The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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58 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2021 M i c h i g a n w o m e n ' s swimming and div- ing finished in sixth place with a team score of 224.5 at the NCAA Championships March 17-20 in Greensboro, N.C., and two Wolverines — juniors Maggie MacNeil and Olivia Carter — won a total of three individual national titles. MacNeil won the NCAA crown in the 100-yard but- terfly on day three, setting an NCAA record with a time of 48.89 seconds. With that mark, she became the first woman in history to break 49 seconds in the event. MacNeil came into the day sharing possession of the NCAA re- cord at 49.26, a performance she first put up at the Minne- sota Invite back in December 2019. She went 50.23 in the preliminaries and kicked it into extra gear for the final. However, MacNeil wasn't done. On the fourth and final day of the championships, the Canadian took home gold in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 46.02, which is the third-fastest finish in his- tory for the event. MacNeil became the first Michigan swimmer to win an NCAA title in a sprint freestyle event and only the fourth Wolverine to win multiple individual national champion- ships in the same season. MacNeil is just the second college female to ever break 50 seconds in both the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, and she also took home runner-up hon- ors in the 50-yard freestyle and swam on a pair of All-America relay squads. She was honored March 23 by be- ing named the Division I Women's Swimmer of the Year by the Collegiate Swimming and Diving Coaches As- sociation of America (CSCAA), while the Big Ten Conference tabbed her its Women's Swimmer of the Year for a second straight season. She is also one of four national finalists for the Honda Sports Award for women's swimming and diving. Carter, a Greensboro native, joined MacNeil as a national champion. She won the 200-yard butterfly in dominat- ing fashion, with her time of 1:51.33 being more than a second and a half quicker than the runner-up Olivia Bray of Texas. When it was all said and done, head coach Mike Bottom was pleased with his team that finished highest out of any Big Ten squad and had seven ath- letes earn All-America honors with their NCAA performances. "Despite all they've been through this year, this team showed their re- siliency," Bottom told MGoBlue.com. "They fought for every point right up until the end." — Clayton Sayfie MIKE BOTTOM NAMED BIG TEN MEN'S SWIMMING COACH OF THE YEAR Michigan swimming and diving head coach Mike Bottom was named the 2021 Big Ten Men's Swimming Coach of the Year on March 30. The 13th-year head man coached the men's swimming and diving team to its second consecutive Big Ten cham- pionship and a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Champi- onships. The team also dealt with the tragic passing of junior Ian Miskelley last fall and navigated a season with plenty of adversity, including two stoppages due to the CO- VID-19 pandemic. "This award, in the most challenging of years, really is reflective of our entire coaching staff," Bottom said in a statement. "[Assistant coaches] Dr. Josh White, Sam Wensman and Cauli Bedran are all fantastic coaches and true Michigan Men. This season would not have been possible without their count- less hours of hard work. "We also owe a great deal of gratitude to all the support staff who've helped our team get through this year healthy. Thank you to them, and to Michigan." Bottom, who also coaches the wom- en's team, is now a nine-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (seven for men's and two for women's). — Clayton Sayfie MEN'S GYMNASTICS WINS BIG TEN TITLE Michigan men's gymnastics cap- tured its 18th Big Ten championship in program history, and first since 2014, on April 3 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., with a team score of 411.000. It marked a season sweep for the program, which secured the league's regular-season title and capped a 13-0 campaign with a March 20 win at No. 6 Penn State. Senior Cameron Bock led the way for the Maize and Blue by tying for the all-around win and taking home titles on pommel horse and still rings. He was one of three Wolverines to be named All-Big Ten after the champion- OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Two Wolverines Win Women's Swimming NCAA Titles Junior Maggie MacNeil won the national championship in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle, placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and swam on two All-America relay teams en route to being named the Collegiate Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America 2020-21 Women's Swimmer of the Year. PHOTO COURTESY NCAA DIGITAL MEDIA HUB