2015-16 Season Preview: Men's Swimming & Diving
9/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Sept. 23, 2015
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2015-16 OUTLOOK
Michigan has some holes to fill after graduations of a few key swimmers, but it still has more than enough pieces to capture its sixth consecutive conference crown.
The Wolverines will be deep in several areas, including backstroke, butterfly and in the distance events. Bosch (butterfly/IM) and fellow senior Anders Nielsen (distance freestyle) are two of the team's best swimmers, combining for 18 NCAA All-America honors and 13 Big Ten titles. Bosch, the NCAA champion in the 200-yard butterfly in 2014, leads the butterfly with White, and a pair of seniors and Big Ten scorers in Jeremy Raisky and Peter Brumm. The backstroke group, which has gotten stronger in recent years, looks to go even faster this year behind sophomores Tristan Sanders and Aaron Whitaker. That group is also deeper than it has been in quite some time with the additions of University of Virginia transfers Kyle Dudzinski and Luke Papendick.
The distance group will be another area of strength, led by Nielsen and sophomore PJ Ransford, who finished second in the 1,650-yard freestyle at both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships last year as a freshman and was recently named to the U.S. National Team. Junior Cameron Stitt could be on the verge of taking a big step forward after representing the U.S. at the World University Games this summer.
Sophomore Paul Powers had an impressive freshman season, winning the 50-yard freestyle at the Big Ten Championships and finishing eighth in the same event at the NCAA Championships. With the graduation of Bruno Ortiz, Powers becomes the team's top sprint freestyler and is likely to be the anchor swimmer on several of the team's relays. Junior Vinny Tafuto could be poised for a breakout season after scoring in three events at last year's Big Ten Championships.
The biggest need in the water is likely the breaststroke after the graduations of Ortiz and Richard Funk, both NCAA All-Americans in that event a season ago. Junior Chris Klein looks most likely to fill the void after scoring in both events at the Big Ten Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
The diving program is also reloading after losing two to graduation last season. It is a shallow group once again, as junior Ryan O'Donnell and freshman Collin DeShaw are the only divers listed on the roster.
STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH
Dylan Bosch, Senior -- Bosch is coming off a junior season in which he won five Big Ten titles (three individual, two relay), received five NCAA All-America honors (three individual, two relay) and was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year and Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships. He is one of the NCAA's best swimmers in the butterfly, having won a national title in the 200-yard butterfly in 2014.
PJ Ransford, Sophomore -- Recently named to the U.S. National Team, Ransford is a true rising sophomore after finishing runner-up in the 1,650-yard freestyle at both the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships last year as a freshman.
Chris Klein, Junior -- Following the graduations of Richard Funk and Bruno Ortiz, there is a void in the breaststroke group, one that could be filled by the junior from Ann Arbor. Klein scored points in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes at last year's Big Ten Championships and individually qualified to the NCAA Championships.
PJ Ransford (left) // Dylan Bosch (right)
KEY COMPETITION
Dec. 2-5 -- at AT&T Winter Nationals (Federal Way, Wash.)
The team's annual midseason meet in which the swimmers try and reach NCAA qualifying standards. With 2015-16 being an Olympic year, the meet will be a little different with every event in long course meters as opposed to short course yards. It typically features some of the nation's top collegiate programs and national and international professional swimmers.
QUOTABLE
Michigan head coach Mike Bottom
On the season ... "We're always looking to get better. Where we can get better is where we've lost some people. We have to fill some holes. As we move forward, we'll get a better understanding of who we have in the pool. I believe in the group of men that we have."
2014-15 RECAP
The Michigan men's swimming and diving team was dominant, winning their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and placing third at the NCAA Championships, the program's fourth consecutive top-five national finish. They went 10-0 in dual meets, including a 183-170 victory in October over eventual national champion Texas. In the postseason, Michigan won 11 events at the Big Ten Championships (six individual, five relay) and had 10 swimmers receive NCAA All-America honors. Dylan Bosch was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year and Swimmer of the Championships, Evan White was Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, and Mike Bottom was Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Players Mentioned
