Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Wolverines Finish Second at Big Ten Championships
2/23/2019 9:50:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» The Wolverines finished second at the Big Ten Championships (1302.5 points). Indiana won the team title (1386.5 points).
» Senior Siobhán Haughey won the 100-yard freestyle and helped to a win in the 400-yard freestyle relay along with Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof and Daria Pyshnenko.
» U-M won the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyles and the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays this week, the first sprint freestyle sweep for the program at Big Tens since 2005.
» MacNeil was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She is the second swimmer in program history to get the honor, following Justine Mueller in 2005.
Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center)
Event: Big Ten Championships (Day 4 of 4)
U-M Team Standing: 2nd of 13 Teams (1302.5 points)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 3 -- at OSU Last Chance Meet (Columbus, Ohio), TBA
• Complete Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Behind title-winning races from senior Siobhán Haughey (100-yard freestyle), the 400-yard freestyle relay and scoring performances from 22 student-athletes, the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team concluded its Big Ten Championships on Saturday (Feb. 23) at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center, finishing second in the team competition (1302.5 points). Indiana won the team title (1386.5 points).
The Wolverines had their best day of competition of Saturday, ending the week with seven individual or relay titles, nine new school records and 29 new career bests. Collectively, the swimmers and divers achieved 53 NCAA standards (13 A, 32 B, 8 Zone Diving).
Maggie MacNeil was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after winning two individual titles (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly), finishing runner-up in her third event (100-yard backstroke) and contributing to two relay wins (200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay). She is the second swimmer in program history to win the award (Justine Mueller, 2005).
"This team discovered their fight, and in the midst of that fight, we managed to break half our school records," said head coach Mike Bottom. "We ended the meet on a high note with a great race on that last relay, and that momentum will set us up well as we move into NCAAs."Â
The Wolverines capped off their dominance of the sprint freestyle events, going 1-2-3 in the 100-yard freestyle behind Haughey, who won the event for the second time in her career (2016). She touched the wall in 47.06, while senior Catie DeLoof (47.52) and sophomore Daria Pyshnenko (48.53) finished behind in second and third, respectively.
WATCH: The sprinters continue to shine, as Siobhán Haughey, Catie DeLoof and Daria Pyshnenko go 1-2-3 in the 100-yard Freestyle! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/wX5fMEAUAP
— Michigan Swimming & Diving (@umichswimdive) February 24, 2019
All three swimmers, plus MacNeil, returned to the pool later in the evening and closed the meet by winning the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:10.20, a new Big Ten and U-M record. Michigan showcased its speed this week and cleaned up, winning the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyles, as well as the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays to give the program its first sweep of every sprint freestyle event and relay since 2005.
The foursome of Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Daria Pyshnenko and Siobhán Haughey close the meet by setting a Big Ten record in the 400-yard freestyle relay ( pic.twitter.com/SZgGPDVlqH
— Michigan Swimming & Diving (@umichswimdive) February 24, 2019
Six Michigan swimmers combined for 106 points in the 200-yard butterfly, led by junior Vanessa Krause, who took silver (1:55.28). Freshman Victoria Kwan had a nice showing to finish fourth (1:57.17), just an hour removed from her finals swim in the mile. Sophomores Emma Cleason (15th, 1:58.97), Kate Krolikowski (16th, 1:59.08) and Alexis Margett (18th, 1:57.82) all had top-20 finishes.
U-M picked up some valuable points from a pair of upperclassmen in the 200-yard breaststroke. Redshirt junior Miranda Tucker shaved time off of her preliminaries swim to take second (2:07.64), while senior Jamie Yeung capped an impressive week of her won with a seventh-place finish (2:09.03). Sophomore Alex Hughes added a point with a 24th-place finish (2:16.70).
The Wolverines also were able to pick up big points in the lone distance event of the day, putting three swimmers in the top eight of the 1,650-yard freestyle. Senior Yirong Bi and sophomore Sierra Schmidt -- who would go on to swim the final of the 200-yard butterfly later in the evening -- ran fourth and fifth the whole way in the final heat and finished in those places (16:00.04/16:01.78). Senior Becca Postoll swam the event for just the second time in her collegiate career, finishing eighth overall (16:16.52).
Junior Chloe Hicks, concluding her first Big Ten Championships since transferring from Virginia Tech, led four scorers in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing fifth (1:53.86). That's the fourth-fastest time in school history. Senior Taylor Garcia (11th, 1:55.75) and junior Jacqui Schafer (16th, 1:57.19) pulled in points in the consolation final, while Duggan, fresh off a mile swim earlier, took 22nd (1:58.08).
The divers also had their best day at the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, putting four in scoring positions. Sophomore Christy Cutshaw made the consolation final and popped some big dives to win it, finishing ninth overall while re-setting her own school record (304.25). Sophomore Nikki Canale joined Cutshaw in that final, taking 14th (249.15), while redshirt freshman Margaret Rogers (22nd, 226.85) and junior Miranda Eberle (23rd, 217.60) scored points in the consolation final. Of note was Rogers, who got her NCAA Zone Diving cut in what was her last opportunity to do so.
"It was a tough week for us, but we finished real strong today," said diving coach Mike Hilde. "That's what we had to do. Christy turned it on and had some outstanding dives, and Margaret got her Zone cut. Though we had some struggles, we ended with some real positives and that'll hopefully give the group some momentum going into Zones."
Select swimmers looking to improve their chances of making the NCAA Championships will head to the OSU Last Chance Meet next Sunday (March 3) in Columbus, Ohio. A start time has not been announced. The divers, meanwhile, will prepare for the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, to be held March 14-16 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
MICHIGAN BIG TEN CHAMPIONS (7)
Siobhán Haughey (2): 100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard Freestyle
Maggie MacNeil (2): 50-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle Relay: Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Daria Pyshnenko, Siobhán Haughey
400-yard Freestyle Relay: Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Daria Pyshnenko, Siobhán Haughey
800-yard Freestyle Relay: Yirong Bi, Becca Postoll, Siobhán Haughey, Catie DeLoof
BIG TEN AWARD WINNERS
Swimmer of the Championships: Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
Diver of the Championships: Jessica Parratto, Indiana
Freshman of the Year: MAGGIE MACNEIL, MICHIGAN
U-M Sportsmanship Award Honoree: Yirong Bi
2018-19 MICHIGAN ALL-BIG TEN SELECTIONS
First Team: Yirong Bi, Catie DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey, Maggie MacNeil, Daria Pyshnenko, Becca Postoll
Second Team: Taylor Garcia, Vanessa Krause, Miranda Tucker
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Indiana 1386.5 2. MICHIGAN 1302.5 3. Ohio State 1162.5 4. Minnesota 942 5. Wisconsin 717 6. Purdue 596.5 7. Northwestern 490 8. Nebraska 428.5 9. Penn State 404 10. Iowa 400.5 11. Rutgers 392 12. Michigan State 192 13. Illinois 190 (Preliminaries time in parenthesis if faster than finals)
1,650-yard Freestyle
1. Ally McHugh, PSU 15:47.36*P 4. Yirong Bi, U-M 16:00.04# 5. Sierra Schmidt, U-M 16:01.78# 8. Becca Postoll, U-M 16:16.52# 25. Katie Duggan, U-M 16:40.69
200-yard Backstroke
1. Beata Nelson, WISC 1:48.47*B%P 5. Chloe Hicks, U-M 1:53.86# 11. Taylor Garcia, U-M 1:55.75# 16. Jacqui Schafer, U-M 1:57.19 (1:57.01#) 22. Katie Duggan, U-M 1:58.08 (1:57.73) 26. Katie Minnich, U-M 1:59.07
100-yard Freestyle
1. Siobhán Haughey, U-M 47.06*% 2. Catie DeLoof, U-M 47.52# 3. Daria Pyshnenko, U-M 48.53# 31. Claire Maiocco, U-M 50.76 61. Jackie DeLoof, U-M 52.04
200-yard Breaststroke
1. Lilly King, IU 2:05.14* 2. Miranda Tucker, U-M 2:07.64# 7. Jamie Yeung, U-M 2:09.03# 24. Alex Hughes, U-M 2:16.70 (2:15.56) 43. Caroline Sisson, U-M 2:19.59
200-yard Butterfly
1. Kathrin Demler, OSU 1:55.23# 2. Vanessa Krause, U-M 1:55.28# 4. Victoria Kwan, U-M 1:57.17# 8. Sierra Schmidt, U-M 1:58.96# 15. Emma Cleason, U-M 1:58.97# (1:58.76#) 16. Kate Krolikowski, U-M 1:59.08# (1:58.68#) 18. Alexis Margett, U-M 1:57.82#
Platform Diving
1. Jessica Parratto, IU 394.40^ 9. Christy Cutshaw, U-M 304.25^M 14. Nikki Canale, U-M 249.15^ (253.00^) 22. Margaret Rogers, U-M 226.85^ 23. Miranda Eberle, U-M 217.60 29. Allie Klein, U-M 189.60 31. Camryn McPherson, U-M 181.15
400-yard Freestyle Relay
1. U-M 3:10.20*B%MP (Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Daria Pyshnenko, Siobhán Haughey) * NCAA 'A' standard # NCAA 'B' standard ^ NCAA Zone Diving standard A American Record N NCAA Record B Big Ten Record % Big Ten Championships Record M University of Michigan Record P Pool Record
CAREER BESTS
1,650-yard Freestyle -- Becca Postoll (16:16.52)
200-yard Backstroke -- Chloe Hicks (1:53.86 -- No. 4 at U-M)
200-yard Backstroke -- Katie Duggan (1:57.73)
100-yard Freestyle -- Catie DeLoof (47.52 -- No. 2 at U-M)
100-yard Freestyle -- Daria Pyshnenko (48.53 -- No. 6 at U-M)
200-yard Breaststroke -- Jamie Yeung (2:09.69 -- No. 4 at U-M)
200-yard Butterfly -- Victoria Kwan (1:57.17 -- No. 7 at U-M)
200-yard Butterfly -- Alexis Margett (1:57.82)
Platform Diving -- Christy Cutshaw (304.25 -- No. 1 at U-M)
Platform Diving -- Margaret Rogers (226.85)
Players Mentioned
