Michigan
NCAA Championships
Medal-Winning Relays Propel Wolverines on Day Two at NCAA Championships
3/21/2019 9:07:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
» After two days of competition, Michigan is in third place (129 points). Stanford (173 points) leads the team race.
» The 200-yard freestyle relay of Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey and Daria Pyshnenko won silver, establishing new Big Ten and U-M records (1:26.25).
» The 400-yard medley relay of Taylor Garcia, Miranda Tucker, Maggie MacNeil and Siobhán Haughey won bronze to end the session (3:27.49).
» Maggie MacNeil became the fourth woman in program history to make the top-eight in the 50-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships, taking fourth (21.50). She re-set her school record during the preliminaries (21.49).
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Site: Austin, Texas (Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center)
Event: NCAA Championships (Day 2 of 4)
U-M Team Standing: 3rd of 16 Teams (129 points)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 22 -- at NCAA Championships - Day Three (Austin, Texas), 9 a.m./5 p.m. CDT
AUSTIN, Texas -- Two medal-winning relays and a school-record performance in the 50-yard freestyle from freshman Maggie MacNeil propelled the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team on the second day of the NCAA Championships on Thursday (March 21) at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. After two days, U-M sits in third place (129 points). Stanford leads the team race (173.5 points).
"The team is swimming fast from top-to-bottom," said head coach Mike Bottom. "To start tonight's session with a record-setting relay, that was our first swim after Siobhán's DQ this morning and everyone was fired up. This meet has just begun. Tomorrow is another day, and we'll come in ready to go."
The Wolverines opened the session with a bang, as the foursome of MacNeil, senior Catie DeLoof, senior Siobhán Haughey and sophomore Daria Pyshnenko moved up three spots from seed to win silver in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:26.25), setting new Big Ten and U-M records. The foursome nearly matched their time from the Big Ten Championships last month during the preliminaries (1:26.92, compared to 1:26.84), but blew that mark out of the water in the evening thanks largely to a huge improvement from Pyshnenko on her split (21.65, compared to 22.21 in the morning).
Their second-place finish is tied for the highest in program history in that event, joining the 1997 and 1998 teams. In addition, it was Michigan's second consecutive appearance in the final, a feat last achieved in 2005 and 2006.
U-M ended the session with another medal, as the quartet of senior Taylor Garcia, redshirt junior Miranda Tucker, MacNeil and Haughey won bronze in the 400-yard medley relay (3:27.49), its first finals appearance in that event in 15 years. The last time U-M won medals in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay at the same NCAA Championships was 1997.
In between the two relays, MacNeil was in the water for the 50-yard freestyle, finishing fourth (21.50). She came into the meet seeded eighth and not only crushed that standard, but also her old school record, lowering it to 21.49 during preliminaries. After swimming on the opening relay, DeLoof was back for another swim of her own, moving up four spots from her seed to take 10th (21.98). Prior to Thursday, U-M never had two swimmers finish in the top 10 of the 50-yard freestyle at the same NCAA Championships.
MacNeil is the fourth swimmer in program history to make the top eight of the 50-yard freestyle, behind Melisa Stone (1995), Jennie Eberwein (1996-98) and Ali DeLoof (2016).
After being a part of the 800-yard freestyle relay Wednesday night (March 20), two distance swimmers added points to the team total in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday. Swimming in adjacent lanes, senior Yirong Bi was 10th (4:37.12) and sophomore Sierra Schmidt was 13th (4:37.99), both moving up from their seeds to claim more points. It was a new career best for Schmidt, as she now sits third on the school's all-time list. Senior Becca Postoll came up a few spots shy of a second swim herself, taking 19th (4:40.39).
Senior Jamie Yeung registered almost a two-second drop from her previous career best, finishing 32nd (1:57.48). She's now eighth-fastest in school history for that event. Tucker was right behind Yeung in 33rd (1:57.50). Haughey was in the final heat and swam a time that would've made the top eight, but was disqualified.
Sophomore Camryn McPherson made her NCAA Championships debut on the one-meter springboard, finishing 49th (225.45).
The NCAA Championships continue Friday (March 21) at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. Preliminaries begin at 9 a.m. CDT, with finals following at 5 p.m. CDT.
TEAM STANDINGS (After Day 2)
1. Stanford 173.5 2. California 173 3. MICHIGAN 129 4. Louisville 100 5. Texas 87 6. North Carolina St. 86 7. USC 83 8. Minnesota 76 9. Tennessee 69 10. Virginia 66
200-yard Freestyle Relay
1. California 1:24.55ANUP (Maddie Murphy, Katie McLaughlin, Amy Bilquist, Abbey Weitzeil) 2. MICHIGAN 1:26.25BM (Maggie MacNeil, Catie DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey, Daria Pyshnenko)
500-yard Freestyle
1. Brooke Forde, Stanford 4:31.34P 10. Yirong Bi, U-M 4:37.12 13. Sierra Schmidt, U-M 4:37.99 19. Becca Postoll, U-M 4:40.39
200-yard IM
1. Beata Nelson, Wisconsin 1:50.79P 32. Jamie Yeung, U-M 1:57.48 33. Miranda Tucker, U-M 1:57.50 -- Siobhán Haughey, U-M DQ
50-yard Freestyle
1. Abbey Weitzeil, California 21.02 4. Maggie MacNeil, U-M 21.50 (21.49M) 10. Catie DeLoof, U-M 21.98 (21.96) 31. Daria Pyshnenko, U-M 22.42
One-Meter Diving
1. Sarah Bacon, Minnesota 363.20 49. Camryn McPherson, U-M 225.45
400-yard Medley Relay
1. California 3:25.24 (Amy Bilquist, Ema Rajic, Katie McLaughlin, Abbey Weitzel) 3. MICHIGAN 3:27.49 (3:27.17) (Taylor Garcia, Miranda Tucker, Maggie MacNeil, Siobhán Haughey) A American Record N NCAA Record U U.S. Open Record B Big Ten Record P Pool Record M University of Michigan Record
CAREER BESTS
500-yard Freestyle: Sierra Schmidt (4:37.99 -- No. 3 at U-M)
200-yard IM: Jamie Yeung (1:57.48 -- No. 8 at U-M)
50-yard Freestyle: Maggie MacNeil (21.49 -- No. 1 at U-M)
Players Mentioned
