The University of Michigan men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs brought the fun to Canham Natatorium on Saturday (Sept. 30), hosting the Michigan Water Carnival alongside Oakland and Calvin College.
“The whole point of this meet is to have fun, and show how enjoyable these sports can be,” said head swimming and diving coach Mike Bottom. “Our team was looking forward to this all week, and I think they’ll be begging to bring it back next year.”
Kicking off the competition was the cannonball contest featuring Bottom, head baseball coach Erik Bakich and even a surprise attempt from head football coach Jim Harbaugh, who upped both of them by doing a jackknife off the five-meter platform.
Opposing coaches from Oakland and Calvin College also participated, getting rousing cheers from their own teams, while Harbaugh, head women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico and new head women’s lacrosse coach Hannah Nielsen were on the judging panel.
Longtime former diving coach Dick Kimball took over from there and stole the show as he always does. Alongside current members of the team and current diving coach Mike Hilde, the 81-year old Kimball put on his patented clown diving show, utilizing costumes and props (including a bicycle) off both springboard and platform.
There were eight swimming events going on concurrently in the competition pool. Individual winners included Jacqui Schafer in the 300-yard butterfly with fins (2:57.03), Alexis Margett in the 50-yard freestyle underwater with fins (21.17), Siobhán Haughey in the 100-yard IM (55.24) and Rose Bi in the 300-yard IM (3:14.86). Catie DeLoof also outlasted Becca Postoll in the 50-yard freestyle knockout, winning by two tenths-of-a-second (10.86/11.16).
On the men’s side, individual winners included Will Roberts in the 300-yard butterfly with fins (2:43.60), Jon Burkett in the 50-yard freestyle underwater with fins (17.89), Jacob Montague in the 100-yard IM (51.83) and Charlie Swanson in the 300-yard IM (2:56.76). Paul Powers got the last laugh in the 50-yard freestyle knockout, outlasting James Peek (9.17/9.58).
Seven women’s swimmer and one diver will represent Michigan at the SMU Classic, held Oct.13-14 in Dallas, Texas. The next competition for the full team comes a week later, Oct. 20-21, in a road dual meet at Louisville.
The above press release courtesy of Michigan Swimming and Diving