For the ninth consecutive time, the Michigan women’s swimming and diving team defeated Ohio State at Canham Natatorium. In the final home dual meet for seniors Carey Chen, Kelsey Cummings, Kayla Douglas, Claudia Lau, and Molly Schaefer, the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes, 190-110. Full results available here
Michigan came out on top in 12 of the 16 events. Freshman Clara Smiddy provided three of those wins, taking the 100 and 200 backstrokes and 200 IM. Smiddy clocked a 53.84 in the 100 back to lead an all-Wolverine podium; Zoe Mattingly (55.65) and Lau (55.79) were second and third, respectively. OSU’s top finisher was Camey Rabold (56.61). In the 200 back, Smiddy went 1:55.69 for the win, ahead of teammates Gabby DeLoof (2:00.43), Lau (2:00.71) and Marie Georger (2:00.94). Annie Gillig of Ohio State (2:01.68) was fifth. Smiddy (2:02.67) and Marni Oldershaw (2:04.35) finished 1-2 for the Maize and Blue in the 200 IM; Ashley Vance (2:06.00) of Ohio State out-touched Emily Kopas (2:06.19) for third.
Kopas notched a pair of victories of her own, winning both breaststrokes in dramatic fashion. Kopas edged the Buckeyes’ Taylor Vargo, 1:03.06 to 1:03.21, to claim the 100 breast. Later she used a strong third 50 to overtake OSU’s Amy Bopp in the 200 breast, and managed to keep Bopp from catching her over the final 50. Kopas got the win, 2:16.10 to 2:16.47. Vargo was right there with the leaders, touching third in 2:16.63.
Another double winner for the Wolverines was senior diver Chen. She won the 1-meter event with 293.70 points and the 3-meter with 300.60. OSU’s Taylor Ford placed second in the former, while teammate Brittany Menninger was second in the latter.
Michigan swimmers swept the podium in both the 200 and 500 free. In the 200 free Claudia Goswell (1:48.68), Gillian Ryan (1:49.47), Gabby DeLoof (1:50.96), and Sharalynn Missiuna (1:51.55) all came in ahead of OSU’s Katy Luchansky (1:52.81). Later, Ryan won the 500 in 4:49.58. She was followed by teammates Hannah Moore (4:51.95) and Goswell (4:52.67). Lindsey Clary of Ohio State finished fourth in 4:55.44.
Ali DeLoof grabbed a win for Michigan in the 100 free with 49.77. Buckeye Zhesi Li (49.91) came in second, a second ahead of Ryan (50.90). Li avenged her second-place finish in the 100 free with a win in the 50. She clocked a solid 22.77 to outpace Ali DeLoof (22.82) and Annie Jongekrijg of OSU (23.26).
Ohio State swept both butterfly events. The Buckeyes took the first two spots in the 200 behind Bopp (2:01.51) and Gillig (2:03.43). Michigan’s Georger was third in that race with a season-best 2:03.74. Aliena Schmidtke won a thrilling 100 fly for the Buckeyes. Out in 25.88 with Mattingly, Schmidtke came home .14 faster and edged the Wolverine, 55.62 to 55.80. Michigan’s Samantha Yeo had a strong back half as well and placed third in her best time of the season, 56.14.
Ohio State’s Clary was the other winner of the day; she claimed the 1000 free title with 9:49.82 ahead of Michigan’s Moore (9:50.54).
Photo courtesy of Michigan Photography.
The Wolverines won both relays, beginning with the 200 medley behind Ali DeLoof (25.16), Kopas (29.15), Mattingly (24.68), and Maddy Frost (22.96). Their combined 1:41.95 outpaced OSU’s 1:42.44 from Li (25.40), Vance (29.22), Annelise Sprau (25.10), and Jongekrijg (22.72).
In the 400 free relay, Ryan (51.11), Ali DeLoof (49.59), Gabby DeLoof (51.23), and Smiddy (51.40) edged Ohio State, 3:23.33 to 3:24.08. The Buckeyes’ quartet comprised Schmidtke (51.69), Jongekrijg (51.17), Macie McNichols (51.20), and Li (50.02).