This season, the Michigan women’s swimming and diving team has high hopes for its freshmen.
The Wolverines’ 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays are both expected to be fierce challengers for the other nine teams competing in this weekend’s Nike Cup, despite the fact that each of those relays includes one or two freshman.
“It will be interesting to see how they respond to the pressure,” Michigan coach Jim Richardson said.
The Nike Cup will be an excellent place for the Wolverine freshmen to showcase their talents and prepare for the NCAA Championships. Like the NCAAs, there will be three individual events and three relays on the first day, five individual events and two relays on the second, and five individual events and one relay on the third. This presents the Michigan freshmen with a chance to familiarize themselves with the NCAA format.
“It will provide a good opportunity for some growth from our freshmen,” Richardson said.
The Wolverines’ veteran 800-yard freestyle relay team may have to race without two of its key swimmers, junior Sara Johnson and sophomore Amy McCullough, who are recovering from respiratory illnesses. Although these swimmers will travel with the team to Chapel Hill, N.C., their status for the weekend is unknown. Even if Johnson and McCullough are able to participate, Richardson said the relay “will not be in full force.”
Fortunately, the remaining healthy Wolverines are already familiar with the meet’s facilities, after traveling there earlier this month for a meet against North Carolina.
While most of the teams competing in the Nike Cup pose little threat to the Wolverines, No. 11 North Carolina will be an especially strong opponent.
After already competing in three other meets, it will be fascinating to observe the improvements the team has achieved through the new training techniques. Three long weeks have passed since Michigan’s 238-132 loss in the meet against North Carolina, providing the team with plenty of time to make any needed corrections.
The invitational is the ideal place for the Wolverines to exhibit the adjustments that have been made in their practice regimen. This season, Richardson has reduced the volume of in-water training and amplified the amount of dry-dock training. Initially, these changes will slow the Wolverines’ times, but as the season progresses, the times will become increasingly faster.
“There is a great attitude on the team,” Richardson said. “Their training habits are really terrific.”