Michigan Swims To Orange Bowl Win

University of Michigan junior Miranda Tucker swims during the Orange Bowl Classic. Photo Courtesy: Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau

The University of Michigan women’s swimming and diving team opened the 2019 season with a win in the Orange Bowl Classic, held Thursday morning (Jan. 3) at the Jacobs Aquatic Center. The Wolverines scored 333 points, finishing ahead of Minnesota State, Mankato (135) and Monmouth (38).

Back in the Florida Keys after a one-year hiatus, the Orange Bowl Classic serves as the finale to the team’s annual winter training trip, culminating more than a week’s worth of pool workouts, strength and conditioning, and team-building activities.

Michigan won and set meet records in all 12 events, going 1-2-3-4 in all but one individual event. Three swimmers each won two events: freshman Maggie MacNeil in the 50-meter butterfly (26.87) and 50-meter backstroke (27.36); senior Catie DeLoof in the 50-meter freestyle (25.68) and 100-meter backstroke (1:01.45) and senior Siobhán Haughey in the 100-meter freestyle (54.39) and 200-meter IM (2:14.26).

Other winners included senior Yirong Bi in the 400-meter freestyle (4:14.85), senior/junior Miranda Tucker in the 50-meter breaststroke (31.34), sophomore Emma Cleason in the 100-meter butterfly (1:01.79) and senior Jamie Yeung in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:09.13).

The Wolverines also swept both relays, taking the 200-meter medley relay in 1:52.28 (DeLoof, Yeung, MacNeil and sophomore Daria Pyshnenko) and the 200-meter freestyle relay in 1:44.00 (DeLoof, MacNeil, Haughey and Tucker).

The University of Michigan men’s swimming and diving team opened the 2019 season with a win in the Orange Bowl Classic, held Thursday morning (Jan. 3) at the Jacobs Aquatic Center. The Wolverines scored 298 points, finishing ahead of Texas A&M (181) and Monmouth (31).

Back in the Florida Keys after a one-year hiatus, the Orange Bowl Classic served as the finale to the team’s annual winter training trip, culminating more than a week’s worth of pool workouts, strength and conditioning, and team-building activities.

The Wolverines won eight events on Thursday, setting four new meet records. Seven different individuals took first place, including meet-record performances from junior Felix Auböck in the 400-meter freestyle (3:49.66), junior James Jones in the 50-meter butterfly (23.82), junior Miles Smachlo in the 100-meter butterfly (53.49) and junior Tommy Cope in the 200-meter IM (2:01.66).

Other winners included freshman Will Chan in the 50-meter breaststroke (27.69), freshman Eric Storms in the 50-meter backstroke (25.48) and junior Jacob Montague in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:01.47). The Wolverines also won the 200-meter freestyle relay to close the meet, as the foursome of sophomore Luiz Gustavo Borges, Chan, Smachlo and Jones clocked in at 1:31.29.

Borges took runner-up in both the 50-meter freestyle (22.77) and 100-meter freestyle (49.91), while junior Alex Martin was the team’s highest finisher in the 100-meter backstroke (56.26). U-M was second in the 200-meter medley relay to open the meet, with the quartet of Storms, Chan, Smachlo and Borges coming in at 1:38.95.

The Wolverines will be back in action in two weeks, when they face rival Indiana on Jan. 17 in Bloomington. The meet will begin at 2 p.m.

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Brandi West

5 years ago

Go Blue!