The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
Eyeing A Repeat The Michigan Men's Gymnastics And Swimming And Diving Teams Are Amped Up To Defend Their National Championships W By Andy Reid hen Kurt Golder took over as U-M's men's gymnastics coach in 1997, it took him a few seasons to get everything in place and create the kind of team that he knew he wanted. By 1999, with a roster loaded with talented freshmen and sophomores, he knew the Wolverines could be something special. "I was looking at it, and I thought we had a dynasty established," Golder said. "I knew we were capable of winning in 1999, and I was thinking, 'Of the next four years, this year is going to be the hardest one to win.'" The Wolverines won the 1999 NCAA national championship — but missed out on a repeat in 2000 by a tenth of a point. It was 11 seasons until they brought another one home. Golder and Michigan men's swimming and diving coach Mike Bottom are facing the same kind of pressure now. Both teams stormed their way to national championships last season, with the swimmers stringing together a wire-to-wire dominant performance on their way to a school-record 19th team national title and the first since 1995. The gymnasts shrugged off early- season struggles and injuries to crush the competition at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, winning their second national title in a four-year span, after an upset win in 2010. When a team reaches the pinnacle of its sport, there's only one way to go: down. But the Wolverines, swimmers and gymnasts alike, are determined to stay at the top a while longer. With the target squarely on their backs, the two teams are gearing up for another run at the NCAA Championships — and no one feels as though their missions are accomplished. "It's very common to hear that after a national championship win, the following season is not as impressive," sixth-year senior gymnast Syque Caeaser said. "It's hard to get back to that top spot. We took that to heart this summer and we worked really, really hard to get into shape for the preseason. Everyone is super-motivated to make sure it's not a one-time thing." Gymnasts Starting A Dynasty Before last year, the Michigan men's gymnastics team began using the hashtag "#MGymDynasty" on Twitter. At that time, coming off fifth- and sixth-place finishes at the 2011 and