It was senior day at the Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the Wolverines wished off their senior class in the team’s final home meet of the season against their rivals from Michigan State. The final score was 164-107, with several non-winning swims being exhibitioned by the Wolverines toward the end of the meet.
Though Michigan has some very important seniors, they weren’t the dominant force in this meet; the dominant force was Michigan’s youth, as it has been all year long, who led the way in a near-sweep of their in-state rivals.
Sophomore Ali Deloof won a pair of individual races for the Wolverines, taking the 50 in 23.45 and following that with a 2:01.07. That shows off Deloof’s diversity, like so much of both the Michigan men’s and women’s teams have.
Her fellow sophomore Marie Georger also picked up a pair of wins, with a 2:03.75 in the 200 fly and a 4:25.07 in the 400 IM.
The meet overall didn’t have much in the way of really spectacular swims, but everyone for Michigan looked solid and ready to head into Big Tens. Michigan’s season this year isn’t quite like the men’s team had last year, with the “first chance” meet before Big Tens to start getting cuts, which means there will be a little more of a taper mystery when championship season begins.
Among the Michigan seniors who did contribute in the winner’s column was captain Angie Chokran. Chokran was a 1:02.75 to top the breaststroke, and swam that same stroke on Michigan’s winning 200 medley relay (1:41.84) splitting a 28.4.
The Spartans, meanwhile, didn’t go completely winless in the meet. In addition to splitting the diving events, their own senior Summer Strickler won the 100 free in 51.65. Her whole season, including a best time at Winter Nationals mid-season, seems to have her angled for the first sub-50 swim of her career at Big Tens.