Michigan
UGA Fall Invitational
MacNeil, Relays Set School Records to Pace Michigan at UGA Fall Invite
11/29/2018 8:48:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» Maggie MacNeil became the second woman in U-M history to crack 22 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, setting a new school record (21.93).
» The 200-yard freestyle relay (1:27.61) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:28.87) set school records and achieved NCAA 'A' cuts.
» Siobhán Haughey won the 200-yard IM (1:55.04), while Yirong Bi (500-yard freestyle) and Allie Klein (three-meter diving) were runners-up.
Site: Athens, Ga. (Gabrielsen Natatorium)
Event: UGA Fall Invitational (Day 1 of 3)
U-M Team Standing: 1st of 6 Teams (300 points) after Day 1
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 30 -- at UGA Fall Invitational - Day Two (Athens, Ga.), 9:30 a.m./5 p.m.
• Complete Results (PDF)
ATHENS, Ga. -- Behind a history-making swim from freshman Maggie MacNeil and two additional school records on relays, the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team jumped out to a lead at the UGA Fall Invitational following the opening day of competition on Thursday (Nov. 29) at Gabrielsen Natatorium. The Wolverines are in first place (300 points), more than 40 points ahead of host Georgia (258 points).
"That's probably the best we've ever performed at this meet on the first day," said head coach Mike Bottom. "Our message at the end of it was to get yourself ready. We've got another two days. This is a rehearsal for what we'll see later in the year at Big Tens and NCAAs. I think we're off to a good start, and we'll build on it tomorrow."
Senior Siobhán Haughey, senior Catie DeLoof, MacNeil and senior/junior Miranda Tucker took second in the 200-yard freestyle relay, establishing a new school record and going well under the NCAA 'A' standard (1:27.61). The old record was 1:27.78, set last spring by Catie DeLoof, Gabby DeLoof, Haughey and sophomore Daria Pyshnenko. Haughey went 22.07 on the leadoff leg, the third-fastest time in school history for a 50-yard freestyle.
The performances on the relay were a preview of what would come later in the evening. MacNeil continued her record-setting ways and made history on Thursday, becoming the second woman in program history to crack 22 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. She finished runner-up with a time of 21.93, surpassing Ali DeLoof's old school record of 21.99 from 2016. A performance not to be overlooked came from Catie DeLoof, who set a personal best with a third-place finish (22.09). In total, three of the top four 50-yard freestyle times in school history were established on Thursday.
The Wolverines closed the evening by shattering another school record. The foursome of senior Taylor Garcia, Tucker, MacNeil and Haughey won the 400-yard medley relay in 3:28.87, beating Cal by a full second and lowering the previously held school record by nearly the same margin (3:29.90 in 2018).
Haughey claimed victory in the 200-yard individual medley, holding off three Cal swimmers to take first (1:55.04). Tucker joined her in the final, finishing fifth (1:57.37). Two other swimmers picked up NCAA 'B' cuts with their second swims: freshman Victoria Kwan, who cut almost three seconds from the morning (1:58.52) and senior Jamie Yeung (1:59.16).
The Wolverines had three finalists in the 500-yard freestyle. Senior Yirong Bi, the top seed heading into finals, came in second, though she managed to shave just over two seconds off her preliminaries time from the morning (4:37.24). Sophomore Sierra Schmidt also cut time, finishing third with a time less than a second off her career best (4:38.91). Both times were under last year's invited time for the NCAA Championships. Senior Becca Postoll was in the final as well, finishing sixth (4:41.64), though her preliminaries time was slightly faster.
Two divers achieved their NCAA Zone Diving cuts on the three-meter springboard. Freshman Allie Klein took second (295.95), while sophomore Nikki Canale was third (285.20).
The UGA Fall Invitational continues Friday (Nov. 30) with preliminaries at 9:30 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.
NCAA Qualifying Times/Scores
Preliminaries - p
Relay Leadoff - r
200-yard Freestyle Relay
A -- Siobhán Haughey, Catie DeLoof, Maggie MacNeil, Miranda Tucker (1:27.61)
500-yard Freestyle
B -- Yirong Bi, 4:37.24
B -- Sierra Schmidt, 4:38.91
B -- Becca Postoll, 4:40.63p
200-yard IM
B -- Siobhán Haughey, 1:55.04
B -- Miranda Tucker, 1:57.05p
B -- Victoria Kwan, 1:58.52
B -- Jamie Yeung, 1:59.16
50-yard Freestyle
B -- Maggie MacNeil, 21.93 (No. 1 at U-M)
B -- Siobhán Haughey, 22.07r (No. 3 at U-M)
B -- Catie DeLoof, 22.09 (No. 4 at U-M)
Three-Meter Diving
Nikki Canale, 305.05p
Allie Klein, 295.95
400-yard Medley Relay
A -- Taylor Garcia, Miranda Tucker, Maggie MacNeil, Siobhán Haughey (3:28.87)
Players Mentioned
