May 5, 2004

MILWAUKEE -

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The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's swimming and diving team has announced the addition of five student-athletes to the class of 2004-05. Of the five new recruits, two have signed National Letters of Intent and three have signed on an Intent To Enroll form at UWM.

Ross Bittner, Tom Heitkamp, Tyler Jefferson, Steve Lynam and David Yugo will join fall recruits Chase Gravengood and Jeremy Seibel.

"This is an excellent men's recruiting class," Panther head coach Dave Clark said. "There is talent and strength in a variety of events. In the league championship puzzle we definitely gained a number of pieces."

Bittner, an individual medley and butterfly swimmer for Manitowoc High School, comes to Milwaukee after having been a finalist in the 200-yard individual medley at the 2003 YMCA National Swimming meet and placed 13th at the 2004 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association swimming meet. Adding to his list of credentials, Bittner placed third in the 100-yard butterfly at the 2004 WIAA swimming meet while placing 7th in 2003. Bittner was also named an all-american honorable mention in 2001 while attending Moeller High School in Cincinatti, Ohio.

"Ross is a great talent with a lot of good national experience," Clark said. "With his experience, talent and versatility he should not only help our relays, but also be a force in our league."

Heitkamp will join UWM courtesy of one of the stronger Wisconsin high school swimming programs at Homestead High School in Mequon. Primarily a sprinter, Heitkamp was a part of the Highlanders' 2001 WIAA State Championship and was a finalist in the 2003 state meet while competing in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events.

"Tom is a sprinter with a lot of potential," Clark said. "Swimming for a team that is constantly in contention for the state title has made him a very tough competitor. College training and competition should allow him to improve steadily in the future."

Jefferson, a freestyle swimmer from Madison, is looking to add to Milwaukee's tradition of strong freestyle sprinters. Jefferson, who swam for Madison Edgewood High School and served as team captain, was a WIAA state finalist in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events in 2003 and 2004, placing third and sixth, respectively, in 2004.

"Tyler's recent improvement is due to his instinctual work ethic," Clark said. "He has been a team leader both in and out of the pool. I'm looking forward to helping him get even better in the coming years."

Lynam, from Verona High School, will add to the Panthers' distance events after having placed 10th in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2004 WIAA state meet. Lynam's career-best time in the 500-yard freestyle is 4:53.12. He also added a sixth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle at the state meet in 2004 to help Verona High School to place 13th as a team.

"Steve's steady improvement is a testament to his work ethic and team attitude," Clark said. "With a great group of distance swimmers to train with, Steve should be able to get even better over the next few years."

Yugo, a freestyle swimmer from Sun Prairie High School holds the school record in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:46.83 and was a state qualifier in 2003 and 2004. Adding to his high school accomplishments, Yugo holds five records for the Madison East YMCA swim club in the 15-18 age bracket and five more records in the 13-14 age bracket. He was a member of the Sun Prairie High School's honor roll all four years and was named an academic all-american his senior year.

"David is an unpolished gem," Clark said. "He has improved steadily over the past couple of years. I look for the same steady improvement over the next few years."

The spring recruits bring the 2004-05 class total to seven student-athletes. The Panther men placed fifth at the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships in 2003-04.