Michigan
Big Ten Championships (Day 4)
Michigan Finishes Fourth at Big Ten Championships
2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Event: Big Ten Championships
U-M Team Standing: 4th Place of 11 Teams (414 Points)
Next U-M Event: Thu-Sat., March 19-21 -- at NCAA Championships (College Station, Texas), 11 a.m./7 p.m.
Complete Results | Quotes | Photo Gallery | Big Ten Championships Page
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team finished in fourth place with 414 points at the 2009 Big Ten Championships in Canham Natatorium. No. 13 Indiana scored 823 points, 168 points more than No. 10 Minnesota, winning its third Big Ten championship and its first since 2007.
Junior Emily Hanson(Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) started the evening for the Wolverines with a ninth-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Hanson finished the final heat of the 1,650-yard competition with a time of 16:25.61.
In the 200-yard backstroke, senior Hannah Smith(Dexter, Mich./Dexter) finished in third place after a prolonged battle with Minnesota's Jenny Shaughnessy. Smith entered the final 50 yards in second place with a one-second lead over Shaughnessy, but the Gopher swimmer used a final split of 29.23 to overtake Smith. Shaughnessy managed to touch the wall in 1:55.41, just .12 seconds ahead of Smith, who finished in 1:55.53.
Junior Leigh Cole(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) turned in a career-best and NCAA consideration time of 49.74 in the 100-yard freestyle on the way to a seventh-place finish. Cole outraced her previous career-best time of 49.86, which she set in the preliminaries, to record the NCAA "B" time.
In the 200-yard breaststroke, senior Christine Nichols(Fairfax, Va./Woodson) and sophomore Morgan Rosentreter(Okemos, Mich./Okemos) finished 21st and 23rd ,respectively. Nichols was the first Wolverine to touch the wall during the "C" final with a time of 2:18.98, while Rosentreter followed with a time of 2:20.80.
In Michigan's best event of the evening, the 200-yard butterfly, five swimmers scored points for the Wolverines. Freshman Caitlin Dauw (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) led all U-M scorers with a career-best time of 1:57.53 in the "A" final to finish in fifth place. Dauw was followed by junior Keenan Koss(Southport, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe), who finished in eighth with a career-best time of 1:58.64.
In the "B" final, junior Emily Christy (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford Area) used a late charge to finish first in the final and ninth in the overall standings. Christy touched the wall in a career-best time of 1:57.73. Christy was followed by senior Payton Johnson(Champaign, Ill./Centennial), who finished third in the race and 11th overall with a time of 1:58.33. Johnson led through much of the race before falling to third in the final 25 yards. Senior/junior Lori Morton(Portage, Mich./Central) rounded out the U-M scorers with a 16th-place finish and a time of 2:03.47.
In the diving pool, Michigan sent four divers into the consolation finals in the platform diving event. Junior Stephanie O'Callaghan(Howell, Mich./Howell) was the top finisher for the Wolverines, placing second in the consolation finals and 10th overall with a score of 251.00. Sophomore/freshman Rachael Ropeik (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) finished just behind O'Callaghan in 11th place with a score of 234.30. Advancing past the preliminaries for the third time at the championships, freshman Amanda Lohman(Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) finished in 12th place with a score of 223.15. Sophomore Jillian Drow(Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea), who qualified for the consolation finals with a score of 225.45, rounded out the Michigan scorers with a 14th-place finish and a score of 212.15.
In the final event of the Big Ten Championships, the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Smith, fifth-year senior Caroline Rodriguez(St. Louis, Mo./Stanford), freshman Kristyne Cole(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and sophomore Natasha Moodie(Miramar, Fla./Miramar) finished fourth with a time of 3:19.26.
Michigan and Penn State battled throughout the race, but the Nittany Lions managed to open a small lead in the final 200 yards and reached the wall .86 seconds ahead of the Wolverines.
Michigan's national qualifiers will now train for the NCAA Championships, which will be held March 19-21 at the Student Rec Center on Texas A&M's campus in College Station, Texas.
Final Team Standings
1. Indiana 823 2. Minnesota 665 3. Penn State 429 4. MICHIGAN 414 5. Wisconsin 405 6. Purdue 290 7. Northwestern 253 8. Ohio State 236 9. Iowa 137 10. Michigan State 111 11. Illinois 93
Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 4)
(Preliminary time in parentheses if faster than finals time)
1,650-yard Freestyle 1. Ashley Steenvoorden, Minnesota 15:55.78#% 9. Emily Hanson, U-M 16:25.31 32. Carleigh Schwartz, U-M 17:19.42 200-yard Backstroke 1. Kate Zubcova, Indiana 1:51.45*!$% 3. Hannah Smith, U-M 1:55.53# 15. Liz Johnson, U-M 2:00.14 (1:59.07) 26. Lori Morton, U-M 2:01.09 100-yard Freestyle 1. Stacy Busack, Minnesota 48.08#$% 7. Leigh Cole, U-M 49.74# 16. Natasha Moodie, U-M 50.68 (50.08) 21. Liz Koselka, U-M 50.79 22. Noelle Martin, U-M 50.89 34. Kristyne Cole, U-M 51.16 37. Katrin Vetter, U-M 51.29 39. Catherine Nosal, U-M 51.35 66. Megan Craig, U-M 53.01 200-yard Breaststroke 1. Ashley Wanland, Wisconsin 2:08.14*!$% 21. Christine Nichols, U-M 2:18.98 (2:18.46) 23. Morgan Rosentreter, U-M 2:20.80 (2:20.25) 200-yard Butterfly 1. Megan Braun, Minnesota 1:56.00#$ 5. Caitlin Dauw, U-M 1:57.53# 7. Keenan Koss, U-M 1:58.64# 9. Emily Christy, U-M 1:57.73# 11. Payton Johnson, U-M 1:58.33# 16. Lori Morton, U-M 2:03.47 (2:00.76) 22. Claire Tyler, U-M 2:01.11 32. Courtney Beyer, U-M 2:04.90 Platform Diving 1. Carrie McCambridge, Purdue 346.05 10. Stephanie O'Callaghan, U-M 251.00 11. Rachael Ropeik, U-M 234.30 12. Amanda Lohman, U-M 223.15 14. Jillian Drow, U-M 212.15 (225.45) 400-Yard Freestyle Relay 1. Minnesota 3:14.53*!$% (Stacy Busack, Clarissa Wentworth, Jenny Shaughnessy, Alison Eggers) 4. MICHIGAN 3:19.26# (Hannah Smith, Caroline Rodriguez, Kristyne Cole, Natasha Moodie)
* NCAA automatic-qualifying time # NCAA consideration time @ Michigan school record ! Big Ten Conference record $ Big Ten meet record % Canham Natatorium record
Day 1 Results | Day 2 Results | Day 3 Results
Michigan Big Ten Champions
Caroline Rodriguez (1): 100-yard Butterfly
2009 Michigan All-Big Ten Selections
First Team: Caroline Rodriguez
Big Ten Award Winners
Swimmer of the Year: Kate Zubkova, Indiana
Swimmer of the Championship: Jenny Shaughnessy, Minnesota
Diver of the Year: Christina Loukas, Indiana
Diver of the Championship: Christina Loukas, Indiana and Ashley Karnes, Purdue
Freshman of the Year: Ashley Wanland, Wisconsin
Swimming Coach of the Year: Ray Looze, Indiana
Diving Coach of the Year: Adam Soldati, Purdue
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Swimming Coach Jim Richardson
On his team's performance this weekend... "I thought we swam really well tonight; we swam well this morning. By the end of the meet we were just running out of options. When you lose somebody like Margaret (junior All-American Margaret Kelly re-aggravated an injury during Thursday's prelims and was forced to miss the remainder of the meet), you don't have as much flexibility and that showed a little bit with our last relay, but they fought hard and swam their hearts out. Every session we swam really well. I don't think we had a single swimmer in the meet who didn't swim a lifetime best, and our entire senior class swam lifetime bests; I can't ask for much more than that. So I was really proud of them. We knew at the beginning of the season that we could finish anywhere from third to sixth in this meet based on last year's points and we darn near finished third so I'm really proud of this team. They really are one of the excellent teams we've had here as people, work ethic and then how they swam the meet with all the lifetime bests. I'm very proud of them."
Michigan Diving Coach Chris Bergere
On his divers' performances this weekend... "I was really pleased overall, though I do see a lot of room for improvement. We're a young team so I think it's important for us to realize that we can improve a lot from what we did this weekend. We have one more meet coming up, the NCAA meet qualifier in Minnesota. I think after seeing the girls sitting on the sidelines tonight watching and they weren't in it (platform finals), it made them realize they want to be there and they can be there. So I think that's what we're gonna use as a springboard to get better. We have four women who qualified (for the NCAA Zone meet) and they all scored here; they all competed against these girls so they feel like they're ready to do it again. We have Amanda Lohman, a freshman, she has a good chance of qualifying on the one-meter and three-meter, and then any of the other girls on platform and three-meter could be a factor, so they're doing well."
Minnesota Freshman Ashley Steenworden
On winning the 1,650-yard freestyle... "It means a lot. I'm not saying that was my goal, but I was definitely just trying to get the most points for my team and the win was just the icing on the cake."
On the team's performance... "We were gunning for another Big Ten championship, but we're all swimming lights out and we couldn't be happier. I mean winning would be better, but second's not bad either."
Indiana Junior Kate Zubkova C 2009 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year
On winning the 200-yard backstroke and setting the Big Ten record in both the prelims and finals... "These were my expectations and I'm totally happy."
On the team's performance... "I think that's what our coach was expecting, and we were as well. The team is doing great and we're all showing our best results and I think that's what's important."
Minnesota Senior Stacy Busack
On winning the 100-yard freestyle and leading a 1-3 Minnesota finish... "We both usually swim better at night, me and Mer (Meredith McCarthy), and I think that was totally our goal to at least do that, if not finish 1-2. So we're really happy with how it turned out. Anytime you get to swim in a meet like this, you gotta be happy that you're here. It doesn't really matter what place you come in, just that you do the best that you can-- you don't have any regrets."
Wisconsin Freshman Ashley Wanland -- 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
On her pace in the 200-yard breaststroke and re-setting the Big Ten record after doing so in the prelims... "After this morning, I talked to my coach. We made some adjustments in a couple of the 50s, the last one in particular, the third one. So I had that in the back of my mind to go out a little bit quicker and whatever happens, happens."
Minnesota Sophomore Megan Braun
On winning the 200-yard butterfly... "I'm really happy with how I did. My season started off really rough this year, but hard work really does pay off. I'm very happy with my time, this is a personal best. My goal was 1:55 and I went 1:56 flat. I can't complain, it's a personal-best time."
Purdue Senior Emily Wetzel
On winning the platform diving title... "It's my senior year and I was psyched to be in the finals. I really just wanted to go out there and relax and have fun my senior year. And I did, I had a great time. It's my first title so it's very exciting."
Indiana Head Coach Ray Looze-- 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year
On winning the Big Ten Championship... "Honestly, it went better than planned. We knew we had a big gap to make up, but we also knew we had a lot of potential. We were really confident about how the team was practicing coming into the meet; we just didn't know if we could make up the gap. Turned out we were able to do that. We didn't really win a lot of events. Kate (Zubkova), it's great to see her recognized, but it was really a team effort. Almost every girl we brought here scored points and that's what we stress. When we recruit, we tell the girls we want to win championships and we want to be able to do this every year."
Players Mentioned
