The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team won all 12 events at the Orange Bowl Swim Classic on Saturday (Jan. 3), claiming a dominant victory at the meet to cap its annual training trip at the Jacobs Aquatic Center.
The Wolverines racked up 278.5 points in the six-team field and set a quartet of new meet records. This marks U-M's third straight victory at the Orange Bowl Swim Classic. The meet was raced in short course meters.
Michigan's meet record-setters included freshman Gillian Ryan in the 400-meter freestyle (4:16.17), junior Ali DeLoof in the 50-meter butterfly (28.02), freshman Clara Smiddy in the 100-meter backstroke (1:01.44), and sophomore Madeline Frost in the 50-meter freestyle (26.36).
The Maize and Blue earned bookend 1-2 finishes in the meet's relays, starting with DeLoof, freshman Emily Kopas, junior Zoe Mattingly and Smiddy taking the 200-meter medley relay. To close the meet, Frost replaced Kopas and joined the trio of DeLoof, Mattingly and Smiddy to win the 200-meter freestyle relay.
Depth continued to play a role in Michigan's win, as the Wolverines placed first and second in eight of the 10 individual events. In three of those events -- the 100-meter free, 100-meter backstroke and 50-meter backstroke -- U-M placed in the top three spots.
Along with her record-setting win in the 50-meter butterfly, DeLoof also took first in the 50-meter backstroke (28.90). Kopas, a Florida native, won two events as well: the 50-meter breaststroke (32.91) and the 100-meter breaststroke (1:11.15). Junior Marni Oldershaw also claimed a pair of wins in the 100-meter butterfly (1:04.11) and 200-meter individual medley (2:19.14).
Sophomore Claudia Goswell rounded out U-M's individual event winners in the 100-meter freestyle (57.84).
The Wolverine divers will compete Sunday (Jan. 4) at the Grapner Diving Invitational in Coral Springs, Fla. The full squad will be back in action on Saturday (Jan. 10) against Northwestern and Notre Dame beginning at noon inside Canham Natatorium. Admission is free.
The West Virginia University men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams completed action today at the Orange Bowl Classic in Key Largo, Florida.
The men’s team placed first overall with a team score of 230.5, while the women’s squad finished second overall with a team mark of 83.5.
“Overall, it was a fun day,” said coach Vic Riggs. “We raced well and had some good swims.”
In total, the Mountaineer men recorded a first-place result in eight events.
The men’s 100-meter butterfly saw Andrew Marsh take first in 56.20. Chase Williams and Austin Green followed close behind in second (57.77) and third (58.68), respectively.
Marsh also took first in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, hitting the pad in 56.22.
In the women’s 400-meter freestyle, Emma Skelley placed third, touching the wall in 4:24.09. Fellow Mountaineer Kelsey Frantz placed sixth in the event with a mark of 4:31.91.
Max Spencer took first in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke in 1:05.31, narrowly edging out teammates Nate Carr who finished second (1:05.62) and Chris Brill who took third (1:05.93).
In the men’s 100-meter freestyle, Ross Glegg posted a first-place finish, hitting the pad in 51.45.
Jaimee Gillmore placed fourth in the women’s 100-meter freestyle in 59.26 and fifth in the women’s 50-meter butterfly in 29.53.
Carr placed first in the men’s 200-meter IM, recording a time of 2:08.22.
Chris McMahon and James Koval finished third (4:08.92) and fourth (4:10.61), respectively, in the men’s 400-meter freestyle.
The women’s 200-meter freestyle relay team of Courtney Parenti, Amelie Currat, Mia Fiorenzi and Jaimee Gillmore placed third overall in 1:50.45.
In the men’s 200-meter medley relay, the Mountaineer squad of Marsh, Max Spencer, Chase Williams and Ross Glegg combined for a first-place finish in 1:43.26.
The trip has featured a week of training in the Florida Keys concluded with the sprint-style meet today. The Mountaineers return to action next Saturday, Jan. 10, against Pitt in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
