'M' swimmers compete in tune-up meet

The members of the Michigan men's swimming team went to the U.S. Open in Indianapolis to get some idea of what the future holds.

That future, specifically, is the the FINA World Championships in Perth, Australia, Jan. 12-18. Yesterday, the Wolverines had their last chance this year to warm-up for the second-biggest competition of the season. And for those interested, they did so with correctly colored maize-and-blue warm-ups.

The individual-based U.S. Open brings some of the best swimmers from around the world to compete in a lower-pressure meet. The tournament is also a time for scouting the competition.

One competitor that the Wolverines know well is former Michigan star and Olympic gold medalist Tom Dolan. He churned out top-10 times in several events of the preliminary rounds. Dolan wasn't invincible, however.

FILE PHOTO Mike McWha and the Michigan men's swimming team competed in the individual-based U.S Open. Several Wolverines used the meet as a tune-up for the World Championships in mid-January.

Senior Owen von Richter, who needed a superb performance to qualify for World Championships, showed the world that he will be a force next month.

Von Richter convincingly won the 400-meter freestyle in the preliminary rounds, the only Wolverine who finished in the top five. Dolan finished eighth. Other Wolverines in the top 20 were sophomore Mike McWha (6th), junior Tom Malchow (11th) and junior Andy Potts (16th). Senior Ryan Papa earned a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter backstroke. Senior Derya Buyukuncu finished 16th.

Other encouraging performances came from junior Jeff Flermoen and freshman Scott Werner, who earned top-20 times in the 100-meter breastroke. Other events weren't so kind to the Wolverines. Both Papa and Buyukuncu were disqualified in the 50-meter free, leaving no other Wolverines to place.

Signs of Michigan dominance didn't show in the 200-meter individual medley either. Only Scott Werner placed in the top 40. David Stephens finished 44th. Dolan, however, kept up his spectacular day by placing eighth in the preliminary rounds.

Two more days of warming-up and scouting are ahead for the Wolverines before they take a month break preparing for the world championships.

12-05-97