Season Review: 2015-16 Michigan Women's Swimming and Diving
5/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
May 12, 2016
• Team Captains: Ali DeLoof, Sarah Kamstra, Marni Oldershaw
• Dual-Meet Record: 8-1 (6-0 Big Ten)
• Big Ten Championships: 1st (1,361 points)
• NCAA Championships: 10th (150 points)
The 2015-16 season was a giant step forward for the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team, as it captured its first Big Ten title since 2004 and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2008. It marks a massive improvement from three years ago, when Michigan was 36th at the NCAA Championships and sixth at the Big Ten Championships.
This season, Michigan put four different swimmers on the podium at the NCAA Championships -- the program's most in a single season since 1998 -- and won a total of seven Big Ten event titles (five individual, two relay). The Wolverines swam fast all season long, setting 12 school records by the end of the year (nine individual, three relay). U-M scored 150 points at the NCAA Championships, more than their last five appearances combined.
Team Highlights
• The Wolverines won their first Big Ten championship since 2004 inside their home pool of Canham Natatorium. It is the program's 15th title, most of any Big Ten team. In the four-day competition, Michigan broke 10 school records, claimed 67 NCAA cuts (10 A, 44 B, 13 zone diving) and set 57 career bests. In addition, 15 Canham Natatorium records were broken, including seven by U-M swimmers.
• The program qualified nine swimmers, three divers and all five relay teams to the NCAA Championships, where it finished 10th. It was the program's first top-10 finish since 2008 and represented another jump in the standings, as the team has continued to improve from 36th (2013) to 30th (2014) and 22nd (2015). The Wolverines scored more points in four days (150) than in the last five NCAA Championships combined (108). It is also the team's highest point total since 1999. Four different swimmers were NCAA All-Americans, the most in a single season since 1996.
• The diving program made a huge jump in year two under the direction of coach Mike Hilde. Six divers scored over 170 points at the Big Ten Championships (compared to just 19 in 2014-15). The program qualified three divers (Sarah Kamstra, Allie Murphy, Elena Ghormley) through to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1991. Additionally, Murphy is the first U-M women's diver to qualify for U.S. Olympic Diving Trials since 1988.
• Michigan produced NCAA All-Americans in all five freestyles for the first time in program history. Only one other collegiate program accomplished that feat this season (Georgia).
• In the classroom, 16 student-athletes received Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
Individual Highlights
• Senior tri-captain Ali DeLoof had a breakout final season. She was instrumental in helping the program win the Big Ten title, scoring a trio of top-three individual finishes in addition to a relay victory. At the NCAA Championships, DeLoof got into the event finals of the 50- and 100-yard freestyles -- both by .01 seconds -- becoming the second U-M swimmer in history to earn NCAA All-America honors in those events in the same season (Jennie Eberwein, 1998). She graduates as the Big Ten record-holder in the 100-yard freestyle (47.54) and as one of only three women in conference history to break the 22-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle (21.99). DeLoof also holds U-M records in four individual events (three short-course, one long-course) and as part of four relays (two short-course, two long-course).
• One of the best freshmen in the country was Siobhán Haughey. The Hong Kong native, who has already qualified for the Olympics in Rio, was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships after winning three individual titles (100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM) and swimming on two winning relay teams. She was the first U-M swimmer in nine years to claim that honor (Lindsey Smith, 2007) and was the first U-M swimmer in 10 years to win three individual titles in one year (Kaitlyn Brady, 2006). Haughey was also an NCAA All-American (200-yard freestyle) and five-time NCAA All-America honorable mention.
• Another freshman that made an immediate impact was mid-year enrollee Yirong Bi. Known as "Rose" by her teammates, Bi scored big points in the postseason, logging a trio of top-three finishes at the Big Ten Championships and earning two All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. She ended her first year with school records in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyles.
• Sophomore Clara Smiddy was the best backstroker in the Big Ten in 2015-16, capturing conference titles in both the 100- and 200-yard events. She was also an NCAA All-American in the 200-yard backstroke, the program's first in that event in 19 years.
• Nine women will swim at U.S. Olympic Trials (June 26-July 3 in Omaha, Nebraska): Ali DeLoof, Catie DeLoof, Gabby DeLoof, Katie Duggan, Emily Kopas, Carolyn McCann, Becca Postoll, G Ryan, Clara Smiddy.
• Watch: DeLoof | Haughey | Smiddy
Honors and Awards
Ali
DeLoof
Siobhán
Haughey
Clara
Smiddy
Yirong
Bi
G
Ryan
Mike
Bottom
NCAA All-America
Yirong Bi (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle)
Ali DeLoof (50-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Freestyle)
Siobhán Haughey (200-yard Freestyle)
Clara Smiddy (200-yard Backstroke)
NCAA All-America Honorable Mention
Ali DeLoof (100-yard Backstroke)
Siobhán Haughey (100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard IM)
G Ryan (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle)
200-yard Freestyle Relay -- Siobhán Haughey, Ali DeLoof, Maddy Frost, Catie DeLoof
400-yard Freestyle Relay -- Siobhán Haughey, Becca Postoll, Ali DeLoof, Gabby DeLoof, Catie DeLoof (prelims)
800-yard Freestyle Relay -- Gabby DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey, Clara Smiddy, G Ryan
Big Ten Individual Champions
Siobhán Haughey (100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard Freestyle, 200-yard IM)
Clara Smiddy (100-yard Backstroke, 200-yard Backstroke)
Big Ten Relay Champions
400-yard Freestyle Relay -- Siobhán Haughey, Clara Smiddy, Gabby DeLoof, Ali DeLoof
800-yard Freestyle Relay -- Yirong Bi, Siobhán Haughey, Gabby DeLoof, G Ryan
Big Ten Awards
Swimmer of the Championships: Siobhán Haughey
All-Big Ten (First Team): Yirong Bi, Ali DeLoof, Gabby DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey, G Ryan, Clara Smiddy
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Emily Kopas
Sportsmanship Honoree: Sarah Kamstra
Big Ten Weekly Awards
Swimmer of the Week: Ali DeLoof (Nov. 4), Emily Kopas (Jan. 6), Clara Smiddy (Jan. 20), Siobhán Haughey (Feb. 3)
Freshman of the Week: Siobhán Haughey (Nov. 4, Dec. 9, Jan. 6, Jan. 20, Feb. 3)
Academic All-Big Ten
Julia Fiks Salem, Jr., business administration
Maddy Frost, Jr., screen arts & cultures
Marie Georger, Sr., general studies
Claudia Goswell, Jr., psychology
Nicole Honey, Sr., movement science
Madison Horton, Jr., ecology & evolutionary biology
Sarah Kamstra, Sr., psychology
Celia Keany, Jr., chemical engineering
Mary Kate Leary, Jr., history
Zoe Mattingly, Sr., business administration
Carolyn McCann, So., civil engineering
Sharalynn Missiuna, Sr., movement science
Marni Oldershaw, Sr., psychology
G Ryan, So., English
Clara Smiddy, So., international studies
Samantha Yeo, So., LSA/undeclared
Communications Contact: Brad Rudner
Players Mentioned
