Michigan Women's Swim Team Reclaims Big Ten Crown After 7 Years

After seven years of coming close but falling short, the Michigan Wolverines women's swimming team just proved that persistence pays off in the most spectacular way.

The fourth-ranked Wolverines captured their first Big Ten Championship title since 2018, dominating the competition with 1,243 points. They left defending champions Ohio State and powerhouse Indiana trailing in their wake, breaking conference records along the way.

For the team's seniors, this victory was especially sweet. Their collegiate careers began with a crushing 118-point loss to Ohio State at the Big Ten Championships. Three years of training, competing, and believing brought them to this moment.

"We knew this Big Ten Championship was going to be the fastest one in history," said Michigan coach Matt Bowe. "It turned out that it was."

The Wolverines delivered on that prediction with stunning relay performances. In the 200 medley relay, the team shaved precious seconds off both Michigan's school record and Ohio State's championship record with a time of 1:33.29.

Senior Brady Kendall emerged as a standout star, winning the 50 freestyle sprint with a half-second lead and a championship record time of 21.09. She balanced multiple individual races and relay legs with remarkable composure throughout the meet.

Senior Letitia Sim reclaimed her dominance in the 100 breaststroke after losing the same matchup just a month earlier. Her 57.90 finish set a school record and earned her the championship title.

The 800 freestyle relay squad demolished their own championship record by nearly four seconds. The 400 medley relay team finished with a commanding two-second lead and a 3:24.08 championship record.

Why This Inspires

This championship represents more than just faster times and shiny medals. It shows what happens when a team refuses to give up after falling short year after year.

The Wolverines finished third in the Big Ten Championships for two consecutive years despite posting the highest swimming points at the meet. Lesser teams might have lost confidence or made excuses. Instead, Michigan kept training, kept improving, and kept believing their moment would come.

Coach Bowe's philosophy centered on controlling what they could: giving their absolute best performance. "We can't control outcomes. We can't control what other teams do," he said. "All we can control is giving our very, very best, and if we gave our best, we felt like it was going to be enough."

For once, their best was more than enough.