
This Week in Michigan Women's Swimming & Diving #10
3/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
March 17, 2015
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
THIS WEEK
Thu-Sat., March 19-21 -- at NCAA Championships (Greensboro, N.C.), 11 a.m./7 p.m.
Championships Central | Live Results
Live Video (ESPN3): Friday PM | Saturday PM
Live Video (NCAA): Thursday AM | Thursday PM | Friday AM | Saturday AM
TV: ESPNU (Airs Tuesday, March 31, at 6 p.m. ET)
The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team will cap its 41st season of varsity competition this week at the NCAA Championships, slated to be held Thursday through Saturday (March 19-21) at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Preliminaries will begin at 11 a.m. with event finals following at 7 p.m.
The Wolverines are sending a total of 12 individuals to Greensboro -- seven that will swim in at least one individual race and three more will that appear on relays only and one diver. The participants include seniors Carey Chen and Kelsey Cummings, junior Ali DeLoof, sophomore Claudia Goswell and freshmen Emily Kopas, Hannah Moore, Gillian Ryan and Clara Smiddy. Those going for relays only include junior Zoe Mattingly, sophomore Madeline Frost and freshman Gabby DeLoof. Junior Marni Oldershaw will also travel as a relay alternate. All five relays qualified for the NCAA Championships.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND INVITED PARTICIPANTS
Thursday, March 19
200-yard Freestyle Relay -- Madeline Frost, Ali DeLoof, Zoe Mattingly, Clara Smiddy
500-yard Freestyle -- Claudia Goswell, Hannah Moore, Gillian Ryan
200-yard Individual Medley -- Clara Smiddy
50-yard Freestyle -- Ali DeLoof
400-yard Medley Relay -- Clara Smiddy, Emily Kopas, Zoe Mattingly, Ali DeLoof
One-Meter Diving -- Carey Chen (1:45 p.m.)
Friday, March 20
200-yard Medley Relay -- Ali DeLoof, Emily Kopas, Zoe Mattingly, Madeline Frost
400-yard Individual Medley -- Hannah Moore
200-yard Freestyle -- Claudia Goswell, Gillian Ryan
100-yard Breaststroke -- Emily Kopas
100-yard Backstroke -- Ali DeLoof, Clara Smiddy
800-yard Freestyle Relay -- Clara Smiddy, Claudia Goswell, Gabby DeLoof, Gillian Ryan
Saturday, March 21
200-yard Backstroke -- Hannah Moore, Clara Smiddy
100-yard Freestyle -- Ali DeLoof
200-yard Breaststroke -- Emily Kopas
1,650-yard Freestyle -- Kelsey Cummings, Gillian Ryan
Platform Diving -- Carey Chen (1:45 p.m.)
400-yard Freestyle Relay -- Clara Smiddy, Ali DeLoof, Claudia Goswell, Gillian Ryan
SCORING
The top eight times (places 1-8) in each preliminary race, including relays, will advance to the evening's finals and earn NCAA All-America honors (the only exception is the 1,650-yard freestyle, which is a timed final). The next eight times (places 9-16) will swim in the 'B' final and earn NCAA All-America honorable mention. The top 16 finishers will score points for their team.
STUDENT-ATHLETE NOTES
CAREY CHEN SENIOR
One-Meter Diving, Platform
Qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year. Finished 25th on platform, 30th on three-meter and 36th on one-meter at the 2014 NCAA Championships ... Qualified to the NCAA Championships via fourth-place finish on platform (503.10) and fifth-place finish on one-meter (601.95) at NCAA Zone C Diving Championships ... She is the first U-M diver since Amanda Lohman to qualify for the NCAA Championships in consecutive seasons. Lohman accomplished the feat three times (2010-12) ... In program history, Chen is ranked second on one-meter (331.25) and platform (295.30) and third on three-meter (336.50). All three scores were achieved this season.
KELSEY CUMMINGS SENIOR
1,650-yard Freestyle
Making second trip to the NCAA Championships; previously qualified in 2012 while at North Carolina ... Finished 28th in the 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2012 NCAA Championships ... Ranked sixth in program history in the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:13.34) ... Prior to transferring to Michigan, Cummings spent two years at North Carolina (2012-13) ... NCAA RANKINGS ... 28th in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
ALI DELOOF JUNIOR
50-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Backstroke
Making third trip to the NCAA Championships ... Three-time NCAA All-America Honorable Mention (2014: 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay; 2013: 200-yard medley relay) ... Finished 11th in the 100-yard backstroke and swam on four relays at the 2014 NCAA Championships ... All-Big Ten (2015: Second Team) ... Is the current school record holder in the 100-yard freestyle (48.32) and is also ranked second in both the 50-yard freestyle (22.33) and 100-yard backstroke (52.15) ... Also holds school records as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:15.27), the 200-yard medley relay (1:37.38) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:33.32) ... Finished fourth in the 50-meter backstroke (28.70) and eighth in the 100-meter backstroke (1:02.21) at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships ... NCAA RANKINGS ... 16th in the 100-yard freestyle, 20th in the 100-yard backstroke, 30th in the 50-yard freestyle.
CLAUDIA GOSWELL SOPHOMORE
200-yard Freestyle, 500-yard Freestyle
Making first trip to the NCAA Championships ... Had a breakout meet at the Big Ten Championships, finishing fifth in the 200-yard freestyle, tying for seventh in the 500-yard freestyle and finishing 16th in the 100-yard freestyle ... Ranked fourth in program history in both the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.91) and 500-yard freestyle (4:42.28) ... Also holds school records as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay and 800-yard freestyle relay (7:01.72) ... NCAA RANKINGS ... 32nd in the 500-yard freestyle, 36th in the 200-yard freestyle.
EMILY KOPAS FRESHMAN
100-yard Breaststroke, 200-yard Breaststroke
Making first trip to the NCAA Championships ... Is the current school record holder in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:09.58) and is second in the 100-yard breaststroke (59.85) ... One of only two U-M swimmers to break the one-minute barrier in the 100-yard breaststroke (other: Angie Chokran, 59.80) ... Also holds school record as part of the 400-yard medley relay ... Father, William, and uncle, Brice, both swam at Michigan. William was the Big Ten champion in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 1986, while Brice was an NCAA All-American in 1994 ... NCAA RANKINGS ... 18th in the 200-yard breaststroke, 23rd in the 100-yard breaststroke.
HANNAH MOORE FRESHMAN
500-yard Freestyle, 400-yard IM, 200-yard Backstroke
Making first trip to the NCAA Championships ... Ranked second in program history in the 500-yard freestyle (4:40.90) and 200-yard backstroke (1:54.50) and seventh in the 400-yard IM (4:11.45) ... Represented Team USA at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, winning gold medals in the 400-meter freestyle and 200-meter backstroke ... Mother, Amy, is a University of Michigan graduate ... NCAA RANKINGS ... 25th in the 500-yard freestyle, 34th in the 400-yard IM, 37th in the 200-yard backstroke.
GILLIAN RYAN FRESHMAN
200-yard Freestyle, 500-yard Freestyle, 1,650-yard Freestyle
Making first trip to the NCAA Championships ... Is current school-record holder in the 500-yard freestyle (4:37.78) and is second in both the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.24) and 1,650-yard freestyle (15:54.31) ... One of only two U-M swimmers to eclipse the 16-minute mark in the 1,650-yard freestyle (other: Emily Brunemann, 15:51.29) ... Also holds school records as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay and 800-yard freestyle relay ... Member of U.S. National Team since 2012 ... Will represent Team USA at 2015 Pan American Games July 14-18 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada ... U.S. Junior National Team (2011-13) ... NCAA RANKINGS ... Eighth in the 500-yard freestyle, ninth in the 1,650-yard freestyle, 21st in the 200-yard freestyle.
CLARA SMIDDY FRESHMAN
100-yard Backstroke, 200-yard Backstroke, 200-yard IM
Making first trip to the NCAA Championships ... Has set school records in the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.21), the 100-yard backstroke (51.83) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:51.76). Also is third in the 200-yard IM (1:56.74) and is tied for 10th in the 100-yard freestyle (49.36) ... Additionally holds school records as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay ... At the Big Ten Championships (Feb. 18-21), won the 200-yard IM, finished second in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke ... Represented Team USA at 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, winning a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke ... Current member of U.S. National Team ... Will represent Team USA at 2015 Pan American Games, held July 14-18 in Toronto, Canada ... U.S. Junior National Team (2013-14) ... Has six siblings, five of whom have swum collegiately: Matthew and Andrew (Penn State), Rebecca (Grove City College), Susan (University of Miami) ... NCAA RANKINGS ... Sixth in the 200-yard backstroke, seventh in the 100-yard backstroke, 14th in the 200-yard IM.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS TIDBITS
HISTORY: The Wolverines have scored points at the NCAA Championships every season since 1983. U-M has finished outside of the top 25 only five times in the past 28 seasons (1986, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2014) and has secured a top-10 finish 13 times, including a runner-up team finish in 1995, the highest in program history. Michigan's last top-10 finish came in 2008 (ninth), and its last top-20 finish came in 2010 (15th). Since Mike Bottom took over the women's program, the Wolverines have gone from 36th (2013) to 30th (2014).
CHAMPIONS: U-M has 14 NCAA champions in its rich history (10 in individual swimming events, three in diving, one relay). The last champion was Emily Brunemann in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 2008.
BEST EVENTS: The Wolverines have tabulated a total of 151 NCAA All-America honors (92 in individual swimming events, 39 on relays, 20 in diving). Traditionally, the best events for Michigan have been the 200-yard individual medley (14 NCAA All-Americans), the 400-yard IM (12), the 200-yard breaststroke (11) and the 200-yard freestyle (10). The Wolverines have not picked up an NCAA All-America honor on a relay since 2007 (200-yard medley relay, 400-yard freestyle relay).
LAST SEASON: The Wolverines sent five swimmers, one diver and all five relays to the 2014 NCAA Championships, where they finished 30th (23 points). Junior Marni Oldershaw captured an NCAA All-America honor in the 200-yard IM, while Ali DeLoof picked up a pair of NCAA All-America honorable mentions: one in the 100-yard backstroke and the other as part of the 200-yard medley relay (with Angela Chokran, Zoe Mattingly and Madeline Frost).
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan finished third at the 2015 Big Ten Championships (held Feb. 18-21 in Columbus, Ohio), its highest team finish since 2010. Over the four days in Columbus, U-M set or improved eight school records, three on relays and another three from freshman Clara Smiddy (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard freestyle). The other new record holders include junior Ali DeLoof in the 100-yard freestyle and freshman Emily Kopas in the 200-yard breaststroke, both from swims on the final day. The Wolverines also established new records on the 800-yard freestyle relay (Smiddy, Gabby DeLoof, Gillian Ryan, Claudia Goswell), the 400-yard medley relay (G. DeLoof, Kopas, Zoe Mattingly, A. DeLoof) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (Smiddy, A. DeLoof, Goswell, Ryan). It also secured five NCAA 'A' times and 41 NCAA 'B' times. [ Recap ]
Four divers were in action last weekend at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in Columbus (March 12-14), with Carey Chen qualifying to the NCAA Championships with top-five finishes on both one-meter and platform. [ Recap ]
Communications Contact: Brad Rudner (734) 763-4423










