Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Michigan Gets Team-Wide Scoring to Keep Pace at Big Tens
3/1/2019 10:13:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
» After three days of action, Michigan is in second (1,026 points). Indiana continues to lead in the team race (1,144 points).
» Charlie Swanson led a 1-2-3 finish in the 400-yard IM, winning the event for the third consecutive year (3:39.87).
» Miles Smachlo won the 100-yard butterfly, setting the school record and becoming the first man in program history to break 45 seconds (44.82).
» Ross Todd became the program's first diver to qualify for the three-meter final since 2014, finishing seventh (392.15).
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Campus Recreation and Wellness Center)
Event: Big Ten Championships (Day 3 of 4)
U-M Team Standing: 2nd of 13 Teams (1,026 points)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 2 -- at Big Ten Championships - Day Four (Iowa City, Iowa), 11 a.m. CST/6:30 p.m. CST
• Complete Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Juniors Miles Smachlo (100-yard butterfly) and Charlie Swanson (400-yard IM) each won individual titles to lead the University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team on the third day of the Big Ten Championships on Friday (March 1) at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The Wolverines, who had 25 of 26 student-athletes score on Friday alone, remain in second place in the team race (1,026 points), trailing Indiana (1,144).
"Our performance today was indicative of how our team continues to compete," said head coach Mike Bottom. "Every person that we put up today -- swimming or diving -- got into finals today. The guys are battling, they're inspiring people around them and they're giving everything they have. We've got one more day, and we're going to attack from the very first swim."
One day after scoring more than 150 points in the 500-yard freestyle, the distance group was at it again, putting four into the final of the 400-yard IM. Swanson got his three-peat (3:39.87), becoming the first Michigan swimmer to accomplish the feat since Alex Vanderkaay (2006-08), while giving the program its 21st win in the event in the last 22 years.
The Wolverines went 1-2-3 for the second consecutive year, as sophomore Ricardo Vargas (3:40.24) and junior Tommy Cope (3:41.68) finished behind Swanson, each setting new personal records. Sophomore Will Roberts was also in the final, taking seventh (3:47.03). Senior Stephen Holmquist added points out of the consolation final in 11th (3:46.99).
WATCH: Charlie Swanson wins the 400-yard IM for the third consecutive year, leading a 1-2-3 finish with Ricardo Vargas and Tommy Cope. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/a1wSOjYl9k
— Michigan Swimming & Diving (@umichswimdive) March 2, 2019
Junior Miles Smachlo raced to the win in the 100-yard butterfly, beating defending champion Vini Lanza (Indiana) to the wall by less than a tenth of a second (44.82). Smachlo blew away the old school record (45.24 from Chris Brady in 2009), becoming the first man in program history to finish in under 45 seconds. That also was the fastest time in the country so far this season.
The Wolverines had another great showing in the 200-yard freestyle, as all six swimmers returned to score, including five in the top 11. Junior Felix Auböck won the bronze medal (1:33.34) and was one of three swimmers in the final heat alongside freshman Patrick Callan (5th, 1:33.77) and senior Mokhtar Al-Yamani (8th, 1:35.10). Sophomore Luiz Gustavo Borges won the consolation final and blasted his old PR by more a second to take ninth overall (1:34.52), while senior Kai Williams was two spots behind in 11th (1:35.44). Sophomore Dylan Boyd grabbed a few points in 21st (1:36.42).
Two swimmers in the 100-yard breaststroke likely locked up spots for the NCAA Championships with their swims on Friday. Junior Jeremy Babinet led the group with a fifth-place finish (52.18) -- though his preliminaries time of 52.02 was well ahead of last year's cut line -- while freshman Will Chan was sixth (52.36). They are the fourth- and fifth-fastest times in school history. Junior Jacob Montague joined them in the final, finishing seventh (52.61). Two other freshmen from last weekend's First Chance Meet got in on the action and scored: Mason Hunter was 13th (53.07) and AJ Bornstein was 21st (54.75).
WATCH: Miles Smachlo wins the 100-yard Butterfly, re-setting the school record and becoming the first man at Michigan to break 45 seconds (44.82). #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Lj0GQOIJPb
— Michigan Swimming & Diving (@umichswimdive) March 2, 2019
Redshirt sophomore Alex King continued to shine in his Big Ten Championships debut, scoring a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke (46.38) and adding points with a 19th-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (47.32). After competing at the First Chance Meet last year, King has broken out at the right time, adding Friday's backstroke-butterfly double to a growing list of achievements. He swam on the title-winning 200-yard medley relay on Wednesday, posted the fourth-fastest time in school history in the 100-yard backstroke on Thursday (46.40 on the leadoff leg of the 400-yard medley relay) and scored in two individual events on Friday.
The divers had another strong day, as all four scored on the three-meter springboard. Sophomore Ross Todd became the program's first diver to make the final since Timothy Faerber in 2014, finishing seventh (392.15). Junior Jake Herremans heartbreakingly finished one spot shy of the final during preliminaries, but rallied to score even higher in the consolation final, taking 12th (380.40). Others to score included sophomore Chris Canning in 22nd (318.85) and redshirt junior Collin DeShaw in 24th (314.85). Through the two days on springboard, U-M has accumulated 76 points, well ahead of last year's pace (58 points) with platform remaining on Saturday.
Junior Alex Martin pulled the same double as King and set career highs with his two swims, finishing 10th in the 100-yard backstroke (47.00) and 13th in the 100-yard butterfly (46.90). Others to score included junior James Jones in the 100-yard butterfly (10th, 46.40) and junior Rob Zofchak in the 100-yard backstroke, taking 22nd (47.93).
The Wolverines ended the night with the 200-yard freestyle relay, as the foursome of Borges, Chan, Swanson and Smachlo finished fifth (1:17.80).
The Big Ten Championships will conclude Saturday (March 2) at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. Preliminaries will begin at 11 a.m. CST, with finals following at 6:30 p.m. CST.
TEAM STANDINGS (After Day 3)
1. Indiana 1,144 2. MICHIGAN 1,026 3. Ohio State 823 4. Purdue 501 5. Minnesota 455.5 6. Penn State 397 7. Wisconsin 393.5 8. Iowa 359 9. Northwestern 267 10. Michigan State 161
100-yard Butterfly
1. Miles Smachlo, U-M 44.82*M 10. James Jones, U-M 46.40# 13. Alex Martin, U-M 46.90# 19. Alex King, U-M 47.32#
400-yard IM
1. Charlie Swanson, U-M 3:39.87# 2. Ricardo Vargas, U-M 3:40.24# 3. Tommy Cope, U-M 3:41.68# 7. Will Roberts, U-M 3:47.03# (3:46.50#) 11. Stephen Holmquist, U-M 3:46.99# -- Bora Unalmis, U-M DQ (3:49.97#)
200-yard Freestyle
1. Zach Apple, IU 1:32.68# 3. Felix Auböck, U-M 1:33.34# 5. Patrick Callan, U-M 1:33.77# 8. Mokhtar Al-Yamani, U-M 1:35.10# (1:34.17#) 9. Luiz Gustavo Borges, U-M 1:34.52# 11. Kai Williams, U-M 1:35.44# (1:35.10#) 21. Dylan Boyd, U-M 1:36.42# (1:36.30#)
100-yard Breaststroke
1. Ian Finnerty, IU 50.77* 5. Jeremy Babinet, U-M 52.18# (52.02#) 6. Will Chan, U-M 52.36# 7. Jacob Montague, U-M 52.61# 13. Mason Hunter, U-M 53.07# 21. AJ Bornstein, U-M 54.75
100-yard Backstroke
1. Gabriel Fantoni, IU 44.91* 5. Alex King, U-M 46.38# 10. Alex Martin, U-M 47.00# 22. Rob Zofchak, U-M 47.93 33. Kai Williams, U-M 49.37
Three-Meter Diving
1. James Conner, IU 494.10^ 7. Ross Todd, U-M 392.15^ 12. Jake Herremans, U-M 380.40^ 22. Chris Canning, U-M 318.85 24. Collin DeShaw, U-M 314.85
200-yard Freestyle Relay
1. Indiana 1:16.01*B% (Zach Apple, Bruno Blaskovic Vinicius Lanza, Brandon Hamblin) 5. MICHIGAN 1:17.80# (Luiz Gustavo Borges, Will Chan, Charlie Swanson, Miles Smachlo) * 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
100-yard Butterfly -- Miles Smachlo (44.82 -- No. 1 at U-M)
100-yard Butterfly -- Alex Martin (46.90)
100-yard Butterfly -- Alex King (47.32)
400-yard IM -- Ricardo Vargas (3:40.24 -- No. 6 at U-M)
400-yard IM -- Tommy Cope (3:41.68 -- No. 9 at U-M)
400-yard IM -- Will Roberts (3:46.50)
400-yard IM -- Stephen Holmquist (3:46.99)
400-yard IM -- Bora Unalmis (3:49.97)
200-yard Freestyle -- Patrick Callan (1:33.77 -- No. 8 at U-M)
200-yard Freestyle -- Mokhtar Al-Yamani (1:34.17)
200-yard Freestyle -- Luiz Gustavo Borges (1:34.52)
200-yard Freestyle -- Kai Williams (1:35.10)
200-yard Freestyle -- Dylan Boyd (1:36.30)
100-yard Breaststroke -- Jeremy Babinet (52.02 -- No. 4 at U-M)
100-yard Breaststroke -- Will Chan (52.36 -- No. 5 at U-M)
100-yard Breaststroke -- AJ Bornstein (54.75)
100-yard Backstroke -- Alex King (46.38 -- No. 4 at U-M)
100-yard Backstroke -- Alex Martin (47.00 -- No. 10 at U-M)
Players Mentioned
