Tommy Cope Swims 54.0/1:58.3 Breaststrokes as Michigan Sweeps Miami (OH) & Navy

MICHIGAN vs MIAMI (OH) vs NAVY

• September 20-21st
• Canham Natatorium, Ann Arbor, MI
• Short Course Yards (Friday)/Long Course Meters (Saturday)
• Results

TEAM SCORES

WOMEN

• Michigan – 190, Navy – 110
• Michigan – 229, Miami – 71
• Navy – 202.5, Miami – 97.5

MEN

• Michigan – 225, Navy – 75
• Michigan 253, Miami – 45
• Navy – 250, Miami – 48

The Michigan Wolverines kicked off their 2019-2020 dual meet season by hosting Navy and Miami (OH) for a two-day double dual at Canham Natatorium. The first day of the meet (Friday, 9/20), was a regular NCAA dual meet, featuring all the usual events and was competed in yards. Day 2 (Saturday, 9/21) was competed in Long Course Meters (LCM), and featured only relays and 50s. Only day 1 was scored.

Michigan swept both the men’s and women’s meets, winning 26 of the 32 scored events. Sophomore Maggie MacNeil followed up her breakout season last year with two individual and two relay wins. MacNeil didn’t swim her signiature event, the 100 fly, instead opting to swim the 100 back and 100 free. In the 100 back, McaNeil sped to a 53.50 for a comfortable win. Last season, MacNeil didn’t swim the 100 back until the UGA Invite in late November, where she clocked a 51.71 in prelims and 51.31 in finals. MacNeil swam a 49.54 in the 100 free, touching the wall as the only swimmer under 50 seconds. Last year, she was 49.82 in her first 100 free of the season, which she also swam in September.

MacNeil led off the Michigan medley relay in 24.65, then Miranda Tucker split 28.34 on breast, Alexis Margett split 25.32 on fly, and Daria Pyshnenko anchored in 22.49. The Wolverines clocked a 1:40.80 en route to winning the event. Claire Maiocco, a Michigan junior, split 24.52 on the fly leg of the B relay. MacNeil was also on the winning Michigan 400 free relay. Miranda Tucker led the relay off (52.23), followed by MacNeil (49.94), Vanessa Krause (51.47), and Daria Pyshnenko (50.72) for a final time of 3:24.36.

Miranda Tucker swept the women’s breaststroke events, clocking a 1:03.52 100 breast and 2:18.61 in the 200. In her first dual meet of last season, Tucker swam a 1:02.27 in the 100, and 2:16.54 in the 200, although she didn’t swim the 200 until well into October. Additionally, Michigan freshman Kaitlynn Sims won both the women’s 500 and 1000. Sims clocked a 4:50.50 to win the 500 by over 5 seconds, and 9:53.49 to win the 1000 after battling with teammate Sierra Schmidt.

Navy’s Sydney Harrington swept the women’s fly events. Harrington won the 100 fly by 1.5 seconds, speeding to a 54.09. That time is only half a second off her personal best, and is a whopping 3.5 seconds faster than the 57.53 she swam in her first meet last season. Harrington also won the 200 fly, touching in 2:00.46. Harrington has a personal best of 1:58.49, and was 2:08.37 in her first meet last season. Miami’s Camila Lins de Mello won the women’s 200 free handily, clocking a 1:48.46. She is the school record holder at 1:45.47 from her freshman campaign last year.

Michigan sophomore Patrick Callan ripped a 1:36.89 to win the men’s 200 free. Callan got down to 1:33.57 last year during his freshman capaign, and was 1:37.07 in his first dual meet last September. He also showed off good closing speed early in the season this weekend, coming home in 24.8. Ricardo Vargas won two events on the day, taking the 500 free and 1000 free. Vargas won the 500 in 4:25.13, and the 1000 in 9:04.80.

Michigan senior Tommy Cope was dominant in the men’s breaststrokes. Cope touched in 54.09 in the 100 breast, well under the 56.17 he swam in his first outing last season. He then posted a 1:58.39 to win the 200 breast. That time was also well under his first 200 breast last season (1:59.97), which he also didn’t swim until late October. Also looking strong compared to the beginning of last season is fellow Michigan senior Miles Smachlo, who swept the fly events. Smachlo didn’t swim a fly event until early November last season. Even so, Smachlo roared to a 47.59, which comes in under the 47.89 he swam for his first 100 fly last season. He swam a 1:46.59 in the 200 fly, which was a little off the 1:45.98 he swam first last season, but again, that was until November.