In some college sports athletes are named All-Americans, but in collegiate swimming and diving they have to earn that distinction by competing at the biggest meet of the season.
Senior Lindsey Smith, sophomore Emily Brunemann and freshman Emily Hanson earned individual All-American honors as Michigan finished ninth this weekend at the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis.
Smith ended her Wolverine career by finishing sixth in the 100-yard freestyle and seventh in the 200-yard freestyle. She also anchored the Wolverines to All-American finishes in 200-yard medley and freestyle relays, and the 400-yard free style relay, where they finished eighth, third- and fifth respectively.
“I’m so happy to have done what I could for the team,” said Smith, who will finish her career with 10 All-American honors.
Smith’s teammates in the relays were rewarded with All-American status – three for senior Kaitlyn Brady and freshman Margaret Kelly, two for her sister Hannah Smith and one for junior Valeria Silva.
The 1,650 meter freestyle race led Michigan to discover it has a potent long distance duo for the future in sophomore Emily Brunemann and freshman Emily Hanson. The Emilys both scored for Michigan as Brunemann finished fourth and Hanson made her NCAA Championship debut with a sixth place finish.
“I was extremely happy with that. I did not expect that,” Brunemann said of her place and time.
“I dropped another 10 seconds (from last weekend), and 29 seconds this season,” she added when talking about her career-best16:00.89 time, but she deflected some of the credit to Hanson, saying “she’s really pushed me all season long.”
There were some disappointments: Brady had wanted to be in the top eight in the 50-freestyle finished 12th, and Brunemann’s goal was to be in the top 16 for the 400-yard individual medley, but she finished 20th.
Diver Elyse Lee wanted top-16 finishes in both the 1- and 3-metter diving competitions. She earned 12th and All-American honors in the 3-meter but finished 19th in the 1-meter.
“I missed one, and you can’t miss one at a meet like this,” Lee said of her 1-meter dive, but on her performance as a whole, “I dove better than last year.”
Brunemann had another approach to her near-miss.
“I can’t be disappointed about that,” said Brunemann, who was much more excited about the team’s finish and her and Hanson’s future at Michigan.
The final summation of the meet though belongs to Michigan swimming head coach Jim Richardson.
“People were digging deep and everybody did a great job,” Richardson said.
The coach went on to say ninth place, “is a very fitting result for this group.”