Michigan
Southern Cal
DeJong, Vanderkaay Push U-M Past Top-Ranked USC
1/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Juniors Chris DeJong (Holland, Mich./Holland HS) and Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) each registered two individual victories and contributed to a pair of relay crowns to lead the No. 9-ranked University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team to a 145-117 win over No. 1 Southern California on Tuesday (Jan. 4) at the USC Physical Education Building.
In the Wolverines' first competition in a month, DeJong swept the backstroke competition -- matching his individual performance at the Texas Invitational (Dec. 2-4) -- with a win in the 100-yard race (49.39) before posting a time of 1:47.65 to defeat the seven-man field in the 200-yard event by nearly three seconds. It marked the seventh and eighth individual victories for DeJong this season.
Vanderkaay continued his dominance in the freestyle, claiming victories at 200 and 500 yards and posting the second-fastest time in the 100-yard event. The Wolverine, who already owns NCAA automatic-qualifying times in the 200 and 500 freestyles and a consideration time in the 100, was one of only two swimmers on either team to post a consideration mark with a time of 1:38.61 in the 200.
The Wolverines book-ended their performance with wins in both relay events, taking the only lead they would need in the 400-yard medley relay (3:20.55) and capping the event in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:04.73). DeJong, Peter Vanderkaay and junior Davis Tarwater (Knoxville, Tenn./The Webb School) participated in both relay victories, while fifth-year senior Christian Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) contributed to the medley and senior Andrew Hurd (Oakville, Ontario/Trafalger HS) swam the anchor in the freestyle event.
Tarwater and Christian Vanderkaay also registered individual wins in the 200-yard butterfly and 100-yard breaststroke, respectively. Tarwater clocked a time of 1:50.46 to pace a strong U-M contingent in the butterfly as the Wolverines swept the top four placings in the event. Vanderkaay was just over a second off his season best in the breaststroke, recording a time of 57.13 for his fourth dual-meet win of the 2004-05 campaign.
Complete results will be posted as they are available.
The Wolverines will return to the pool on Friday (Jan. 7) when they travel north to Palo Alto, Calif., to face the No. 5-ranked Stanford Cardinal. The dual meet is slated for a 1 p.m. PST start at the Avery Aquatic Center.
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
