the championship relay team.
On the Horizon
Michigan will travel to Gainesville, Fla., for the "National Dual Meet of the Week" against Florida Friday (Oct. 19) and Saturday (Oct. 20) in the Stephen C. OConnell Center. Friday's events begin at at 7 p.m. and Saturday's action begins at 10 a.m.
A preview to the dual meet between U-M and Florida will be headlined at swimmingworldmagazine.com
Contact: Jeremiah W. Hergott (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
