Amok Amok Amok!

So, Michelle is not here as she went to the Namesnik Memorial Grand Prix.. With Blair.. And Peter... and Timmay and.. and.. and... Not me! So I guess that means that I am in charge. Woot! Here is a article about the meet:

U-M hosts 400 swimmers in first Namesnik Memorial meet

ANN ARBOR - Eric Namesnik would've loved this.
More than 400 of the nation's top swimmers, including nine who brought home a combined 24 medals from the 2004 Athens Olympics, will be in action this weekend at Canham Natatorium on the University of Michigan campus. It's the first stop on USA Swimming's summer circuit, and while it is the sixth edition of this event in Ann Arbor, it's the first time it'll be called the Eric Namesnik Memorial Grand Prix.
Namesnik, a two-time Olympic medalist and former Michigan All-American, died in January as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident. But everyone agrees this weekend's meet - it runs Friday through Sunday - is a fitting tribute to "Snik," a fierce competitor who spent seven years as a U-M assistant coach and then began coaching age-group swimmers in Ann Arbor.
"This kind of competition is what Eric loved," said Jon Urbanchek, the retired U-M men's head coach who has stayed on, helping his successor, Bob Bowman, coach the elite-level Club Wolverine team at Canham. "And this meet was Eric's idea. He put the work into it, he labored over it. He did all the legwork, all the sponsorships, all the organization. So it's very appropriate to have it named after him."
Appropriate, too, that Namesnik's wife, Kirsten, will hand out the awards after Saturday night's first event, the 400-meter individual medley. That was Snik's specialty - he won a pair of Olympic silver medals (in 1992 and '96) in the 400 IM.
There's little doubt who will be at the top of the podium after that race Saturday. Michael Phelps, who won an record-tying eight Olympic medals in Athens, owns the fastest 400 IM time in history and is rounding in top form again. Phelps, who will race in six events at this weekend's meet, was part of a group of 19 U-M and Club Wolverine swimmers that spent the past three weeks training at altitude in Colorado Springs, Colo.
And while no one expects any records to be broken this early in the season - swimmers have their sights set on the U.S. nationals in August - the fans certainly should get their money's worth this weekend.
"I think we're all just excited to get in the water and race - and it'll show," Phelps said. "I know the group in Colorado trained really well. This is a chance for everybody to see where they stand."
Phelps is hardly the only golden boy in a field that includes world record-holders in seven different events. His friendly rival, Ian Crocker, is entered in three races, including his specialty, the 100-meter butterfly. Natalie Coughlin, who won five medals in Athens, will swim in five events this weekend. And double Olympic medalist Kara Lynn Joyce (Ann Arbor Pioneer), recently named NCAA swimmer of the year at Georgia, will compete in four events.
Meanwhile, training partners, Klete Keller and Peter Vanderkaay, both of whom also won gold in Athens, will challenge Phelps just as they do every day in practice. One of the best races will get the meet started Friday evening, as those three compete in the men's 400 freestyle. Also giving chase will be two-time Olympic silver medalist Erik Vendt, one of two new high-profile additions to the Club Wolverine stable. Vendt, 400 IM specialist who was runner-up to Phelps in Athens, is ready to race again after coming out of semi-retirement this spring.
"I was worried: I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get back to the level I was at," said Vendt, 25, a former Southern Cal standout. "But the way I've been training lately, I'm pretty confident."
This week's meet kicks off a busy summer for the Club Wolverine swimmers, who will travel to Grand Prix events next month in Charlotte, N.C., and Santa Clara, Calif., where Australian star Ian Thorpe is expected to compete. (And a certain B Hansen) A meet in July at the University of Georgia will be the final tune-up for nationals (Aug. 1-5 in Irvine, Calif), which double as the U.S. team trials for next year's world championships.
Notable:
Another big fish is ready to join the school in Ann Arbor. Four-time Olympic medalist Kaitlin Sandeno arrived in Ann Arbor on Thursday to begin training full-time with Club Wolverine, where she joins former USC teammates Keller and Vendt. Sandeno, 23, won't compete this weekend, but like Vendt, she says she's looking forward to a change of scenery as she prepares for the 2008 Beijing Games.
"They're big additions, and it's a big responsibility," Bowman said. "I'm honored they'd choose to come here to prepare for what, in all likelihood, will be their last Olympic Games. It's great for our program, great for everybody involved."

Sounds like it will be pretty cool and that Michigan is getting a cool club together. But let's not forget TEXAS LONGHORNS! Wouldn't it be much better to see horns Tattoos everywhere than those big block M's?

Speaking of which: Longhorn Aquatics Hooks USA Swimming Club Excellence Title

Hee Heee... Play this funny game too. Being that it is the end of the year and there are a few college parties. Dont drink and drive. Help The Drunk Get Home.
Oh and Happy Belated Birthday Jen!