Michigan
Boilermaker Challenge
Gilliam Wins 500 Free, Posts Qualifying Time at Purdue
11/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team sits in sixth place after the first day of action at the Boilermaker Challenge, an event in which all eight competing schools are ranked in the CSCAA Top 25. The Wolverines accumulated 143.5 points Friday (Nov. 5), led by sophomore Susan Gilliam's (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles HS) victory in the 500-yard freestyle and freshman Justine Mueller's (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) runner-up showing in the 200-yard individual medley.
Gilliam secured a trip to the NCAA Championships as she notched an NCAA 'A' standard in only the team's third meet of the season, swimming a time of 4:45.02 in the 500 freestyle to win the second women's event of the night. Her time was more than a second and a half faster than that of the runner-up, Tennessee's Julia Stowers (4:46.65).
Mueller followed with a strong performance in the 200 IM, hitting the wall in 2:01.90 to better the NCAA 'B' standard, but she was out-touched for first place by Danielle Townsend of Texas A&M (2:01.76).
Three Wolverines scored in the 50-yard freestyle, with sophomore Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant HS) eclipsing the NCAA 'B' standard for fourth place (23.42), sophomore Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) finishing sixth (23.70), and senior Tracy Egnatuk (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) tying for 12th (24.06).
Michigan took fourth place in the night's opening event, the 200-yard freestyle relay, with a time of 1:33.98 and closed the session with a seventh-place time (3:48.24) in the 400-yard medley relay. Freshman Elyse Lee (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) was U-M's top performer in the one-meter diving, placing 11th with a 222.05 point total.
No. 3 Florida is atop the team standings with 197 points, with No. 11 Texas A&M (191) in close pursuit. Only 13 points separate the next four teams: No. 9 UCLA (156.5), No. 23-ranked host Purdue (152), No. 4 Texas (149.5) and Michigan (143.5).
The Boilermaker Challenge wraps up Saturday (Nov. 6) with two sessions, starting at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Florida 197 2. Texas A&M 191 3. UCLA 156.5 4. Purdue 152 5. Texas 149.5 6. MICHIGAN 143.5 7. Tennessee 128 8. Virginia 122
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
