3-PEAT: Michigan W Swim wins B1G Championship in Columbus

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

#5 Michigan began the 2018 B1G Championships down in Columbus on Wednesday with a rough start.

The back-to-back champion looking for a 3peat was disqualified in the first event which was the 200yd Medley Relay for a missed touch. 

The Wolverines responded and easily won the next event--the 800yd Freestyle Relay--but the team sat in an unfamiliar 10th place tie due to the DQ after day 1.

That lasted all of about two events on day 2 as Michigan zoomed up the standings and into first place after back-to-back event titles in the 500 Free and the 200 IM.

When Michigan did not a swimmer win an event title, the Wolverines used their outstanding depth to score points including a MAJOR point getter in the 200 Free, going 1-2-3-8-9. Indiana was within shouting distance heading into the final day today but they could not inch closer due to Michigan's superior depth.

Michigan going 2-3-4-6 in the 100 Free put the meet out of reach for Indiana and the Wolverines going 2-4-11-12-13-24 in the 200 BR--an event won by IU olympian Lilly King--gave Michigan a mountain of a lead with a 274.5 edge.

Vanessa Krause put the final nail in the Hoosier coffin, breaking a B1G and B1G meet record in her B1G Championship-winning performance in the 200 Fly. Michigan went 1-8-10-13 in the event and officially clinched the championship for the Wolverines.

The Wolverines finished it off in style, capping it off with a individual title in the 400 Free Relay.

Michigan 3peats as B1G Champions. The 17th title in program history which is more than any other B1G team by double digits. 

Individual crowns won by Wolverines-

  • 800yd Freestyle Relay- Rose Bi, Catie DeLoof, Gabby DeLoof, G Ryan (6:56.28)
  • 500yd Freestyle- Rose Bi (4:35.09)
  • 200yd Individual Medley- Siobhán Haughey (1:53.59)
  • 200yd Freestyle- Siobhán Haughey (1:41.66)
  • 200yd Butterfly- Vanessa Krause (1:53.44)
  • 400yd Freestyle Relay- Catie DeLoof, Gabby DeLoof, Siobhán Haughey, Daria Pyshnenko (3:10.96)

Final standings

Place Team Points
1. #5 Michigan 1465
2. #8 Indiana 1152.5
3. #13 Ohio State 1094.5
4. #16 Minnesota 1049
5. #23 Wisconsin 755
6. Purdue 693
7. Northwestern 528
8. Penn State 418
9. Rutgers 386
10. Nebraska 358
11. Iowa 338
12. Illinois 187
13. Michigan State 172

Now the Wolverines will train for a month and are already familiar with a pool that they will be swimming and diving in the rest of the way.

The Last Chance Meet is next Sunday (a meet for individuals to enter and improve their times in order to qualify for the NCAA meet), the Zone C Diving Championships are March 8-10 and a National Champion will be crowned a month from today as the NCAA Championships meet is March 14-17.

All of these events will take place at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, where Michigan just won the B1G Championship tonight. 

Wolverine Devotee

February 17th, 2018 at 9:24 PM ^

Nope, they had to cut a lot of sports in the late 2000s/early 2010s because their department was bleeding red ink. Big motivation for them to join the B1G.

tlo2485

February 18th, 2018 at 11:18 AM ^

I think that's our 5th (!!) B1G championship already this year: Mens XC, Womens XC, Men's Soccer, Field Hockey, W Swimming

Other than that, OSU has won football and Women's soccer, penn state has clinched wrestling, and ND has clinched Hockey.

We'll look to add to the total next week with the men's swimming championships and Indoor track/field. 

Alton

February 18th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^

He mentioned Field Hockey.

Also, winning the tournament is not a "Big Ten Championship," it is a Big Ten Tournament Championship.  The conference makes the distinction clear--the winner of the regular season is the conference champion.  If a different team wins the tournament, they receive the NCAA autobid but that team is not called the "Big Ten Champion."