Michigan
ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Wins from Haughey, Vargas Help Big Ten to Sweeps Over ACC
11/11/2018 12:24:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
» The Big Ten won the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Swimming and Diving Challenge, sweeping both the men's session (179-174) and women's session (251-102).
» Siobhán Haughey toppled Mallory Comerford, the defending NCAA champion, to win the 200-yard freestyle with an NCAA "A" cut (1:42.63).
» Ricardo Vargas beat two of the ACC's best distance swimmers to win the 1,000-yard freestyle, the fastest time in the nation this season (8:46.64).
Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center)
Event: Big Ten/ACC Swimming & Diving Challenge (Day 2 of 2)
Next U-M Event: Thurs-Sat., Nov. 29-Dec. 1 -- at UGA Invitational (Athens, Ga.), TBA
• Complete Results (PDF)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Eleven student-athletes represented the University of Michigan swimming and diving program and helped the Big Ten win the Big Ten/ACC Swimming and Diving Challenge, held Sunday morning (Nov. 11) at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center. The women, coached by U-M head coach Mike Bottom, won 251-102, as did the men, 179-174. Senior Siobhán Haughey (200-yard freestyle), sophomore Ricardo Vargas (1,000-yard freestyle) and freshman Maggie MacNeil (50-yard freestyle) were all individual victors on Sunday.
Women
Score: Big Ten 251, ACC 102
Haughey got a bit of redemption on Sunday, toppling defending NCAA champion Mallory Comerford (Louisville) to take the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.63) by about a second. It was an NCAA "A" cut. Senior Catie DeLoof was third (1:45.42), claiming the NCAA "B" cut.
After lowering her school record in the 100-yard butterfly yesterday, MacNeil had another impressive swim on Sunday, winning the 50-yard freestyle (22.08) and coming within a tenth-of-a-second of the school record. Haughey was right behind in second (22.12).
The Big Ten dominated the distance events and senior Yirong Bi was a huge part of that, taking third in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:40.14) behind Mackenzie Padington (Minnesota) and Ally McHugh (Penn State).
Junior Vanessa Krause, in her first and only swim of the meet, took second in the 200-yard butterfly (1:55.54).
MacNeil (23.31 on butterfly) and DeLoof (21.81 on freestyle) took the back half of the 200-yard medley relay, helping the Big Ten to a win (1:34.96) along with Beata Nelson (Wisconsin) and Lilly King (Indiana).
DeLoof (47.24), MacNeil (48.61) and Haughey (47.22) took the last three legs of the 400-yard freestyle relay, combining with Nelson to bring home the win for the Big Ten (3:11.60).
Men
Score: Big Ten 179, ACC 174
Vargas had a fantastic swim in the 1,000-yard freestyle, topping a pair of the ACC's best in Zach Yeadon (Notre Dame) and Marcelo Acosta (North Carolina State). Vargas, who came into the day with the nation's fastest time in the event, lowered it even further Sunday (8:46.64). Junior Felix Auböck was fourth (9:00.95).
Sophomore Ross Todd had a great showing on tower, helping the Big Ten pad its lead with some late diving points with a third-place finish (369.00).
Juniors Tommy Cope and Charlie Swanson were in the water for the 200-yard IM, finishing fourth (1:46.98) and sixth (1:48.34), respectively. Sophomore Luiz Gustavo Borges took to the pool for the splash-and-dash, finishing eighth (20.32).
Up Next
The Wolverines will return to competition in fewer than three weeks for the UGA Invitational, to be held Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, in Athens, Georgia. The annual midseason competition consists of preliminaries and finals sessions on each of the three days, though start times have yet to be announced.
