Season Preview: 2017-18 Michigan Women's Swimming and Diving
9/27/2017 3:38:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
With a strong senior class and an influx of freshmen and transfers, the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team looks to further establish themselves among the nation's best. The Wolverines enter the season as two-time defending Big Ten champions and have all the pieces to make a run at a third.
Three Storylines
» Can the team take another step? They are coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles and haven't won three-in-a-row since 1996-98. At the NCAA level, the Wolverines dropped one spot from 10th to 11th last year despite improving their point total, creating optimsm that an even bigger jump can take place this year.
» The Wolverines broke 13 short course school records last year. All six swimmers that hold those individual records (Siobhán Haughey, G Ryan, Yirong Bi, Clara Smiddy, Emily Kopas, Vanessa Krause) are back this season.
» Keep an eye on the newcomers. SwimSwam pegged the freshman class as second-best in the country, including top-20 swimmers Sierra Schmidt and Alexis Margett. Also added to the fold are transfers Miranda Tucker (Indiana) and Tayor Garcia (Arizona), both of whom were NCAA All-Americans at their former schools.
2016-17 Recap
• Record: 5-1 (4-0 Big Ten)
• Big Ten Championships: 1st (1,287 points)
• NCAA Championships: 11th (159 points)
• Big Ten Champions (4): G Ryan (500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle), Siobhán Haughey (200-yard freestyle), 800-yard freestyle relay
• NCAA All-Americans (6): Gabby DeLoof (200-yard freestyle), Clara Smiddy (200-yard backstroke), Siobhán Haughey (200-yard freestyle), G Ryan (500-yard freestyle), Yirong Bi (500-yard freestyle), 800-yard freestyle relay
• NCAA All-America Honorable Mentions (8): Yirong Bi (1,650-yard freestyle), Siobhán Haughey (100-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM), Kristen Hayden (platform diving), Vanessa Krause (100-yard butterfly, 200-yard butterfly), Allie Murphy (three-meter diving), G Ryan (1,650-yard freestyle), 400-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay
2017 Roster Breakdown
• Distance: Two is good, but three is better. Senior G Ryan won both the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle last season as a junior and swam alongside junior Yirong Bi in the 500-yard freestyle final at the NCAA Championships. Joining the duo is freshman Sierra Schmidt, a 2017-18 U.S. National Team member who has immediate scoring potential. Junior Becca Postoll provides valuable depth in the middle distance events, and has individually qualified for her first two NCAA Championships while on the team at Michigan.
• Sprint Freestyle: It starts with Siobhán Haughey, who won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter freestyles at this summer's World University Games and finished fifth in the 200-meter freestyle at the FINA World Championships. Haughey, a three-time NCAA All-American and seven-time Big Ten champion, also specializes in the 200 IM and figures to hold a spot on four of the five relays come February. Junior Catie DeLoof continues to shed time like her big sisters before her, while freshman Daria Pyshnenko, daughter of two Russian Olympic medalist swimmers, brings plenty of potential in the splash-and-dash.
• Backstroke: Seniors Gabby DeLoof and Clara Smiddy provide a potent 1-2 punch in the backstrokes. Smiddy is a two-time NCAA All-American, while DeLoof, who was actually an All-America in the 200-yard freestyle last season, is second on the school's all-time list in the 200-yard backstroke and fifth in the 100-yard backstroke. Junior Taylor Garcia, a two-time NCAA All-American transfer from Arizona, is now in Maize and Blue and gives the team another weapon, especially in the 100-yard backstroke and on relays.
• Butterfly: Sophomore Vanessa Krause is coming off a productive freshman season that saw her set the school records -- long course and short course -- in both butterfly events. She was also named to the 2017-18 U.S. National Team. Krause will have some help in the form of freshmen Alexis Margett and Claire Maiocco, who add depth to this group.
• Breaststroke: Last year, all seven breaststrokers scored in the 100- and 200-yard races at the Big Ten Championships, five of whom return. There's plenty of experience in this group, headlined by seniors and NCAA Championships qualifiers Emily Kopas and Carolyn McCann. Sophomore Miranda Tucker, a transfer from rival Indiana who was national runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2016 NCAA Championships, enters the fold this year, while senior Samantha Yeo and junior Jamie Yeung provide valuable depth after competing for their respective countries at international meets this past summer.
• Diving: Diving coach Mike Hilde looks to send at least one diver to the NCAA Championships for a fourth consecutive year. Senior Dani VanderZwaag, a platform specialist, is the only upperclassmen of the five divers on the roster. Sophomore Lucy Roberts looks to take the next step in her development, while freshmen Nikki Canale and Christy Cutshaw have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in both springboard and platform events.
Siobhán Haughey
2017 Schedule
• The Wolverines open the season with a two-competition weekend, facing Oakland on Sept. 29 and hosting the Michigan Water Carnival on Sept. 30. It is the only time the team is home all fall.
• In addition to Oakland, Michigan will defend its title at the SMU Classic in suburban Dallas (Oct. 13-14), and compete in duals against Louisville (Oct. 20-21), Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State (Nov. 3-4), Indiana (Jan. 13), Ohio State, Rutgers and Virginia Tech (Jan. 20) and Michigan State (Feb. 2).
• For the second consecutive year, Michigan will travel south for its midseason meet, competing at the Georgia Invitational in Athens from Dec. 1-3.
• The Big Ten Championships (Feb. 14-17) and NCAA Championships (March 14-17) will both take place at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.
Players Mentioned
