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Gopher Men's Swimming and Diving 2018-19 Season Preview
10/4/2018 4:09:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Minneapolis – With the alumni meet in the books, the Gophers preseason preparations are nearly complete as the team shifts its focus to their first official meet of the season against the Badgers in Madison, Wis. on Friday, Oct. 12.
The Gophers capped their 2017 campaign with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, scoring 67 team points to return the squad to a top-15 finish for the first time since 2011. A fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships was highlighted by Bowe Becker's Big Ten title in the 50 free. Minnesota posted a 7-3 overall record, and held a 4-2 conference record.
"We are excited about the men's season," head coach Kelly Kremer said. "We've got a great group of returners who have experience competing and succeeding at the conference and NCAA level. And an influx of newcomers that can help us too, we are excited about the season and what possibilities exist for us."
The Gophers retain nearly their entire 2017-18 squad after graduating two swimmers in the spring of 2018, Conner McHugh and Jan Hansen.
Minnesota return to the pool 26 swimmers and divers, including a veteran group of 14 upperclassmen, and will welcome nine newcomers to the team this season. Of the returners, Becker and Nick Yang are coming off of All-American seasons, while Matthew Thomas and Toumas Pokkinen earned All-American Honorable Mention recognition and Tom Donker, Nick Saulnier and Alan LeBlang all return with NCAA Championship experience.
"I think that experience will pay dividends this year for us," said Kremer. "To take NCAA's on the road is a new challenge, but I think that experience will help them feel settled when they get to there, and I am looking forward to see how that translates into success for us."
Freshman Max McHugh is primed for his debut collegiate season after being named to the US National Junior Team. At the USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine this summer, the Sturgeon Bay, Wis. native won the 18 & under 50-meter breaststroke title with a time of 27.66. McHugh and the entire freshmen class are already making their mark in the pool this season.
"They are a good group to train with and they have a really good mentality in the pool," said junior captain Pokkinen. A native of Espoo, Finland, Pokkinen looks to lead by example this season, his first as a Gopher captain. He is joined by senior Nick Plachinski in his captainship.
The Gopher diving contingent is led by senior NCAA qualifiers Yang and LeBlang. Yang set Minnesota school records in the 1-meter and platform events in 2018 and looks to complete the trio in his senior season by setting the 3-meter record. LeBlang has been to the NCAA Championships every season he has donned the Maroon & Gold. Yang and LeBlang are joined this season by freshman Aiden Werner and Ryan Phillip.
In addition to taking on Big Ten foe Wisconsin opening weekend, the Gophers will face Iowa, Northwestern and Purdue throughout the season as well as competing at the Iowa Invitational and Minnesota Invite. Their nonconference schedule includes meets against FSU, South Dakota State, Hawaii, USC and Oregon State.
The Gophers capped their 2017 campaign with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, scoring 67 team points to return the squad to a top-15 finish for the first time since 2011. A fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships was highlighted by Bowe Becker's Big Ten title in the 50 free. Minnesota posted a 7-3 overall record, and held a 4-2 conference record.
"We are excited about the men's season," head coach Kelly Kremer said. "We've got a great group of returners who have experience competing and succeeding at the conference and NCAA level. And an influx of newcomers that can help us too, we are excited about the season and what possibilities exist for us."
The Gophers retain nearly their entire 2017-18 squad after graduating two swimmers in the spring of 2018, Conner McHugh and Jan Hansen.
Minnesota return to the pool 26 swimmers and divers, including a veteran group of 14 upperclassmen, and will welcome nine newcomers to the team this season. Of the returners, Becker and Nick Yang are coming off of All-American seasons, while Matthew Thomas and Toumas Pokkinen earned All-American Honorable Mention recognition and Tom Donker, Nick Saulnier and Alan LeBlang all return with NCAA Championship experience.
"I think that experience will pay dividends this year for us," said Kremer. "To take NCAA's on the road is a new challenge, but I think that experience will help them feel settled when they get to there, and I am looking forward to see how that translates into success for us."
Freshman Max McHugh is primed for his debut collegiate season after being named to the US National Junior Team. At the USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine this summer, the Sturgeon Bay, Wis. native won the 18 & under 50-meter breaststroke title with a time of 27.66. McHugh and the entire freshmen class are already making their mark in the pool this season.
"They are a good group to train with and they have a really good mentality in the pool," said junior captain Pokkinen. A native of Espoo, Finland, Pokkinen looks to lead by example this season, his first as a Gopher captain. He is joined by senior Nick Plachinski in his captainship.
The Gopher diving contingent is led by senior NCAA qualifiers Yang and LeBlang. Yang set Minnesota school records in the 1-meter and platform events in 2018 and looks to complete the trio in his senior season by setting the 3-meter record. LeBlang has been to the NCAA Championships every season he has donned the Maroon & Gold. Yang and LeBlang are joined this season by freshman Aiden Werner and Ryan Phillip.
In addition to taking on Big Ten foe Wisconsin opening weekend, the Gophers will face Iowa, Northwestern and Purdue throughout the season as well as competing at the Iowa Invitational and Minnesota Invite. Their nonconference schedule includes meets against FSU, South Dakota State, Hawaii, USC and Oregon State.
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