Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines to Host Spartans for Senior Night
1/30/2018 6:08:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» With fewer than three weeks until the Big Ten Championships, the No. 3-ranked Wolverines close out the dual-meet portion of their schedule on Friday (Feb. 2), hosting Michigan State at 5:30 p.m.
» Prior to the meet, the program will recognize its seven-person senior class: Gabby DeLoof, Emily Kopas, Carolyn McCann, G Ryan, Clara Smiddy, Dani VanderZwaag and Samantha Yeo.
» With a win over the Spartans, Michigan would be undefeated in dual meets, a feat last accomplished in the 1997-98 season.
THIS WEEK
Friday, Feb. 2 -- vs. Michigan State (Canham Natatorium), 5:30 p.m.
Live Results | Parking Advisory
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The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team (9-0, 6-0 B1G) closes out the regular season on Friday (Feb. 2), hosting in-state foe Michigan State (5-8, 1-2 B1G). The meet, a combined meet with the men's teams from both schools, will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Canham Natatorium. Admission is free. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free Michigan swimming and diving T-shirt.
The meet serves as the final opportunity for the Wolverines to race ahead of the Big Ten Championships, which will take place Feb. 14-17 in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan is the two-time defending champion.
Prior to the meet, the program will recognize its seven-member senior class, comprised of Gabby DeLoof, Emily Kopas, Carolyn McCann, G Ryan, Clara Smiddy, Dani VanderZwaag and Samantha Yeo.
During the meet, the program also will recognize Olympians Peter Vanderkaay, Chris Thompson, Charlie Houchin, John Piersma, Sean Ryan, Melinda (Copp) Harrison, Ginny (Duenkel) Fuldner and Mike McWha. The eight Olympians will receive their old Olympic caps -- ones that were mounted in Canham Natatorium's back hallway prior to the display being upgraded -- during the second intermission of the Wolverines ice hockey game vs. Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m.
PARKING ADVISORY
Fans coming to the meet are advised to arrive early, as parking in the Athletic Campus Parking Lot is expected to be limited due to swimming and diving, ice hockey and wrestling all occurring on Friday. Additional overflow parking is available for free after 5 p.m. at Crisler (SC-4, SC-5, SC-6, SC-7) and University Lots SC-13, SC-14 and SC-32 on the corner of Hoover and Greene. [ Parking Info ]
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
400-yard Medley Relay
200-yard IM
50-yard Backstroke
50-yard Breaststroke
50-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle
100-yard IM
One-Meter Diving
100-yard Butterfly
500-yard Freestyle
100-yard Breaststroke
100-yard Freestyle
100-yard Backstroke
Three-Meter Diving
200-yard Freestyle Relay
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Michigan State
The Spartans are 5-8 (1-2 B1G) and are coming off a 197-103 win over Oakland on Jan. 20. Sophomore Ana Sortland ranks seventh in the Big Ten in the 100-yard breaststroke; Junior Racheal Bukowski leads the team in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, achieving the NCAA "B" standard in both events.
Series: Michigan is 40-2 all-time against Michigan State and has won 31 straight dual meets in the series.
WOLVERINE BITES
• This senior class has been instrumental in helping turn the program around. One of the winningest classes in program history (Michigan has gone 31-4 in dual meets during their four years), they have been a part of two Big Ten title-winning teams, capturing championships in each of the last two years. Additionally, five of the seven student-athletes are Academic All-Big Ten honorees.
• With a win over Michigan State, Michigan can secure its first undefeated dual-meet slate since the 1997-98 season (9-0). The Wolverines enter Friday's meet with a 9-0 record, defeating Oakland (Sept. 29); Louisville (Oct. 20-21); Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State (Nov. 3-4); Indiana (Jan. 13); and Ohio State, Virginia Tech and Rutgers (Jan. 20).
• Michigan is 31-4 in dual meets since the beginning of the 2014-15 season. It has won its last 24 dual meets against Big Ten opponents.
• The Wolverines came in at No. 3 in the most recent TYR/CSCAA Division I Coaches Poll, released on Jan. 31. The next poll is scheduled for Feb. 7. [ Poll ]
• Heading into the Big Ten Championships, Michigan ranks 1-2-3 in the 100-yard freestyle (Siobhán Haughey, Gabby DeLoof, Catie DeLoof), 1-2-5-7 in the 200-yard freestyle (Haughey, G. DeLoof, C. DeLoof, Yirong Bi), 1-3-6-8 in the 500-yard freestyle (Bi, Sierra Schmidt, G Ryan, Becca Postoll) and 3-5-8 in the 1,650-yard freestyle (Bi, Ryan, Schmidt). Based on top-eight projections, those finishes would earn 374 points at the Big Ten Championships; Michigan scored 291.5 points from those four events at last year's meet.
• Sophomore Vanessa Krause is rounding into form, sweeping the 100- and 200-yard butterfly at Ohio State on Jan. 20. Compared to her swims against Indiana the week before, she cut 1.26 seconds in the 200-yard butterfly and .34 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly. Krause is currently ranked second in the Big Ten in the 200-yard butterfly.
• Freshman Daria Pyshnenko is trending up heading into the postseason. She finished second to Ohio State All-American swimmer Liz Li in the 50-yard freestyle when the two teams met on Jan. 20, clocking in at 22.68, a new personal best. For comparison, she went 22.73 at the team's midseason meet in December, a time which she achieved while wearing a racing suit.
• Freshmen Nikki Canale and Christy Cutshaw have both qualified for the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in March. Canale has team-high scores on one-meter (284.95) and three-meter (332.70), while Cutshaw leads on platform (265.40). [ Diving Bests ]
• Through Jan. 20, Michigan has accumulated 69 NCAA cuts (61 "B," 8 "A") and four NCAA Zone C Diving qualifying scores. At this same point last year, it had 51 NCAA cuts (44 "B," 7 "A") and six NCAA Zone C Diving qualifying scores.
Currently, there are 10 swimmers who have times ahead of last year's cut line for the NCAA Championships: Siobhán Haughey (100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard IM), Gabby DeLoof (100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle), Catie DeLoof (100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle), Yirong Bi (500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle, 400-yard IM), Sierra Schmidt (500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle), G Ryan (500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle), Becca Postoll (500-yard freestyle), Clara Smiddy (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke), Miranda Tucker (100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke) and Emily Kopas (200-yard breaststroke). [ Top Times ]
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines continued their dominance in the distance freestyles, leading to wins over Ohio State (176-124), Virginia Tech (224-76) and Rutgers (233-67) on Jan. 20 in Columbus. [ Recap ]
UP NEXT
Wed-Sat., Feb. 14-17 -- at Big Ten Championships (Columbus, Ohio), 11 a.m./6:30 p.m.
Players Mentioned
