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Unusual Suspects | Michigan Women Are Top 5 NCAA Contenders

Unusual Suspects | Michigan Women Are Top 5 NCAA Contenders

Unusual Suspects features NCAA Division I swimming programs that have quietly experienced some success the past few years and are poised to break out at the 2018 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships.

Sep 13, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
Unusual Suspects | Michigan Women Are Top 5 NCAA Contenders
In Unusual Suspects, we profile both men's and women's programs that have quietly experienced some success the past few years and are poised to break out at the 2018 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships.

​​Mike Bottom​ has been the head coach of the University of Michigan men's program since 2008, and in 2013 he took the reins of the women's program as well. From legendary coaches ​Jon Urbanchek​ and ​Bob Bowman​ to an extraordinary stable of swimmers including ​Gustavo Borges, Tom Dolan, Tom Malchow, Eric Namesnik, Chris Thompson, Peter Vanderkaay, ​and ​Tyler Clary​, the Michigan men's team has experienced historic success over the years. But now in his fifth year leading the women's team as well, Bottom is poised to break into the top five at NCAAs.​

Check out the pretty remarkable progress of the UM women's squad over the past five years, including back-to-back Big Ten Championships and moving up 29 spots at NCAAs.

2013 Results
​Big Ten Championships: 6th
​NCAA Championships: 40th

2014 Results
​Big Ten Championships: 6th
​​NCAA Championships: 30th

2015 Results
​Big Ten Championships: 3rd
​NCAA Championships: 22nd

2016 Results
​​Big Ten Championships: 1st
​​NCAA Championships: 10th

2017 Results
​Big Ten Championships: 1st
​​NCAA Championships: 11th

The most encouraging thing for Bottom is that he does not lose a single NCAA qualifier from last season. On top of that, he picks up breastroke ace ​Miranda Tucker​ -- who had to sit out last season after transferring from in-conference rival Indiana -- and incoming freshman duo ​Sierra Schmidt​ and ​Daria Pyshnenko.

At the 2016 NCAA Championships representing Indiana, Tucker touched third in the 100 breast (58.10) and second in the 200 breast (2:06.27). Along with picking up major points in those two individual events, Tucker also immediately makes Michigan's medley relays formidable. Schmidt -- known on deck as the dancing queen -- has best times in the 500 (4:38.47) and 1650 (15:57.89) that would have scored at NCAAs last season. Her teammate Pyshnenko is a pure sprinter with times of 22.38 in the 50 and 48.75 in the 100. The Illinois native will certainly bolster the Wolverines' relays.

If all of that was not enough, Michigan picked up Arizona transfer ​Taylor Garcia​,​ who has already been 51.8 in the 100 back and has experience at NCAAs.​

Moral of the story? This Wolverines squad is ​absolutely loaded.​ Check out a few of their big guns below.
​

The Heavy Hitters


​​Yirong (Rose) Bi​


Event Lifetime Best 2017 NCAA Finish
500 Freestyle 4:34.63 6th
200 Freestyle 1:45.05 25th
1650 Freestyle 15:45.26 16th


Gabby DeLoof 


Event Lifetime Best 2017 NCAA Finish
200 Freestyle 1:43.11 6th
200 Backstroke 1:52.63 18th


Siobhan Haughey


Event Lifetime Best 2017 NCAA Finish
200 IM 1:54.97 11th
200 Freestyle 1:41.21 4th
100 Freestyle 47.39 10th


G Ryan


Event Lifetime Best 2017 NCAA Finish
500 Freestyle 4:34.28 8th
200 Freestyle 1:44.75 26th
1650 Freestyle 15:44.93 12th


Miranda Tucker


Event Lifetime Best 2016 NCAA Finish (Indiana)
200 IM 1:55.94 ​27th
100 Breaststroke 58.10 3rd
200 Breaststroke 2:06.27 2nd


Vanessa Krause


Event Lifetime Best 2017 NCAA Finish
100 Butterfly 51.71 14th
200 Butterfly 1:54.60 15th

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