Season Preview: 2018-19 Michigan Women's Swimming and Diving
9/20/2018 2:43:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
The University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team enters a new season after one of its best in decades. This year, the Wolverines will go for their fourth consecutive Big Ten title and aim to hold their place among the nation's best after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Despite losing All-Americans Gabby DeLoof, Clara Smiddy and G Ryan, a strong core returns, led by seniors Siobhán Haughey, Yirong Bi and Catie DeLoof. The diving program also is as strong and deep as it has been in years, as seven divers dot the 2018-19 roster.
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: 10-0 (7-0 Big Ten)
• Big Ten Championships: 1st (1,465 points)
• NCAA Championships: 4th (267 points)
• Big Ten Champions (5): Siobhán Haughey (200-yard Freestyle, 200-yard IM), Yirong Bi (500-yard Freestyle), Vanessa Krause (200-yard Butterfly), 400-yard Freestyle Relay, 800-yard Freestyle Relay
• CSCAA All-Americans (8): Siobhán Haughey (100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard Freestyle), Vanessa Krause (200-yard Butterfly), G Ryan (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle), Clara Smiddy (200-yard Backstroke), Miranda Tucker (100-yard Breaststroke, 200-yard Breaststroke), 200-yard Freestyle Relay, 400-yard Freestyle Relay, 800-yard Freestyle Relay
• CSCAA All-America Honorable Mentions (7): Yirong Bi (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle), Christy Cutshaw (Platform Diving), Catie DeLoof (200-yard Freestyle), Gabby DeLoof (100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard Freestyle), Siobhán Haughey (200-yard IM), Sierra Schmidt (500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle), 400-yard Medley Relay
Siobhán Haughey
Roster Breakdown
• Distance: The departure of All-American and former Big Ten champion G Ryan will sting, but the group remains strong with senior Yirong Bi and rising sophomore Sierra Schmidt. Bi has scored points in both the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles at the NCAA Championships in all three of her years in Maize and Blue, while Schmidt was an All-America Honorable Mention in both events last year as a freshman and was recently named to the 2018-19 U.S. National Team. Senior Katie Duggan, one of this year's captains, provides some depth, while sophomore Kate Krolikowski and freshman Victoria Kwan add scoring potential in the 400-yard IM.
• Sprint & Mid-Distance Freestyle: This group is headlined by a pair of seniors in Siobhán Haughey and Catie DeLoof. Haughey has proven to be one of the nation's best in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles, finishing runner-up in the latter at last year's NCAA Championships. Heading into her final season, she is already one of the best swimmers in program history as an eight-time All-American and 10-time Big Ten champion. DeLoof, solid in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, added a third event to her repertoire after dropping a large amount of time in the 200-yard freestyle last year. Sophomore Daria Pyshnenko is a true sprinter, while senior Becca Postoll is able to contribute in a variety of mid-distance events.
• Backstroke: Though Clara Smiddy is gone, the backstroke group remains strong. Senior Taylor Garcia, in her second and final year after transferring from Arizona, is a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier and was a Big Ten Championships finalist in the 100-yard backstroke last season. She is joined by another transfer, junior Chloe Hicks, who comes to Ann Arbor after spending two years at Virginia Tech. Junior Jacqui Schafer looks to continue her upward trajectory after making the final in the 200-yard backstroke at last year's Big Ten Championships, while freshman Katie Minnich adds quality depth.
• Butterfly: Junior Vanessa Krause leads the way in what is one of the team's strongest set of events. After a solid freshman campaign, Krause went even faster last year, running away with the Big Ten title in the 200-yard butterfly and finaling in the same event at the NCAA Championships. She will be aided this year by freshman Maggie MacNeil, a Canadian import who won the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly at this summer's Junior Pan Pacific Championships. Sophomores Emma Cleason, a Big Ten finalist last season and adds plenty of scoring potential, as does classmates Alexis Margett and Claire Maiocco, who are more than capable of dropping time in their second years in the program.
• Breaststroke: Like butterfly, the breaststroke group also packs plenty of punch. They Wolverines will look to replace some of their depth following the graduations of a trio of Big Ten scorers (Emily Kopas, Carolyn McCann and Samantha Yeo), but still have senior/junior Miranda Tucker, last year's NCAA runner-up in the 200-yard breaststroke, leading the way. Senior Jamie Yeung had a great summer representing Hong Kong on the international stage and looks to carry that success over to the short-course pool. Freshman Caroline Sisson is a fast-developing swimmer to watch.
• Diving: Entering the season, U-M diving coach Mike Hilde has plenty of depth and quality in his program, headlined by sophomores Christy Cutshaw and Nikki Canale, both NCAA Championships qualifiers last season. Cutshaw, a platform specialist, finaled on one-meter at the Big Ten Championships, and took 10th on platform at the NCAA Championships. Entering the program are two transfers -- Camryn McPherson (Ohio State) and Miranda Eberle (Virginia Tech) -- while freshman Allie Klein comes in all the way from Australia. Sophomores Lucy Roberts and Margaret Rogers are also in the mix after sitting out last season.
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. 20-23 in Bloomington, Indiana. The NCAA Championships will be held March 20-23 in Austin, Texas.
Players Mentioned
