The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE said. "I think that's a realistic goal." WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING MOVING FAST TOWARD SUCCESS Similar to their male counterparts, the women's swimming and diving team holds significant promise for the 2015-16 season. The Wolverines were ranked No. 8 in the nation after opening the season 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten through Jan. 18. Even with the strong performances thus far, the most impressive aspect of this team may be how far it has already progressed after starting the season unranked. "The women's team is moving for- ward quickly," said Mike Bottom, who serves as the head coach for both programs. "I think we're one of the fastest-moving young teams in the nation, and I hope we will con- tinue to do so." The Wolverines performed very well in the first part of the season, including a second-place finish at AT&T Winter Nationals Dec. 3-5 at Federal Way, Wash., and a first-place showing at the Orange Bowl Swim Classic Jan. 3 at Key Largo, Fla. They also swept three opponents, includ- ing No. 16 Indiana, in a quad meet at Georgia Tech Jan. 16. Sophomore Emily Kopas was named Big Ten Co-Swimmer of the Week and freshman Siobhán Haughey was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for their performances in Florida at the beginning of the month. Kopas won both the 50- (32.04 seconds) and 100-meter breaststroke (1:10.57) events, while Haughey took home two victories of her own in the 100-meter freestyle (55.86 seconds) and 200-meter individual medley (2:14.64). "Haughey is probably our stand- out," Bottom said. "She's already broken school records in the 200-me- ter IM and 100-meter freestyle. She's one to watch — she's getting ready for the Olympics in Hong Kong, and we're very excited about that. "We have a good breaststroke con- tingent led by Emily Kopas, who is doing a great job of encouraging our breaststroke crew. They're doing very well as a whole and I think we're go- ing to score some points there." In terms of where the team can improve, Bottom points specifi- cally to the relay units, which have been a consistent point of emphasis throughout the season. "Our relays have got to keep get- ting better," he stressed. "We're hop- ing to do really well in the relays to start the meet out — that's how team performances start out. "Once they get the idea that they're not swimming for themselves, but swimming for Michigan, it's amazing what can happen." The youth of the Wolverines could make it difficult for Michigan to overcome several more experienced teams within the conference, but U-M is hopeful it can compete for the Big Ten title Feb. 17-20 in Ann Arbor. "We're a group getting better and that's what it really takes to win," Bottom said. "Our goal is to chal-