Michigan
Minnesota Invite
Michigan Claims 17 NCAA Cuts at Minnesota Invite
12/5/2019 10:24:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
» Of Michigan's eight individual championship finalists on Thursday, four came in three-meter diving. Ross Todd took first (383.85), followed by Jake Herremans (third), Chris Canning (fourth) and Kevin Bradley (eighth).
» Patrick Callan posted the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this season, finishing third in the 500-yard freestyle.
» Three swimmers went under the 20-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle. Luiz Gustavo Borges was the fastest, going 19.31 in preliminaries.
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center)
Event: Minnesota Invite (Day 2 of 5)
U-M Team Standing: 3rd of 7 Teams (279.5 points) after Day 2
Next U-M Event: Friday, Dec. 6 -- at Minnesota Invite - Day Three (Minneapolis, Minn.), 10 a.m./6 p.m. CST
• Complete Results (PDF)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team put four swimmers and four divers into championship finals on the second day of the Minnesota Invite on Thursday (Dec. 5) at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. After two days of action, U-M is in third place (279.5 points), trailing Texas (481) and California (300).
Of the team's eight finalists Thursday, four came in the three-meter springboard competition. Junior Ross Todd claimed top honors, scoring 383.85, while senior Jake Herremans was third (359.10) and junior Chris Canning was fourth (346.55). All three claimed NCAA Zone Diving qualifying scores. Rounding out the finalists was freshman Kevin Bradley, who took eighth (271.80). Together, the four divers contributed 62 points to the team's total.
Michigan showcased its speed in both the sprint and distance freestyle events on Thursday, putting two swimmers in each final. Fresh off his career-best split leading off the 800-yard freestyle relay Wednesday (Dec. 4), sophomore Patrick Callan did it again on Thursday, finishing third in the 500-yard freestyle (4:12.29), a time that ranks as fourth-fastest in the NCAA this season and seventh-fastest in program history. He was joined in the final by senior Felix Auböck, who took fifth (4:14.00) with the eighth-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Two other swimmers posted impressive performances in the 500-yard freestyle. Junior Will Roberts finished 10th (4:16.50), coming within a half-second of the time it took to qualify for last year's NCAA Championships (4:16.04). Redshirt sophomore Spencer Carl got under the NCAA 'B' cut with his second swim, establishing a new career best (4:23.28) in an event that he last swam as a senior in high school.
Three sprinters went under the 20-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle, led by junior Luiz Gustavo Borges, who finished fourth (19.40), though he was faster in preliminaries (19.31). Senior Miles Smachlo, moved up 21 spots from his seed to tie for 12th (19.82), though he, too, was faster in preliminaries (19.73). Freshman Cam Peel took advantage of his second swim, going from 20.05 in preliminaries to 19.89 in finals.
Senior Tommy Cope led the way in the 200-yard IM, finishing fifth (1:43.26) with the seventh-fastest time in the NCAA this season. Two other seniors joined him in the top 12: Jeremy Babinet in 10th (1:45.29) and Charlie Swanson in 11th (1:45.30). All three swimmers picked up NCAA 'B' cuts, as did senior Rob Zofchak (1:46.04) and sophomore Will Chan (1:46.69), who each got under the standard with their second swims in the evening.
The Wolverines closed out the session with a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay. The foursome of sophomore Eric Storms, Cope, Smachlo and Borges finished in 3:07.61, a shade under the NCAA 'B' cut.
The Minnesota Invite continues Friday (Dec. 6) with preliminaries at 10 a.m. CST and finals at 6 p.m.
NCAA Qualifying Times/Scores
Preliminaries - p
400-yard Medley Relay
B - Eric Storms, Tommy Cope, Miles Smachlo, Luiz Gustavo Borges (3:07.61)
500-yard Freestyle
B - Patrick Callan, 4:12.29 (No. 7 at U-M)
B - Felix Auböck, 4:14.00
B - Will Roberts, 4:16.50
B - Spencer Carl, 4:23.28
200-yard IM
B - Tommy Cope, 1:43.26
B - Jeremy Babinet, 1:45.29
B - Charlie Swanson, 1:45.30
B - Rob Zofchak, 1:46.04
B - Will Chan, 1:46.69
50-yard Freestyle
B - Luiz Gustavo Borges, 19.31p
B - Miles Smachlo, 19.73p
B - Cam Peel, 19.89
100-yard Backstroke
B - Eric Storms, 47.66 (leading off 400-yard Medley Relay)
Three-Meter Diving
Ross Todd, 383.85
Jake Herremans, 359.10
Chris Canning, 351.60p
Players Mentioned
