The NCAA Championships are just over five months away, but they might as well be this Saturday at Canham Natatorium.
The Michigan men’s swimming and diving team welcomes national powerhouses Texas, Indiana and Louisville for a quad meet on Friday and Saturday. With a combined total of 29 national championships among them, it’s obvious that this meet is an early barometer for all programs.
“We don’t go into this with any misconceived notions,” said Michigan coach Mike Bottom. “We’re going to fight them tooth and nail.”
The Longhorns (1-0) enter the tank as runners-up from the 2013 NCAAs and with the No. 1 recruiting class for 2014. They are anchored by sprinter Matt Ellis and mid-distance swimmer and Michigan native Clay Youngquist.
Texas’ strength is its consistency in most, if not all, events. That was evident in the Longhorns’ last meet, as they won comfortably against in-state rival Texas A&M. Bottom said he recognizes this is one of the best teams in the nation.
“They’re coming in with some great butterfliers,” Bottom said of Texas. “The relays are going to be tough because they are the best, so our young relays will have to step it up.”
The Hoosiers (1-0) join Michigan as Big Ten title contenders. Indiana is two weeks removed from a dominating performance against Auburn, another historic program. The result should certainly propel the Hoosiers’ confidence this weekend.
Bottom said that for the Wolverines to defend a fifth-straight Big Ten title, that lane goes through Indiana.
“If there’s a team that’s going to challenge us at Big Tens, it’s going to be Indiana,” Bottom said. “They are probably the best diving program this year.”
The Cardinals (1-0) enter Canham as the underdogs of the weekend. Louisville is coming off a thrashing of Xavier, and this weekend will certainly be their most challenging meet. While not entering as favorites, Bottom said he respects Louisville’s reputation and doesn’t take them lightly.
“Louisville always comes up with some great foreign swimmers,” Bottom said. “They have several foreign swimmers that have come up through their ranks and have developed really well.”
There is also some added motivation for Bottom to defeat the Cardinals this weekend: Louisville has one of Michigan’s prior coaches, KZ Li.
The Wolverines’ advantage this weekend, aside from their six-year winning streak at “The Nat,” is quite simple in the eyes of Mike Bottom.
“We’re Michigan and we get up and fight like hell in whatever situation we’re in,” he said.
Note: The quad meet will also feature post-graduate races highlighted by U.S. National Team member and Michigan alum Connor Jaeger.