Career Bests Give Club Team Second Place at Nationals

8/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The University of Michigan womens swimming and diving team and the U-M club team, Club Wolverine, claimed second place at the 2007 ConocoPhillips National Championships, held Wednesday through Saturday (July 31-Aug. 4). Seven Wolverines turned in personal best times in 14 different events, including four top-five finishes.

Junior-to-be Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) claimed victory in the 1500-meter freestyle, edging out her closest competitor by almost eight seconds. Brunemann touched the wall in 16:23.77, setting a new personal best. With a fourth place finish in the 800-meter freestyle, she punched her ticket to the World Swimming Grand Prix in Chiba, Japan (August 21-24). Brunemann also set a lifetime best in the 400-meter freestyle.

Rising-sophomores Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) and Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) 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-to-be Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) 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-to-be Melissa Jaeger (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), rising-junior Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) and Smith each set a pair of new personal bests. Mueller and Hanson each set a new career benchmark in one event.

For complete coverage of the 2007 U.S. Nationals, visit the USA Swimming web site.

U-M Results
(Preliminary time listed in parentheses if faster than finals time)

50-meter Freestyle 43. Margaret Kelly, U-M/CW 26.70 55. Hannah Smith, U-M/CW 26.79 70. Natasha Moodie, U-M/CoP 26.97 111.Leigh Cole, U-M/CW 27.91 100-meter Freestyle 16. Margaret Kelly, U-M/CW 57.25 (56.45) 100-meter Backstroke 38. Margaret Kelly, U-M/CW 1:04.32 58. Hannah Smith, U-M/CW 1:05.08 100-meter Breaststroke 29. Justine Mueller, U-M/CW 1:11.77 44. Melissa Jaeger, U-M/CW 1:12.74 100-meter Butterfly 16. Margaret Kelly, U-M/CW 1:00.72* 23. Melissa Jaeger, U-M/CW 1:01.44* (1:01.10*) 37. Payton Johnson, U-M/CW 1:01.99 200-meter Backstroke 22. Hannah Smith, U-M/CW 2:17.58* (2:17:13*) 200-meter Breaststroke 36. Justine Mueller, U-M/CW 2:36.04 200-meter Butterfly 25. Melissa Jaeger, U-M/CW 2:15.46* 41. Payton Johnson, U-M/CW 2:17.02 53. Emily Christy, U-M/CW 2:19.80 200-meter Individual Medley 10. Margaret Kelly, U-M/CW 2:16.25* 21. Justine Muelller, U-M/CW 2:18.03* 86. Payton Johnson, U-M/CW 2:22.45 400-meter Freestyle 19. Emily Brunemann, U-M/CW 4:16.54* 65. Emily Hanson, U-M/CW 4:22.48 400-meter Individual Medley 40. Justine Muelller, U-M/CW 4:58.96 800-meter Freestyle 4. Emily Brunemann, U-M/CW 8:37.77* 25. Emily Hanson, U-M/CW 8:50.51 1500-meter Freestyle 1. Emily Brunemann, U-M/CW 16:23.77* 24. Emily Hanson, U-M/CW 17:00.49 400-meter Freestyle Relay 5. Club Wolverine 'A' 3:46.85 (Margaret Kelly, Hannah Smith, Allison Schmitt, Katie Carroll) 21. Club Wolverine 'B' 3:54.11 (3:51.72) (Melissa Jaeger, Liz Koselka, Payton Johnson, Justina DiFazio) 400-meter Medley Relay 12. Club Wolverine 'A' 4:14.79 (Hannah Smith, Justine Mueller Margaret Kelly, Katie Carroll) 21. Club Wolverine 'B' 3:54.11 (3:51.72) (Payton Johnson, Mari Embertson, Melissa Jaeger, Justina DiFazio) 800-meter Freestyle Relay 3. Club Wolverine 'A' 8:10.41 (8:09.73) (Katie Carroll, Margaret Kelly, Hannah Smith, Allison Schmitt) 21. Club Wolverine 'B' 8:18.66 (8:18.25) (Liz Koselka, Kristyne Cole Emily Brunemann, Kalyn Keller) * Olympic Trials qualifying time