Gophers grab men's swimming crown

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

The Michigan men's swimming and diving team was supposed to bring home its 31st Big Ten Championship banner from Minneapolis and proudly hoist it to the rafters of Don Canham Natatorium.

Michigan trailed after two days of the Feb. 26-28 meet, but that happened last year, and the Wolverines pulled out the victory in the meet's last event.

But the Minnesota team they duked it out with last year wasn't about to let that happen again, and the Golden Gophers stole the golden moment, beating second-place Michigan 714-641.

"It's not that we didn't do well," Michigan coach Jon Urbanchek said. "It's that Minnesota did very well."

It's true. Michigan swam well, but Minnesota's depth was simply too much for the Wolverines to overcome.

The Gophers only came away with one individual champion - Ty Bathurst in the 50-yard freestyle.

But Minnesota took second, fourth and fifth in that race, too.

And in every race Michigan won, at least one Gopher placed high enough to score points.

Urbanchek was right. Michigan swam well.

Tom Malchow swam well. He won the 200 free and the 200 butterfly. He was also honored with the Big Ten Swimmer of the Year award. But no Big Ten title.

Chris Thomspson swam well. He won the 500 free and the 1,650 free, setting the Big Ten record of 14:44.59 in the process. He earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors for his season. But no Big Ten title.

Derya Buyukuncu won Swimmer of the Championships honors for his victories in the 100 fly, and100 and 200 backstrokes. But no Big Ten title.

Urbanchek said his team would trade all the individual honors for the trophy that the Gophers proudly lifted above their heads.

Michigan qualified 11 swimmers for NCAAs, more than the Wolverines qualified at last season's Big Ten meet.

But last year, Michigan won the Big Ten title.

Just one Minnesota swimmer finished first in any race this year, but the Gophers flock of high-placing finishes helped them pull away from the pack.

Relay scores counted double last week. The only weakness might have been Michigan's relay teams.

Michigan's tradition of success in the 800 free relay continued. Mike McWHa, Ryan Papa, John Reich and Malchow saw to that with their time of 6:30.79.

But in the other relays, Michigan sputtered. The 400 freestyle relay finished seventh and the 200 finished sixth.

But maybe Minnesota's resurgence can create a little excitement in Big Ten races to come.

30 maize and blue banners signifying the Wolverines' 30 Big Ten championships hang on the walls of Canham Natatorium.

But now, Minnesota has taken two of the last three titles, leaving Michigan's dynasty in some doubt.

"I think that they're closing the gap on us each year," Urbanchek said,

Michigan tends to recruit more individual stars, Urbancheck said "(Minnesota) does a better job of bringing in the average swimmers, ... a few stars can't win it for you."

So maybe this is the new order in the Big Ten. Minnesota's strong, solid workhorses against Michigan's group of elite thoroughbreds. A two-way race for the title, making Michigan's cakewalks a thing of the past.

Assistant coach Eric Namesnik remembers those, from his days as a Wolverine in the not-too-distant past. The days when everyone could say at the beginning of the year, that they came to be Big Ten Champions

"We're not in a position to say that anymore," he said.

But is this the end of an era in Michigan swimming?

"No," Malchow said. "Next year will be the beginning of a new legacy for Michigan."

03-09-98