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Wolverines are looking past Big Tens

All season long, the Michigan men's swimming and diving team has played down the significance of each meet in which it has competed.

Coach Jon Urbanchek sought to minimize the importance of the regular season by claiming that it is crucial that his team stay focused on the bigger goals of the Olympic trials and the NCAA Championships. He consistently emphasized the fact that it is pertinent that everyone remain patient and keep the road to glory in perspective.

Well, Urbanchek is pretty serious about remaining focused on the big prize because starting today his Wolverines are hosting the Big Ten Conference Championships, and he is downplaying its significance.

Although the coach has tapered down his top swimmers' intense practice schedule for this meet and has drawn up a detailed itinerary for the weekend, a sizable number of Wolverines will compete in the conference championships unshaven.

This is because many Michigan swimmers will be competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials on March 6-12 and Urbanchek doesn't want them peaking too soon.

The Wolverines, who are the top-ranked team in the nation, are huge favorites to win their 11th straight conference crown. However, the meet has the potential to be closer than expected due to the fact that many of Michigan's top point-getters are neither peaking nor shaven for this weekend, while many of its foes are.

Given this fact, Urbanchek wants his potentially Atlanta-bound athletes to keep this meet in perspective.

"(Individually), they may gain more from losing at this point," Urbanchek said. "The only thing on the line is pride."

Despite the significant talent of a Michigan team that finished the regular season 5-0 in the conference, 11-1 overall -- its only loss came against the U.S. National Team -- the Wolverines are not taking their foes lightly because the field is undoubtedly going to be pumped up.

"It is discouraging because we are racing against people who are shaven," said John Piersma, the defending Big Ten champion in the 500 freestyle. "The goals (of our shaven opponents) will be to beat the guys who are unshaven."

Although there is some concern on the part of Piersma, and some of the other Michigan swimmers who are focusing on Olympic Trials, the general consensus is that if anything is gained from this meet on an emotional level, it should be the opportunity to determine their development to this point.

"I have rested for a week," Piersma said. "This meet is a chance to see where I am. It should give me insight into what I need to work on."

Freshman Tom Malchow, who is making his Big Ten Championships debut this weekend for the Wolverines, is a strong candidate for the Olympic team in the 200 butterfly, and is also keeping this meet in perspective.

"(This weekend) will be an indication of where I am nationally both in terms of the NCAA's and the Olympics," he said. "It is just a tune-up; it will not reveal the whole picture."

Despite the relative lack of importance placed on this meet by many of the Wolverines, there is still an air of excitement and importance heading into the three-day event. Michigan is determined to show not only the rest of the Big Ten, but also the hometown crowd, just how good it is.

"I'm psyched to wear the Michigan cap," said freshman Andy Potts, perhaps the Wolverines' most versatile swimmer specializing in the freestyle and individual medley. "It means something extra to swim for both the school's past history and for myself."

The meet will be held at Canham Natatorium each of the next three days. Preliminaries will be held at noon daily and finals at 7 p.m. nightly.