Swimmers smash records at invitational meet

By Maddy Welsh Assistant Editor

Hillsdale swimmers traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the annual Davenport University Invitational meet last weekend.

They came home with five NCAA B cut times, a handful of broken records, and even more individual best times.

Earning third overall, the team saw smashing success at its midseason meet — the last chance to race in 2022.

“The meet was a challenge in the first place due to cramming four days of events into two plus days,” head coach Kurt Kirner said”. “We exceeded expectations by having great individual performances and the team still was able to take third place, second place if you discount the diving scores.”

The first big swim of the weekend was sophomore Elise Mason’s third place 1650 yard freestyle (17:13.20). Mason competed in this event at the 2022 NCAA DII national championships.

“The mile was a stressful event for me as I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform as well as last year,” Mason said. “It is also the event I am most likely to get my nationals cuts in. I was very happy with the swim. It just gave me some confidence going into G-MACS.”

She hit the B cut time in the 1650 yard freestyle, and also swam her 1000 yard split so fast that she earned a B cut for the 1000 yard freestyle event as well.

“Elise pretty much duplicated last year’s outstanding 1650 at this very same meet but a bit faster this year. She was in an outside lane which is a disadvantage but that does not seem to stop her,” Kirner said. “Certainly it was another outstanding performance.”

Swimmers who make B cut times may have a chance to race at the NCAA DII National Championship meet in the spring.

“It’s looking promising for NCAA qualifying but each of them knows that they must ensure those performances stick by improving out of the GMAC/ MEC championships in February,” Kirner said.

In the 400 yard medley relay, Hillsdale’s team came out on top with a time of 3:50 flat — a new Hillsdale record. Junior Caroline Holmes, sophomores Joanna Burnham and Megan Clifford, and senior Marie Taylor will see their names up on the record board for this win.

“We didn't have any expectations going into the 400 medley relay, we were all just so eager to finally get to race. It was our first race of the weekend for most of us on that relay, so we were rested and ready to go,” Clifford said. “Relays are always the best part of the meet, and for one of our first relays of the meet to be a school record and a win from an outside lane was so exciting.”

The record is particularly special for Taylor.

“For me it’s really exciting too because I am part of the relay records for all the sprint relays now,” she said.

Burnham had a solid individual performance in the 200 yard individual medley, placing third with a time of 2:08.33.

In a tight 200 yard backstroke race, senior Leah Tunney and Holmes went third and fifth respectively, with times of 2:06.14 and 2:07.48.

Taylor swept the sprint freestyle events and earned B cut times in both, going 52.13 in her first place 100 yard freestyle and 23.48 in the 50 yard freestyle, where she also finished first.

“The 50 free is always such a fun and quick race, and the competition was up to par for sure,” Taylor said. “I knew I had to swim my best in prelims, as with the 50, even if you are a couple tenths of a second off, it can dramatically change your placing going into finals.”

The standout swim of the meet was Clifford’s 200 yard butterfly.

“200 fly is my favorite event, so I was very excited to swim it to see if the training I have been doing would pay off,” she said.

Clifford came first by a seven second margin with a time of 2:03.01. This time was a personal best for the sophomore, as well as a NCAA B cut time, a G-MAC record, and a Hillsdale College record. The previous Hillsdale record had stood for 10 years,

Michigan is here to stay

since All-American swimmer Linda Okonkowski set it in 2012.

“When I finished, I thought that I might have broken the team record, but I wasn't sure,” Clifford said. “I went over to talk to my coach, and he told me I had broken it which made that moment after the race very exciting.”

Kirner wasn’t as surprised.

“I would have put money on her accomplishing that based upon her earlier meet performances and the intensity of her workouts leading up to this meet,” Kirner said. “She is an amazingly driven athlete who sets the tone for those around her. Truly a pleasure to coach.”

Clifford followed up this remarkable swim with another first place finish in the 100 yard butterfly (57.24) and a seventh place finish in the 200 yard freestyle with a 1:56.26, just behind Holmes in sixth (1:55.73).

In the 400 yard individual medley — one of the toughest races in the sport — Burnham came third with a time of 4:32.88.

The 400 yard freestyle relay was the last swimming event of the weekend and saw the Chargers place third with a time of 3:33.46, thanks to Holmes, Clifford, Taylor, and freshman Julianna Weir.

Charger swim will race again on Jan. 14 against Ashland University and Saginaw Valley State University.

By Alex Deimel Collegian Repo R te R

Many of the Michigan Wolverine fan base called for Jim Harbaugh to be fired following his fifth straight loss to Ohio State in 2019, but since then he has proven himself to be the head coach that Michigan hoped for when he was hired in 2015.

For many Michigan and Ohio State fans, “The Game” surpasses any other competition that either team faces. It does not matter how you perform during the first eleven games of the season — if you want to call it a successful season for either squad, you must beat the other.

Prior to the 2021 game, Ohio State had won eight years in a row, but Michigan running back Hassan Haskins led Michigan to a 42-27 victory, with five rushing touchdowns.

That was a year ago, and since then Michigan had graduated most of its defensive starters, and were ninepoint underdogs against that team down South this year. They had lost their Heisman Candidate running back Blake Corum to a knee injury, and were headed to Columbus to face the second ranked team in the country. Nobody from Fox Sports or ESPN — except for former Michigan Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson — picked the Wolverines to win.

And they still won.

They didn’t just win, they showed to be the superi- or team, especially in the second half. Michigan outscored Ryan Day’s team 28-3 after halftime, while intercepting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud not once, but twice. Sophomore running back Donovan Edwards, who was also dealing with an injured hand, finished with over 200 yards on the ground, including a 75and an 85-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

In the past two years, Day's Buckeyes have been outscored 87-50 by the Wolverines.

Day is the first Buckeye head coach since John Cooper to have a losing record to Michigan, which proves how far smack talk from an inferior team gets you.

Unlike Day, Harbaugh can deliver on a promise.

He delivered in 1986 as Michigan’s quarterback, saying, "We’ll beat Ohio State, we’ll be in Pasadena on January 1.”

And they did.

All of this is proof that all Jim Harbaugh needed was his team. His team that he recruited, his coaching staff that he hired, and his quarterback that fits his play style.

Even during a somewhat rocky season, current quarterback and 5-star sophomore J.J. McCarthy delivered when it mattered, throwing three touchdowns and running one in. Ohio State's nine penalties for 91 yards is prime evidence of an undisciplined, inferior team that lost to a faster, stronger, better-coached team.

After 25 years of let down, Michigan football is back and here to stay.