MINNEAPOLIS - On Friday night in the biggest surprise of the meet, senior Cathy O'Neill won her first Big Ten title in the 400-yard individual medley.
Her time of 4:18.16 edged out defending champion Katy Kristoferson of Minnesota by just .07 seconds.
When she touched the wall at the end of the race, the crowd erupted in the loudest cheers of the evening. Her teammates rushed to the side of the pool to celebrate.
Her coach gave her a hug, pulling her out of the pool.
"There is nobody I'd rather see do it," Michigan coach Jim Richardson said. "I got teary-eyed watching the swim at the end of it."
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| KRISTIN GOBLE/Daily Michigan coach Jim Richardson congratulates Cathy O'Neill on her victory. |
"I guess it's worth waiting four years for," O'Neill said. "I didn't come in expecting to win and I'm just happy that we could pull things together."
When O'Neill swam to the fastest time in the preliminaries, most around the pool were surprised, to say the least.
"I like being the underdog," O'Neill said. "It kind of freaked me out going in first."
After O'Neill had fallen back to sixth in the finals during the backstroke, it appeared as if she might have used everything she had that morning in the preliminaries. But in the last two legs of the race, O'Neill's strongest, she slowly worked her way past the other swimmers, taking the lead into the final stretch.
With Kristoferson gaining on her, O'Neill used all she had left to get to wall first by a split second.
"I definitely used it all up and a little extra," O'Neill said. "Emotion is what got me to the wall."
O'Neill has been known throughout her career at Michigan for being one of the hardest workers and fiercest competitors on the team. But the breaks never seemed to go her way.
She came close many times to making the NCAA Championships but was always cut off, just short of qualifying.
"I remember one year in particular that I didn't think she needed to rest and swim again." Richardson said. "I told her she was in and I was wrong. She missed the meet."
O'Neill said she peaked in high school, struggling once she got to college.
Racing had always come easy to her, but suddenly it stopped happening for her. O'Neill struggled through a number of different practices and training groups but nothing really seemed to click.
"I swam consistently but I knew there was something else there." O'Neill said. "I'm just glad Jim never gave up on me."
Last year, when O'Neill lost to Kristoferson in the 400 IM, it looked as if she might never win it all and go to NCAAs.
Kristoferson was only a freshman and sure to improve on her time. Going into the meet this year, Kristoferson had the fastest time in the Big Ten and was favored to repeat.
"She has her picture on the wall at Minnesota as the hardest worker they have," O'Neill said. "I consider myself a hard worker, too.
"I went into the race thinking, 'If you're the best Minnesota has, this is Michigan's program. Let's see who works harder.'"
O'Neill is excited about the NCAA Championships in March.
"Anything there is just icing on the cake," O'Neill said.
"I'm just ready to get back to work these next three weeks and see what I can do in a month."
02-22-99
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