Michigan
Notre Dame
Michigan Whips Notre Dame to Close Regular Season
1/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17 University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team closed out the regular season with a resounding 161-138 victory over No. 25 Notre Dame on Senior Day (Friday, Jan. 28) at Canham Natatorium. The Wolverines (4-2, 3-1 Big Ten) displayed a consistent effort throughout the entire meet, claiming nine of the first 13 swimming titles before exhibitioning the final two races of the evening.
Junior Carolina Sierra (Medellin, Colombia/Colegio Palermo de San Jose) turned in perhaps her best performance of the season, sweeping the backstroke events after swimming on the victorious 400-yard medley relay team (3:48.62) to begin the meet. Sierra posted a first-place time of 56.95 in the 100-yard race, then added a win in the 200-yard (2:05.09) competition to keep the Wolverines ahead on the scoreboard. Both times are season bests for Sierra.
Sophomore Susan Gilliam (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles HS) also won multiple events for Michigan. After crushing the opposition by nearly 41 seconds to win the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:35.23), Gilliam clocked in at 4:52.76 to take first in the 500-yard freestyle.
In her final collegiate meet at Canham Natatorium, senior Amy McCullough (West Bloomfield, Mich./Mercy HS) earned top honors in the 200-yard freestyle with a season-best 1:51.31. Sophomore Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) touched the wall just 0.09 behind McCullough for second place (1:51.40). Smith later added a title of her own in the 100-yard freestyle (51.50).
Sophomore Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant HS) and freshman Valeria Silva (Lima, Peru/Alexander von Humboldt) also captured individual titles for U-M. Brady met an NCAA consideration time in her 50-yard freestyle victory (23.27), while Silva took first in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.10).
Senior Alexis Goolik (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) closed out her home career with impressive marks in both diving events. Goolik earned second place on the one-meter board (313.50) before being edged out by just 5.55 points on the three-meter board (300.30). Both scores surpass the NCAA zone qualifying standard.
In addition to Goolik and McCullough, fellow seniors Lesley Barnet (Bedminster, N.J./Bernards HS), Tracy Egnatuk (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) and Erica Watts (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) made their final apperance at Canham Natatorium Friday night.
Michigan will take a two-week break from competition to focus its training on the 2005 Big Ten Conference Championships, scheduled for Feb. 16-19 at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Ind.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
