Michigan
NCAA Championships
Wolverines Finish Third at NCAA Championships
3/23/2019 9:16:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» The Wolverines finished third at the NCAA Championships (314 points), its second consecutive top-four finish and second-highest finish ever. They are the third team in program history to record a top-three finish (1995: 2nd; 1996: 3rd).
» Seniors Siobhán Haughey (3rd, 46.26) and Catie DeLoof (8th, 47.59) became the first pair of teammates in program history to make the final of the 100-yard freestyle. Haughey is now the eighth-fastest performer in history.
» U-M ended the meet with a second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, establishing new Big Ten and U-M records (3:08.07). It put all five of its relays on the podium at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1998.
Site: Austin, Texas (Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center)
Event: NCAA Championships (Day 4 of 4)
U-M Team Standing: 3rd Place (314 points)
Next U-M Event: Season Concluded
AUSTIN, Texas -- Led by medal-winning and record-setting performances from senior Siobhán Haughey in the 100-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay, the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team wrapped up its season with a third-place finish (314 points) at the NCAA Championships on Saturday (March 23) inside the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. Stanford won the team title (456.5 points).
It is the second-highest finish in program history, tying the third-place team from 1996 and trailing only the national runner-up team from 1995. The finish marks a one-spot improvement over last year, giving the program back-to-back top-four finishes at the NCAA Championships for just the second time in its history (1995-96). Furthermore, it is the program's third consecutive top-10 finish, a feat least achieved from 1997-99.
Over the four days in Austin, U-M had 14 All-America performances in individual events and relays, with another five coming in the consolation finals.
"To end the season with a trophy isn't something we take for granted," said head coach Mike Bottom. "This group put in a lot of hard work all season. We told them afterwards to breathe it in and enjoy this moment. It's a monument for their lives, something to hold on to forever. And very happy for our senior class, who led the way for us. They guided the ship and we couldn't be happier for them to end their Michigan careers like this."
Relays were a big reason for the team's finish this week, accounting for nearly half of their point total. The Wolverines put all five of their relays on the podium for the first time in 21 years, the last coming Saturday with a second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The foursome of freshman Maggie MacNeil, Haughey, senior Catie DeLoof and sophomore Daria Pyshnenko were collectively clocked at 3:08.07, lowering their previously-held Big Ten and U-M records. MacNeil led off in 47.04, the second-fastest time for a 100-yard freestyle in school history.
Haughey, who was among the six senior qualifiers competing in their final meet, became the eighth-fastest performer in history in the 100-yard freestyle, resetting her Big Ten and school records to win bronze (46.64). Classmate Catie DeLoof, seeded 12th coming in, joined her in the final, finishing eighth (47.59). Haughey and DeLoof are the first U-M teammates to make the podium in the 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships in the same season.
The Wolverines made big moves over their projections in the 1,650-yard freestyle, as all three swimmers went faster than they did at the Big Ten Championships. Two of them set new personal bests, led by sophomore Sierra Schmidt, who jumped 13 spots from her seed on the psych sheet to take sixth out of an early heat (15:50.19). With that swim, she moved past former NCAA champion Emily Brunemann to No. 3 on the school's all-time list. Senior Yirong Bi came in close behind in 10th (15:55.89), scoring for the fourth consecutive year in the event. The other personal best came from another swimmer in her final race, as senior Becca Postoll finished 24th with the sixth-fastest time in school history (16:09.93). It was the fourth straight year in which Michigan had at least two distance swimmers score in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
Senior Jamie Yeung led the way in the 200-yard breaststroke, taking 22nd (2:09.15) in her last collegiate swim. Redshirt junior Miranda Tucker was 29th (2:10.06).
Junior Vanessa Krause was the only swimmer in the 200-yard butterfly, taking 21st (1:55.97).
Sophomore Christy Cutshaw took to the tower for platform diving for the second consecutive year at the NCAA Championships, finishing 27th (238.75).
Two swimmers took to the water in the 200-yard backstroke. Junior Chloe Hicks made her first and only swim of the week, finishing 35th (1:54.82), while senior Taylor Garcia was 46th (1:56.11) in the final swim of her career.
TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Stanford 456.5 2. California 419 3. MICHIGAN 314 4. Louisville 235 5. Texas 190.5 6. Virginia 188 7. North Carolina St. 187.5 8. Tennessee 185 9. Indiana 179 10. USC 159
1650-yard Freestyle
1. Ally McHugh, PSU 15:39.22 6. Sierra Schmidt, U-M 15:50.19 10. Yirong Bi, U-M 15:55.89 23. Becca Postoll, U-M 16:09.93
200-yard Backstroke
1. Beata Nelson, Wisconsin 1:47.24NBP 35. Chloe Hicks, U-M 1:54.82 46. Taylor Garcia, U-M 1:56.11
100-yard Freestyle
1. Mallory Comerford, Louisville 46.26 3. Siobhán Haughey, U-M 46.64BM 8. Catie DeLoof, U-M 47.59 (47.47)
200-yard Breaststroke
1. Lilly King, Indiana 2:02.90 22. Jamie Yeung, U-M 2:09.15 29. Miranda Tucker, U-M 2:10.06
200-yard Butterfly
1. Louise Hansson, USC 1:50.28P 21. Vanessa Krause, U-M 1:55.97
Platform Diving
1. Samantha Bromberg, Texas 391.60 27. Christy Cutshaw, U-M 238.75
400-yard Freestyle Relay
1. California 3:06.96ANUP (Izzy Ivey, Katie McLaughlin, Amy Bilquist, Abbey Weitzeil) 2. MICHIGAN 3:08.07BM (Maggie MacNeil, Siobhán Haughey, Catie DeLoof, Daria Pyshnenko) A American Record N NCAA Record U U.S. Open Record B Big Ten Record P Pool Record M University of Michigan Record
ALL-AMERICANS
Catie DeLoof -- 200-yard Freestyle (6th), 100-yard Freestyle (8th)
Siobhán Haughey -- 100-yard Freestyle (3rd), 200-yard Freestyle (3rd)
Maggie MacNeil -- 100-yard Butterfly (2nd), 50-yard Freestyle (4th), 100-yard Backstroke (6th)
Sierra Schmidt -- 1,650-yard Freestyle (6th)
Miranda Tucker -- 100-yard Breaststroke (7th)
200-yard Freestyle Relay -- Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey, Daria Pyshnenko (2nd)
400-yard Freestyle Relay -- Maggie MacNeil, Siobhán Haughey, Catie DeLoof, Daria Pyshnenko (2nd)
800-yard Freestyle Relay -- Yirong Bi, Siobhán Haughey, Catie DeLoof, Sierra Schmidt (4th)
200-yard Medley Relay -- Taylor Garcia, Miranda Tucker, Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof (6th)
400-yard Medley Relay -- Taylor Garcia, Miranda Tucker, Maggie MacNeil, Siobhán Haughey (3rd)
ALL-AMERICA HONORABLE MENTIONS
Yirong Bi -- 500-yard Freestyle (10th), 1,650-yard Freestyle (10th)
Catie DeLoof -- 50-yard Freestyle (10th)
Sierra Schmidt -- 500-yard Freestyle (13th)
Jamie Yeung -- 100-yard Breaststroke (10th)
CAREER BESTS
100-yard Freestyle: Siobhán Haughey (46.64 -- No. 1 at U-M)
100-yard Freestyle: Maggie MacNeil (47.04 -- No. 2 at U-M)
100-yard Freestyle: Catie DeLoof (47.47)
1650-yard Freestyle: Sierra Schmidt (15:50.19 -- No. 3 at U-M)
1650-yard Freestyle: Becca Postoll (16:09.93 -- No. 6 at U-M)
Players Mentioned
