The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, January 23, 2014 - 7A
Deadly in the Medley: The 200-medley relay's impact
By CAROLYN KODIS
Daily Sports Writer
Of the 16 events in a women's
collegiate swim meet, 14 of them
are individual races. Swimming
isn't a team-oriented sport. It's
up to each swimmer to pull her
own weight.
But what about those other
two events, the relays? How do
four individuals come together
for a race and win?
On the surface, it seems like
there is a simple formula to create
a successful relay, but it goes
far beyond that. No swimmer is
ever competing at the same time
as another in a relay. Often, the
swimmer can never hear any
actual words of encouragement,
just some muffled noise.
But Michigan women's swim
and dive coach Mike Bottom has
figured out part of the formula.
This year he put senior Angie
Chokran, sophomores Ali DeLoof
and Zoe Mattingly and freshman
Julia Fiks Salem together to make
a powerhouse relay.
"We just take the fastest
of what we got," Bottom said.
"We're putting together a team
that came from pretty much
nowhere. And relays are the first
place where you can start to make
an impact."
This season, Michigan has
figured out the perfect mix of
swimmers. And this season the
200-medley relay is driving the
Wolverines' success.
Not only does it take four
different strokes to comprise
a relay, but also four different
personalities as unique as the
strokes themselves. Michigan
has done just that and created
a magical combination. The
200-medley relay was able to put
the team back into this individual
sport, and not just for the four
swimming it, but for everyone
cheering on the side of the pool.
"One of the things coach has
stressed to us a lot with this relay
in particular is afterwards, if we
win, he wants Julia and the rest
of us to just point at the team
because this relay is for the team,"
Mattingly said.
Fourthleg: Freestyle
Then there's Fiks Salem --
the anchor. Out of the pool the
Brazilian is quiet, but in the pool,
she's feisty and dangerous - the
final exclamation point to this
dynamic team. She sealsthe deal.
"Julia's the lone freshman,"
Mattingly said. "But honestly,
she doesn't really act like it. She
swims the freestyle ... so she has
a lot of pressure on her, but she
handles it so well."
Added Chokran: "She is one of
the fastest learners Ive ever met."
Unlike in the other three
strokes, Michigan isn't the stron-
gest when it comes to freestyle
sprinters. Yet Fiks Salem is able
to get her hand on the wall first in
the 200-medley relay.
Added Fiks Salem: "Ali's just
pure talent. Every time (she's) on
the block, you know she's going to
touch first."
With DeLoof leading off, the
team has placed in the top five in
all but one of Michigan's meets
so far this season. Of those eight
meets, the 200-medley relay team
has finished first in five of them.
The relay has a shot to compete
at the National Championship
with a'B' time, but the women are
working towards making them-
selves a lock with an 'A' time. Get-
ting an 'A' time means that they'll
automatically qualify for the
National Championship, while a
'B' time isn't a guaranteed invite.
way to start off the meet for our
team," Chokran said. "We're
representing our team. We're
not representing each of these
individuals. This is about
Michigan, and to be able to start it
off for everyone that's on the side
of the pool ... itgives me chills."
Third leg: Butterfly
Mattingly has a commanding
presence when she walks in a
room. She's loud, she's funny and*
her smile is contagious. Whether
she's talking or not, Mattingly is
hard to ignore.
"Zoe is very emotional,"
Bottom said. "When things are
First leg of race: Backstroke Second leg: Breaststroke
DeLoof appears quiet, calm,
cool and collected at first.
When she speaks, she speaks
with an extensive knowledge
of swimming.
So far this season, DeLoof
has broken five pool records and
been named Big Ten Swimmer
of the Week three times. Her
most important contribution,
though, is what she's doing in the
200-medley relay.
"Ali performs at such a high
level and doesn't ever let anything
get in her way as far as getting
nervous," Chokran said.
Chokran is the leader of this
relay team, but not necessar-
ily because of her age. The lone
senior takes charge both in and
outofthe pool. Notonlyisshe one
of Michigan's captains, but she
also makes sure every silence is
filled, whether it's cheering dur-
ing a meet or encouraging team-
mates during practice. Chokran's
been a part of the 200-medley
relay since her freshman year and
uses that experience to help out
her underclassmen counterparts.
"She's kind of like our guiding
force," Mattingly said. "She's
TOP RIGHT FILE PHOTO/Daily Top LEFT AND BOT TOM PHOTO BYALLISON FARRAND/DAILY
Clockwise from top left: Zoe Mattingly, Ali DeLoof and Angie Chokran
been around the block and done
all of these things alot more times
than we have. So she sets the tone
for being the leader."
Aside from the relay, Chokran
dominates in the individual
breaststroke events. At the
Winter National Championships,
she finished sixth in the 100-yard
breaststroke and eighth in the
200-yard breaststroke. But these
accolades don't quite , compare
to what she accomplishes while
swimming the second leg of the
medley relay.
This race serves as a major cat-
alyst for Michigan. Not only do
its consistent first-place finishes
gain points for the team, but it's
also the first event in every meet,
setting the tone for the rest of the
meet. Which makes Chokran's
presence all the more important.
"I think this is an excellent
great, she's really pumped. When
things are hard, she takes them The result?
personally. She is a good catalyst
to the team because when things For Michigan
aren't good, she really motivates a sample of wha
herself and everyone else around Not only doesi
her to go for it." of the Wolverin
Mattingly especially encour- also an examp
ages her relay teammates, dverall chemist.
sometimes right before they "I think we
leave the block. Chorkan said.
"She has this sarcastic hilari- chemistry that,
ousness that makes me laugh the four of us, a:
behind the blocks when normally, put it in our pe
if I'm behind there for an indi- the tone for the,
vidual event, it's not always likely when everyone
that I'll be laughing," Chokran look at our relay
said. "When I'm back there with chemistry has s
Zoe, I know I'll be having fun." rest of the event
n; this relay is just
t the team truly is.
it showcase some
nes' talent, but it's
le of the team's
ry.
're unstoppable,"
"To have the
we have between
Ind then take it and
rformance, it sets
entire meet. Even
's tired, they can
y and see how our
et the tone for the
Is."
A rivalry finally renewed
By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Editor
There'sbeen a sense ofurgency
buzzing through Yost Ice Arena
this week.
"I can feel it myself," said
Michigan coach Red Berenson.
"I think our
whole team Michigan
feels it. They
look better at Michigan
today than yes- State
terday, and bet- Matchsp:
ter yesterday Michigan State
than last Satur- 8-10-3;
day." Michigan
Some of that 10-6-2
buzz might When: Thurs-
have something day 7 P.M.
to do with Where: Joe
its opponent, LoorsArena
though.
thogh. TV/Radio: Fox
The No. Sst
14 Michigan Sports Detroit
hockey team
(2-2 Big Ten, I0-6-2 overall) will
play a two-game series against
Michigan State on Thursday
at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit,
and Friday in East Lansing. The
Wolverines are winless in their
last five games.
Looking to avenge a rather
embarrassing defeat, and with
aspirations to climb back atop the
Big Ten title race, there's much
more at stake than statewide
bragging rights.
The Spartans (2-2-2, 8-10-3)
come into the weekend riding
the high point of their season
- a 3-1-2 mark in the past six
games - including a 3-0 win over
Michigan on Dec. 28 in the Great
Lakes Invitational. Anchored
by sophomore goaltender Jake
Hildebrand, Michigan State's
defense has been its backbone
during the recent string of
success, ranking 12th nationally
in goals against by allowing an
average of 2.33 goals each game.
In the other crease, freshman
Zach Nagelvoort matches up
nicely with Hildebrand, actually
edging him out in save percent-
age and goals-against average.
The problem for the young net-
minder is that he isn't getting
any help.
Nearly two weeks ago,
Michigan scored three goals in
two games at Wisconsin. That
didn't quite scream success,
especially when the Wolverines
conceded five on Friday and
three more Saturday.
"You're not going to win any
games doing that," Berenson said.
And they haven't. During the
program's current winless streak
- its longest since 2011, includ-
ing last season's losing record -
Michigan has scored just seven
goals. To put things in perspec-
tive, the Wolverines scored 19 in
the four games beforehand, and
they won all of them.
Sometimes, the chances have
been copious, but finishing them
has been more of a concern. At
Wisconsin, though, Michigan
failed to get pucks deep and
played in their own zone for what
seemed like minutes at a time.
Berenson's offense needs a
little kick, and he's tinkered
with lines in practice this week
in hopes to re-ignite some early
season fire.
Thursday, sophomore forward
Andrew Copp will likely be cen-
tering a line with junior forward
Phil Di Giuseppe and sophomore
forward Boo Nieves. Copp has
been on a tear with eight points
- six goals and two assists - in
his past seven games.
"This will give Boo maybe a
fresh start playing with someone
he's played a lot with," Berenson
said. "He played a lot with Phillip
most of last year. Copp, who is
playing with a lot of confidence
right now, I think he'll be a good
leader on that line."
Nieves has had a slow start to
his sophomore campaign, but his
speed and goal-scoring abilities
would certainly provide that
extra punch Berenson's been
looking for. In fact, it might be
most appropriate for Nieves
to break out of that shell this
weekend. Last season, he tallied
eight points in six games against
the Spartans.
He and the rest of the
underclassmen know about
the magnitude of this rivalry.
Copp used the well-known little
brother reference this week, but
paused for a momeint when asked
if Michigan was better than
Michigan State on paper.
"We're confident that we can
beat those guys every night," he
concluded.
With first place on line,
M' welcomes Buckeyes
By ALEXA DETTELBACH
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico can't help but smile
about her team's surprising
13-5 record.
And that's likely because of
the fact that
she didn't
expect to be
here.
"Oh my
goodness no,
but knock on
some seri-
ous wood,"
Barnes Aric
said after a
69-60 win
over Illinois
on Satur-
day. "It's the
chemistry.
Ohio State
at Michigan
Matchup:
Ohio State
12-9; Michi-
gan 13-5
When: Thurs-
day 7 P.M.
Where:
Crisler Arena
TV/Radio:
MGoBlue
They're so unselfish and they
buy into working really hard.
And they are so naive. They just
go out and play."
The Michigan women's
basketball team (4-1 Big Ten,
13-5 overall) may be young
and inexperienced, but it's
also one of the hottest teams
in the Big Ten.
The Wolverines fell out of
this week's AP rankings, to No.
29, but they hope to close the
gap with Ohio State (2-3, 12-9)
coming to Crisler. The two
rivals met earlier this season
in Columbus, where Michigan
won, 64-49.
"Golly, the Buckeyes are a
good program," Barnes Arico
said. "And we were able to go
there and get the win, that's
been something that's been
bothering them since that
game. So they will be fired up
and be ready to go."
In the first meeting between
these teams, freshman point
guard Siera Thompson led all
scorers with 18 points while
Smith added 17. Both Thompson
and Smith were a perfect 8-for- than 6-foot-4. Despite being
8 from the free throw line. smaller, the Wolverines have
But the key to Michigan's embraced their role as an
victory was its defense, which undersized squad, and that role
held Ohio State to 18.8-percent hasn't stopped them from dom-
shooting in the first half for inating the boards. Michigan
just 13 points. The Wolverines leads the Big Ten in rebound-
ultimately limited the Buckeyes ing margin, outrebounding its
to 31.3-percent shooting for the opponents by an average of 9.8
game, and outrebounded them boards per game.
by 15. Their defense also put That success on the boards
Ohio State in early foul trouble, starts with junior forward Cye-
something the Buckeyes will sha Goree, who leads the team
need to avoid in Ann Arbor. with 9.7 rebounds per game.
"We have to be aggressive Goree also has five straight
and that's what we were the games with at least 10 boards,
first time we played them," including a 15-rebound game
Barnes Arico said. "We really against Illinois on Saturday.
attacked them and got to the "Cyesha has been tremen-
free throw line. And we really dous for us," Barnes Arico said.
limited them in the paint, so "She just has a motor and goes
we need to try to do what we after the ball. And she has real-
did the first time and be able to ly bought into the fact, 'Hey, I
contain them." want to be the best rebounder
Last season, these teams only on our team, I want to be the
met once at the end of the sea- rebounder in the league, and
son, where Michigan lost 66-55, if I can I want to be the best
but this Ohio State team looks rebounder in the country.'"
vastly different. It's ex-star, Thanks to Goree the Wol-
guard Tayler Hill, graduated verines are tied for first in the
and was drafted fourth overall Big Ten. And even though no
in the WNBA one expected
Draft by the them to be
Washington here, don't
Mystics. "They're so tell the play-
Now, soph- ers that
omore guard unselfish and they weren't
Ameryst texpected to
Alston leads they buy into be battling for
Ohio State 1 . l a Big Ten title,
with 17 points worKing really "I thought
and 3.1 assists h r we would
per game. h r . be (here)
Aside from because I
Alston, no believe in my
Buckeyes teammates
average double-digit points, and I believe in the staff," said
so generating offense has been junior transfer guard Shannon
Ohio State's biggest struggle Smith. "I believed we would
this season. work hard to get to this point,
The Buckeyes hold a size and here we are."
advantage, like so many oppo-
nents have, sporting seven Chick backt Mihganlaly
players of at least six feet,
including three players taller
Michigan coach Red Berenson has shuffled lines in anticipation of the Spartans.
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