Season Preview: 2018-19 Michigan Men's Swimming and Diving
9/20/2018 3:44:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
The University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team enters its 98th year of varsity competition seeking to remain among the nation's elite.
Last year, the Wolverines fought Indiana neck-and-neck through the final night of competition at the Big Ten Championships, amassing more than 1,600 points in a second-place finish. The following month, Michigan finished eighth at the NCAA Championships, returning to the top 10 after a two-year hiatus.
To offset the losses of key scorers from last year's squad, the Wolverines have brought in 15 newcomers, including three transfers.
The 2018-19 season opens next weekend (Sept. 28-29) with Oakland and Miami (Ohio), and a relay-only meet to raise awareness for JDRF.
2017-18 Recap
• Record: 8-1 (6-1 Big Ten)
• Big Ten Championships: 2nd (1,617.5 points)
• NCAA Championships: 8th (168.5 points)
• Big Ten Champions (3): Felix Auböck (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle), Charlie Swanson (400-yard IM), 200-yard Freestyle Relay
• CSCAA All-Americans (6): Felix Auböck (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle), Tommy Cope (200-yard Breaststroke), PJ Ransford (1,650-yard Freestyle), Charlie Swanson (400-yard IM), Ricardo Vargas (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle), 200-yard Freestyle Relay
• CSCAA All-America Honorable Mentions (10): Felix Auböck (200-yard Freestyle), Jeremy Babinet (100-yard Breaststroke), Tommy Cope (200-yard IM), Jacob Montague (100-yard Breaststroke, 200-yard Breaststroke), Paul Powers (50-yard Freestyle), Miles Smachlo (200-yard Butterfly), Evan White (200-yard IM, 100-yard Butterfly), 400-yard Freestyle Relay, 800-yard Freestyle Relay
Felix Auböck
Roster Breakdown
• Distance: Olympians Felix Auböck and Ricardo Vargas continue to lead the way for the Michigan distance group. Auböck was national runner-up in both the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles last year, while Vargas was Big Ten Freshman of the Year, finishing eighth and seventh, respectively, in those events at the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Will Roberts capped an impressive rookie year with a sixth-place finish in the mile at the Big Ten Championships and looks to take the next step as a sophomore. The Wolverines are also very strong in the 400-yard IM with juniors Charlie Swanson (the two-time defending Big Ten champion) and Tommy Cope, the latter of whom made a huge jump as a sophomore. They went 1-2-3 (with Vargas running third) in that event at last year's Big Ten Championships, with Roberts and senior Stephen Holmquist scoring points in the consolation final.
• Sprint & Mid-Distance Freestyle: The Wolverines need to replenish the sprint ranks after losing two legs of its Big Ten-winning 200-yard freestyle relay to graduation. Sophomore Luiz Gustavo Borges, son of 10-time NCAA champion Gustavo Borges, returns and leads the pack, while junior James Jones figures to join him. Senior Mokhtar Al-Yamani has been a consistent Big Ten-level scorer in the mid-distance events. Sophomore Dylan Boyd, one of the aforementioned transfers (Arizona State), was a Pac-12 Championships scorer in the mid-distance freestyles and swam anchor on the Sun Devils' 800-yard freestyle relay team at last year's NCAA Championships. But the biggest boost comes from freshman Patrick Callan, a U.S. Junior National Teamer whose lifetime best in the 200-yard freestyle would have scored points at both the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships last season.
• Backstroke: With the graduation of Tristan Sanders, Michigan is looking for a top dog in the backstrokes and on its medley relays. Senior Kai Williams and juniors Alex Martin and Rob Zofchak all scored at the Big Ten Championships last season, while a stable of freshmen -- Eric Storms, Ian Miskelley and Bora Unalmis -- all have an opportunity in their rookie years.
• Butterfly: Junior Miles Smachlo steps into the role of the team's top option in both distances after scoring in both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly in each of his first two Big Ten Championships. Jones, though more of a sprint freestyler, excels in shorter distances and is capable of providing the butterfly leg on the medley relays. Senior Jon Burkett adds quality depth, while sophomore Spencer Carl, a Louisville transfer and former top-30 recruit, gets a fresh start in Maize and Blue. Also keep an eye on freshman Jeremie Luong, a member of the Vietnamese National Team who has considerable potential.
• Breaststroke: One of the deepest groups on the roster got a little deeper this offseason. Juniors Jacob Montague and Jeremy Babinet are championship scorers in both events, while Swanson and Cope will be in the mix in the 200-yard breaststroke. All four men finaled in the 200-yard breaststroke at last year's Big Ten Championships. Freshmen AJ Bornstein, a U.S. Junior National Team member, joins the group, as does freshman Will Chan, who can contribute in the 100-yard breaststroke. Another freshman, Mason Hunter, a back-to-back Georgia state champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, has a best time that bordered on the consolation final at last year's NCAA Championships. Leo Zabudkin, another transfer, will try his hand at a higher level after coming in from NCAA Division II Wingate.
• Diving: Four divers from last year's squad return for diving coach Mike Hilde. Sophomore Ross Todd made history as a freshman, becoming the first Michigan diver to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 14 years, and was a finalist on platform at the Big Ten Championships. Junior Jake Herremans and sophomore Chris Canning both look to improve their scores, while senior/junior Collin DeShaw is back and eager to show off some new skills after redshirting last season.
Charlie Swanson
2018-19 Schedule
• Michigan opens its season Sept. 28, hosting Oakland and Miami (Ohio) for a double dual at Canham Natatorium. The following day -- Saturday, Sept. 29 -- the program will host a relay-only meet to raise awareness for JDRF.
• The Wolverines have six other dual meets on their 2018-19 schedule: Northwestern (Oct. 19-20 at Canham Natatorium), Iowa and Denver (Nov. 2-3 in Iowa City, Iowa), Indiana (Jan. 17 in Bloomington, Indiana), Ohio State (Jan. 19 at Canham) and Michigan State (Feb. 8 in East Lansing, Michigan).
• For the third consecutive year, Michigan will travel south for its midseason meet, competing at the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Georgia, from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The Wolverines will also go back on a training trip after a one-year hiatus, returning to the Jacobs Aquatic Center in Key Largo, Florida, for the Orange Bowl Classic in early January.
• The Big Ten Championships will be held Feb. 27-March 2 in Iowa City. The NCAA Championships will be held March 27-30 in Austin, Texas.
Players Mentioned
