Postmeet Quotes: Big Ten Championships - Day 4
3/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
March 1, 2015
Recap | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Michigan Head Coach Mike Bottom
On the title and if it means any differently ... "The truth is, we celebrated this victory more because of how hard-fought it was. We had to rally in order to put ourselves in a position win this because we knew that if we opened up the door to Ohio State, with their diving, they'd gain big points. We had to close that door pretty quick. This morning, Ohio State came in really fired up. They knew they were within reach and they knew they'd have a big day. But again, our guys rallied and pulled it together. It wasn't just our leaders, but it was the whole team. To see them rally, that's the heart of Michigan."
On the seniors ... "I think again, they've been a big part of building this team. That's about Michigan being built all the way back when men like Matt Mann, Jon Urbanchek and Bob Bowman were here. Those guys have so much heart. They're all fighters. That senior class grabbed hold of that. Next year's guys will have fire as well because this senior class told them how to fight."
On the 400-yard freestyle relay ... "When you look at that relay, we have guys from every group -- distance with Anders, a 200/500 freestyler in Justin Glanda and two sprinters. That was very representative of our team and coaches. Breaking the Big Ten and school record, that's about heart. That's about our spirit. I texted one of our captains from the past, Jamie Martone, and said, 'Hey, there's other relays who have better swimmers, but my question is, do they have bigger hearts?' This night showed that we have a lot of heart at this meet."
U-M Senior Bruno Ortiz
On if he was disappointed in his 100-yard freestyle final ... "Tying the record from the morning was good, but I knew I had to fix some things tonight. Those details that I was working on weren't that good in the final. Time-wise, I was disappointed, but place-wise, I got first. That's 20 points for Michigan. All I cared about."
On his motivation to swim well this weekend ... "I had a different purpose to race. I wanted to inspire the younger guys. This is my last Big Tens. I'm not doing anything at this meet next year. I wanted to inspire all the guys and teach them that you have to step up in this kind of meet."
U-M Senior Richard Funk
On if this win means more than any of the other ones ... "It's something special. I really don't have the words to describe it. This was the hardest-fought Big Tens that we've had. Give a lot of credit to Ohio State. They put forth a great effort this weekend and really challenged us. It was great to see this team's heart. We were challenged, but they responded the way championship teams should. I'm very proud."
On the morning ... "Especially the way these meets are scored, they're won in the morning. We tried to make that a point all year long. You get up in the morning and you get the job done. It's a gratifying feeling when all the work you've done has culminated in a title."
U-M Junior Dylan Bosch
On this championship ... "It's more emotional. I came into Michigan when Richard and all them were sophomores. As a freshman, you get close with the sophomores and then once you're a sophomore, you get close with the freshmen. This was just awesome, to see them win their fourth. This meet was a little tighter than usual, but it's always good to have a run for your money. It keeps you on your toes. It's hard to explain."
On his performances ... "I've wanted to be on the relays since my freshman year. Obviously, I wasn't the fastest guy then. I had to wait a few years. To be a part of those relays was special. To me, relay titles are more exciting and mean more. I felt like I had a good meet. I wanted to score as many points as I could. With Kyle [Whitaker] gone, I had to cover a gap to get those wins. It's always hard to beat Kyle Whitaker. Now I have Evan White to worry about. He's up-and-coming, for sure."
Players Mentioned
