Weekly Release #1
10/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Upcoming Schedule ...
Friday, Oct. 24 -- vs. Eastern Michigan (Canham Natatorium), 6 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 31 -- vs. Florida (Canham Natatorium), 6 p.m.
This Week: Eastern Michigan Dual ...
The University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team opens its 2003-04 season this Friday (Oct. 24) when the Wolverines welcome Washtenaw County rival Eastern Michigan to Ann Arbor for a 6 p.m. meet at Canham Natatorium. The meet format will be short-course yards.
Schedule of Events
100-Yard Butterfly
100-Yard Backstroke
100-Yard Breaststroke
One-Meter Diving
1,650-Yard Freestyle
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
50-Yard Freestyle
200-Yard Individual Medley
Diving Break
200-Yard Butterfly
100-Yard Freestyle
200-Yard Backstroke
500-Yard Freestyle
10-Minute Break
200-Yard Breaststroke
400-Yard Freestyle Relay
Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan ...
No non-Big Ten Conference opponent is more familiar to the Michigan men's swimming and diving program than the Eagles of Eastern Michigan. Dating back to their first meeting in the 1970-71 season, the two teams have competed against each other in dual meets 23 times. The Wolverines are perfect in those meets with a 23-0 record, including a 182-115 victory last year in the Michael H. Jones Natatorium in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Scouting the Opponents ...
Eastern Michigan -- The Eagles return 21 letterwinners from their 2003 Mid-American Conference championship team. Last year the Eagles posted a record of 10-1, 5-0 in the MAC. Under 16th-year head swimming coach Peter Linn, Eastern Michigan is 118-31 overall and 75-6 in the MAC action.
Michigan in Openers ...
The last time Michigan lost its opening dual meet of the season man had not walked on the moon. Since the 1967-68 season, when the Wolverines fell to Indiana (40-83), Michigan has gone on to win its opening dual meet 35 straight years. Since 1983, when head coach Jon Urbanchek took over the reins of the Michigan swimming program, the Wolverines have never lost their opening dual meet while posting wins over top-ranked teams such as Georgia, Florida and California. Last season the Maize and Blue downed Eastern Michigan 182-115 in the Michael H. Jones Natatorium in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Captain Ketchum
Senior Dan Ketchum (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore HS) was selected as the lone Wolverine captain for the 2003-04 season. Ketchum, the U-M record holder in the 200-yard freestyle (1:34.19) and 200-yard individual medley (1:47.60), enters his final year in the pool wearing the Maize and Blue. In three years with a Michigan cap, Ketchum has produced 10-All America citations as well as six Big Ten Conference titles (three individual, three relay).
The Urbanchek File ...
Michigan head coach Jon Urbanchek enters his 22nd year as head coach of the men's swimming and diving program. He has watched eight of his swimmers go on to earn Olympic medals. He led his 1995 team to an NCAA championship, while individually his swimmers and divers have racked up 36 national titles. On the conference level his teams have won 13 Big Ten championships while posting a staggering record of 96-4 in conference dual meets for a winning percentage of .960. His overall dual meet record is similar, as he has led the Wolverines to an impressive 158-31 (.836) mark.
A Platform of Success ...
Senior Jason Coben (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown HS) became the first Wolverine NCAA champion on the 10-meter diving platform when he posted an 11-dive total score of 575.80, earning a share of the 2003 national championship title with Auburn's Cesar Garcia. Heading into the finals eighth in the rankings, Coben was the first diver to take the plunge. Behind five four strong dives to move into first place with only one dive remaining. He nailed the final dive to put him 76.50 points up on Garcia, but the two had to wait through six other divers before the national champion was crowned. Garcia, knowing he needed to hit a big dive, scored a 76.50 to tie Coben's 11-dive total of 575.80 to share the national championship. It marks the first diving NCAA championship won by the Wolverines since Kent Ferguson scored 560.85 to win on the three-meter springboard in 1984.
Big Ten Team Champions
The Wolverines won their 32nd Big Ten team title in 2003 when the Maize and Blue totaled 727 points to edge two-time defending conference champion Minnesota (689). Michigan head coach Jon Urbanchek was named Big Ten co-Coach of the Year with Minnesota's Dennis Dale, following his 12th conference title in 21 years of service as the head man for U-M. Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year following an individual title in the 500-yard free and a runner-up showing in the mile, both swum with NCAA automatic qualifying times.
Jason Coben earned Big Ten co-Diver of the Championships for his efforts on the one-meter springboard and 10-meter platform. After a second-place finish on the one-meter on the first day of the meet, he landed the final dive of the platform competition to secure his second straight league title on the platform. His victory in the Dick Kimball Diving Pool also solidified the Wolverines' first Big Ten team championship since it last hosted the meet in 2000.
In addition to Vanderkaay and Coben, the Wolverines received event titles from then senior tri-captain Jeff Hopwood (1999-2003), Chuck Sayao (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park HS) in the 400-yard individual medley, and the 800-yard medley relay team of Davis Tarwater (Knoxville, Tenn./Webb School), Garrett Mangieri (2000-03), Vanderkaay and Dan Ketchum.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
