The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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big ten Championships: women's swimming Wolverines Hope To Recapture Success Michigan's women's swimming and diving team may not have posted the dominant performances of the men's side in recent years, but it is a proud program in its own right. Rich with history and steeped in success, the Wolverines lead the conference in all-time team championships (14), and U-M is the only university to ever win 12 conference championships in a row — an astounding indicator of consistency. Still, U-M did not place higher than sixth in the Big Ten meet the prior two years. First-year head coach Mike Bottom, who also coaches the men's team, is aware he has work to do to elevate the women back to a championship level, and that work began in earnest last month. Entering the Big Ten Championships, the Wolverines turned their attention to a mantra that should be familiar to Michigan fans: "the team, the team, the team." After taking over, Bottom stressed that team goals should always take precedence over individual ones, a focus he has maintained since coming to Michigan in 2009. The Maize and Blue had fought through an up-and-down season — tough road losses were offset by two huge victories over rivals Ohio State and Michigan State. The Big Ten Championships were a platform to display just how far Michigan has come. Putting last year's struggles in the past, U-M garnered a respectable sixth-place team finish with 309 points. Two relay teams set school records: the 200-yard medley relay (1:31.06, ninth) Junior Courtney Beidler set personal-record times in the 200-yard individual medley and the 400-yard medley relay (1:59.35), 400-yard individual medley (4:11.16) (3:20.48, ninth). These are all positive signs and 200-yard butterfly (1:57.49) at the Big Ten pointing toward progress for the Championships. photo courtesy U of M Photography program, and Bottom attributes