The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/144506
ships, winning a third straight conference title, with 899 total points. Indiana, the runner-up, scored 664. Michigan won six individual conference titles, with victories by Jaeger (1,650-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle), Bruno Ortiz (100-yard freestyle), Lie Nielson (200-yard freestyle), freshman Dylan Bosch (200-yard butterfly) and senior Sean Fletcher (100-yard butterfly). The Wolverines also claimed five relay titles: the 400-yard freestyle relay, the 400-yard medley relay, the 200-yard medley relay team, the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 800-yard freestyle relay. It was more of the same at the NCAA Championships March 28-30. After two days of competition, the Wolverines sat in third place. "We came into the season with the goal of placing in the top three at NCAAs," Bottom said. "That was very feasible, and you always have the understanding that if you're in the top three, you're in excellent position to win the whole thing. Even up to the second day, our goal was to be in the top three. We had a meeting before the third day, and we showed them how doable it was to finish it off and win it. We really wanted to win this thing. "We were already in the top three. We had already reached our goal — so now it was just fun. We finished it off — and then it was just celebration." When it was all said and done, the Wolverines were national champions. Jaeger claimed his two individual titles (14:27.18 in the 1,650-meter freestyle and 4:10.84 in the 500-yard freestyle), and the 200-yard medley relay team continued its dominating ways, winning a national title with a time of 1:22.27. "Maintaining the lead after the second day, everyone is tired by this point," Jaeger said. "You've been doing nothing but swimming and screaming for two days. "It was getting more and more unbelievable. It was too good to be true. You don't want to say that it's going to happen until it actually does. I didn't want to say, 'We're going to win,' until the last relay. When it finally happens, it's something you never thought possible — but here you are, after all the hard work. You get to hold up the banner, and you get a cool hat and shirt. You do a flip into the pool and celebrate with the trophy in there. It's really about being with your friends and seeing how happy everyone is." The team dunked Bottom in the pool, but he didn't last long — he said he can't tread water like he used to. "For me, it was just a great pleasure of watching a team and a staff that worked so hard having a great time," Bottom said. "Everyone was in the water, thrashing around. Everyone was enjoying it so much. I stood back and just thought about everything it took to get there throughout the year. I had a moment where I was able to be alone, watching the celebration, and just appreciate everything that went into it. That was the ultimate pleasure, just watching everybody as it sunk in that we just won a national championship." ❑