In
Summer 2006, Ann Arbor-area swim clubs joined swimmers, leadership
and resources to become Club Wolverine Swimming, Inc.
CW’s goal is to serve the needs of area swimmers from
developmental instruction, to age-group, national and international
competition.
Nationally recognized, CW offers unique
opportunities for Ann Arbor-area swimmers of all ages and training
levels. In the team’s first championships after
reorganization, CW swept National Long Course Championships as well
as Michigan State Championships.
|
Club Wolverine is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
corporation registered in the State of Michigan. The club is
affiliated with Michigan Swimming, Inc., and USA Swimming, the
governing body for amateur swimming in the United States.
Since the club’s establishment, generally more than 300
age group swimmers participate in the club over the course of the
year. Also, approximately 40 swimmers, including some former
age group athletes, were training in the club’s High
Performance program leading up to the 2008 Olympic
Trials. The club continues to attract new swimmers who
must be evaluated by a coach prior to registering for the team
(see
Swim
Groups ).
|
Our
Mission:
“Club Wolverine’s
mission is to develop swimmers
of all levels in a nationally recognized program that represents
the greater Ann Arbor community, as part of a team supported by
outstanding coaches and parents."
|
Club Wolverine
For almost 30 years, Club Wolverine had been
the summer training program for University of Michigan swimmers.
The legendary Denny Hill started the program so area swimmers could
train for national level competitions. In 1983, Jon Urbanchek began
directing the program while also taking over as head coach of
men’s swimming at Michigan. Having sent more than two dozen
athletes to the Olympics in his 40 years of coaching, Urbanchek
credits the CW program as key to developing a long list of national
and international success. Athletes such as Mike Barrowman, Tom
Dolan, Tom Malchow, Eric Namesnik, Chris Thompson and many others
achieved Olympic success under Coach Urbanchek.
In 2004, Coach Bob Bowman became head coach
of the Michigan men’s program and coached the Club Wolverine
High-Performance athletes through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing,
before leaving to return to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. He
built on the success of coaches Hill and Urbanchek. As the
long-time coach of multiple Olympic Gold medalist and world record
holder Michael Phelps, Bowman continued the CW tradition of
developing world-class swimmers, including 2008 Olympic medalists
Peter Vanderkaay (1 Gold, 1 Silver), Eric Vendt (1 Gold), and
Allison Schmitt (1 Bronze), in addition to Michael Phelps record
setting 8 Gold Medals.
In late 2005, Coach Bowman tapped Wolverine
Aquatics Head Coach
Eric Namesnik to expand the CW
collegiate/national program into a full-spectrum age-group swim
program. "Snik," a two-time Olympic silver medalist (1992, 1996)
and a former Michigan assistant coach under Urbanchek, was an ideal
choice to lead Ann Arbor age-group swimming programs under the
unifying banner of Club Wolverine.
|
By the time a tragic car accident
ended Snik’s life in early January 2006, his vision for the
future of swimming in Ann Arbor was clear.
Ann Arbor age-group swim clubs,
including Wolverine Aquatics and Ann Arbor Swim Club, remained
committed to a full-spectrum program from development to national
team. Even after Snik’s death, the clubs continued the work
of bringing this vision to reality.
|
Learn
more about the life of Eric
Namesnik and donate to the Memorial Fund for his young
children.
|
Currently CW is coached by ASCA
Level 5 and NCAA coach of the year Bailey Weathers. He is
assisted by a highly competent staff. The High Performance
group is currently coached by Mike Bottom (Michigan Men’s
Head Coach), Jim Richardson (Michigan Women’s Head Coach),
Peter Linn (Eastern Michigan University Men’s and
Women’s Head Coach), Stephanie Kerska (Michigan Women’s
Assistant Coach), and Josh White (Michigan Men’s Assistant
Coach).
Wolverine
Aquatics
Founded in Ann
Arbor, the age-group program known as Wolverine Aquatics was formed
in 1997 on the premise of "teaching competitive swimming with a
focus on the individual, at all levels."
Research, biomechanics and kinesiology
formulated a technique-oriented focus that began with Wolverine
Aquatics first head coach Jason Lancaster and was further developed
by Bethany Williston. Head Coach and engineer Joe Plane elevated
training and skill development during the program’s
evolution.
|
Desire.
Dedication.
Determination.
Snik
3D
|
Finally, head coach, kinesiologist and
educator
Eric
Namesnik brought the premise
of "teaching the individual at all ability levels" to its full
potential. The club, with its philosophy of "Building quality
people, in and out of the water, every day," enhanced the lives of
hundreds of area age-group swimmers since 1997.
|
Ann Arbor Swim
Club
During the
short-course season just before the reorganization, the Ann Arbor
Swim Club proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary as an age-group
swim club. Founded in 1956 by the legendary RoseMary Mann Dawson,
daughter of one-time Michigan swimming coach Matt Mann, II, AASC
also traces its roots back to Michigan swimming.
|
The Ann Arbor
Swim Club produced hundreds of state champions; several YMCA
National Champions; hundreds of National Top 16 swims; and advanced
many young swimmers to collegiate swim programs where they went on
to experience national, international and Olympic
competition.
|
To learn more, see
the online anniversary journal,
"50 Split:
The First 50 Years of Ann Arbor Swim
Club."
|
In its 50 years the club saw many changes in
the sport of swimming and saw its numbers swell from about 60 in
the late 1950s to about 300 by 2006. AASC was ranked a two-time
Silver medal club by USA Swimming for its performances during
2004-05 and 2005-06.
Team Accomplishments - Since Fall
2006
- 2006 Long Course
National Champions
- 2006 Long Course
State Champions
- 2007 Short Course
National Champions
- 2007 12 and Under
Short Course State Champions
- 2007 13 and Over
Short Course State Champions
- 2007 Long Course
National Champions
- 2007 Long Course
State Champions
- 2007 USA Swimming
Gold Medal Club
- 2007 USA Swimming Zone Camp Qualification-
1 Attendee
- 2008 12 and
Under Short Course State Champions
- 2008 13 and
Over Short Course State Champions
- 2008 40+
Olympic Trial Qaulifiers; 9 Gold Medals, 1 Silver Medal,
1 Bronze Medal, 7 World Records
- 2008 Long Course
State Champions
- 2008 USA Swimming
Gold Medal Club
- 2008 Level 4
(Highest Level) USA Swimming-Club Recognition
Program -(1st
year offered)
- 2008 USA
Swimming Zone Camp Qualifer- 2 attendees
- 2009 12 and
Under Short Course State Champions
- 2009 13 and
Over Short Course State Champions
- 2009 USA
Swimming Gold Medal Club
- 2009 Level 4
(Highest Level) USA Swimming-Club Recognition
Program
- 2009 USA Swimming
Sectional Champions-Miami of Ohio site
- 2009 Long Course
State Champions
- 2009 Long Course
Season-17th place in USA for Toyota Virtual Club
Championship
- 2009 USA Swimming
Zone Camp Qualifier-3 attendees
- 2009 USA Swimming
National Select Camp-1 attendee
|
| |
|
|
