Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines Sweep Swimming Events, Thump Spartans
10/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team earned its first victory of the 2005-06 season with a commanding 158-128 decision over Michigan State Friday evening (Oct. 28) at Canham Natatorium. The Wolverines (1-1, 1-0 Big Ten) captured the top time in all 14 swimming events.
The Wolverines got off to a fast start with a 1-2 finish in the first race of the evening, the 400-yard medley relay. The quartet of junior Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant HS), sophomore Ashley McLaughlin (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS), freshman Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial HS) and junior Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) touched the wall in 3:47.58, nearly seven seconds ahead of Michigan's "B" squad.
Michigan extended its lead to 24-9 through two events, as freshman Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) blew away the competition in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Brunemann captured her first career individual title with a NCAA 'B' standard time of 16:48.41. The second-place swimmer from Michigan State touched the wall at 18:04.34.
The Wolverine divers continued their successful start to the season by claiming the top two scores in the one-meter springboard event. Sophomore Elyse Lee (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) won her second one-meter title in as many days, posting a winning mark of 282.15. Junior Ellen Van Cleve (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) placed second with a score of 273.15. Both scores surpassed the NCAA zone diving qualifying mark, and Lee later added a zone-qualifying score of 288.90 on the three-meter board to place third.
The Maize and Blue kept on rolling, finishing 1-2-3 in the 200-yard freestyle. Junior Susan Gilliam (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles HS) collected her second individual title of the year with a top time of 1:51.74. Freshman Noelle Martin (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds HS) clocked in at 1:55.04, and senior Abby Seskevics (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) finished third at 1:55.44.
Michigan then posted 1-2 finishes in the next three events swam to take a commanding 84-25 lead. Freshman Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) recorded her first individual victory as a Wolverine, touching the wall at 57.56 to take the 100-yard backstroke. McLaughlin then claimed her first win of the year with a mark of 1:05.04 in the 100-yard breaststroke, and sophomore Wendy Shieh (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) also tallied her first victory of the young season, clocking in at 2:08.11 in the 200-yard butterfly.
Brady made it eight straight wins for Michigan after touching in at 23.60 to win the 50-yard freestyle. The Spartans claimed their first event title of the meet in the three-meter diving competition, posting the top two scores. Brady continued her dominance in the sprint freestyle events, swimming to a winning time of 51.45 in the 100-yard race.
Sophomore Justine Mueller (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) notched her first victory of 2005-06 by taking the top mark in the 200-yard backstroke (2:07.07). Senior Elsa Larson (Portland, Ore./Lincoln HS) touched the wall first in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:24.35, edging out second-place finisher McLaughlin (2:24.68).
With U-M holding a 152-52 lead, head coach Jim Richardson elected to exhibition his swimmers in the final four events of the meet. Gilliam took the top time in the 500-yard freestyle (4:57.43), Johnson touched the wall first in the 100-yard butterfly race (56.56), and Brunemann blew away the field in the 400-yard individual medley (4:25.46). Brady, Hannah Smith, Martin and Lindsey Smith closed out the meet by claiming the top time in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:34.28).
The Michigan men's and women's swimming and diving teams will both host the Georgia Bulldogs in a double meet next Saturday (Nov. 5, 1 p.m.) at Canham Natatorium.
Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 764-4423
Players Mentioned
