Sections

Wolverines can win it all if Olympic trials are forgotten

By Ryan White
Daily Sports Writer

Generally, a fourth-place finish amongst some of the best swimmers in the world would be cause for at least a smile.

Don't tell that to Michigan's Anne Kampfe.

You see, that fourth-place finish came two weeks ago at the Olympic trials in Indianapolis. At the trials, only the top two competitors in each event go on to represent their country. Everyone else goes home disappointed.

Fourteen of Michigan's best women's swimmers went to Indianapolis, and none realized their Olympic dream. Kampfe came the closest.

One of the beauties of sports, though, is there is always another game, another time to compete.

So, two weeks after the biggest individual event for American swimmers, the Wolverines begin the biggest team event of the year. Tonight, the Michigan women's swimming and diving team begins its quest for a national title.

How Kampfe and her teammates put the disappointment of Indianapolis behind them could well determine how the Wolverines do this weekend at Canham Natatorium.

My bet is they'll do just fine.

Last year Michigan finished second in the country after leading the meet for its first three days. Stanford took the lead on the final day and went on to beat the Wolverines by 19 points.

Instead of being disappointed at the second-place finish, Michigan was proud. The Wolverines were the first team other than Stanford, Texas and Florida, in the 14-year history of the NCAA championships, to finish in the top-three.

It was an accomplishment achieved in the pool, but it never would have happened if the Wolverines hadn't believed they could.

For the swimmers who competed in the trials, making the Olympic team represents the same kind of mental challenge as breaking into the top-three did last season.

Plus, it should be noted that it is a major accomplishment simply to get to the trials.

Those 14 swimmers on the Michigan roster are among the best swimmers in their events in the country. And when you have 14 of the best swimmers in the country on your team, you are going to be pretty good.

The Wolverines are very good. They won their 10th straight Big Ten championship this season, and dominated nearly every team they faced in dual meets.

Let's face it, this hasn't been the best year for Michigan sports. The men's basketball team was bounced from the NCAA tournament in the first round for the second year in a row and the football team lost a second-tier bowl game.

The swimming programs are two of the few teams Michigan fans can have hope for.

That's why it would be a shame if the women's team wasn't at its best this weekend.

The Wolverines are one of the teams who have a legitimate shot at winning the title. The swimmers know it and the coaches know it.

Michigan was happy to break into the "big three" last year, but as a competitor you always want to move on and take the next step.

The next step for this team is the national championship.

A trip to the Olympics would have been the realization of Kampfe's dreams, of the dreams of 13 of her teammates.

At the same time, those are individual dreams.

As a team, the focus is this weekend, and this meet.

The Olympic trials didn't end as Michigan's participants would have hoped, but this season still can.

That will bring a lot of smiles.

-- Ryan White can be reached over e-mail at Target@umich.edu.