Nov. 4, 2009

The state of Illinois will be the weekend destination for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's swimming & diving team, as it competes Friday and Saturday to open the month of November. The Panthers challenge Wheaton College Friday to get things underway, hitting the pool for a 4:30 p.m. start. Then, on Saturday, UWM heads to Chicago for a triangular meet against host UIC and North Dakota. That meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Complete Release in PDF Format

SCOUTING THE MEET:
Although UWM leads the all-time series with Wheaton by an 18-1 count (losing only in 2001), the Thunder present a very challenging NCAA D-III opponent. For the past three decades, Wheaton College swimming has owned the top spot in the CCIW on an almost yearly basis. The men's and women's programs have won a combined 46 CCIW team titles during the 34-year tenure of current head coach Jon Lederhouse, while also producing more than 70 All-Americans during that time. This will be just the second meet of the season for the Thunder, as they dropped their opener, 168-37, to the University of Chicago.

The Panthers hold a 14-5-1 lead in the all-time series with UIC, but have not fared very well recently. The Flames - who won the Horizon League title a year ago - have gone 4-1-1 in the past six meetings head-to-head with UWM. The team is 1-1 so far this season, falling to Wright State, 122.5-120.5, while topping Eastern Illinois, 152-108, to get back to .500 overall. Meanwhile, Milwaukee and North Dakota have competed in duals just three times overall, with the Panthers leading 2-1 and winning, 201-93, a year ago.

LAST TIME IN THE POOL:
The Panthers split a pair of meets last weekend, earning an impressive win over Wright State Friday before falling to Eastern Michigan Saturday. Senior Jeremy Waldhart and freshman Nathan Welchlin each won two events to lead the way Friday. The Panthers not only gave the Raiders their first dual loss of the season, but also recorded their first-ever dual victory. Milwaukee took on a WSU team that had already beaten league foes Green Bay, UIC and Valparaiso and carried a 5-0 dual mark into the meet.

In addition to the strong efforts from Waldhart and Hastings, the Panthers also got victories from sophomores Jordan Diel and Brady Huemann and freshman Justin Hastings.

The team won six events Saturday but it was not enough, falling to Eastern Michigan University. Waldhart, junior Dan Heraly, sophomores Sam Keele and Diel, Welchlin and the 200 freestyle relay all posted victories to highlight the day of competition in the pool for Milwaukee.

LAST YEAR:
Jeremy Waldhart won twice and Nick DeWitt added another individual win to lead the men to a split with UIC and North Dakota at the Klotsche Natatorium.

Waldhart was a double-winner, topping the field in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. DeWitt was the winner of the three-meter diving event. In the end, UWM outscored North Dakota, 201-93, and fell to the Flames, 176.5-123.5.

Waldhart recorded the wins in the 100 in 53.38 and in the 200 in 1:55.80. He also chipped in in the 200 IM, taking third. DeWitt recorded a point total of 232.10 to win the three-meter. His teammates also dove well, as Jake Koll took second in both events and Shane Conner was third on the one-meter.

Jake Kalinowski had a close finish in the 50 freestyle in taking second. His time of 21.44 was touched-out by the slimmest of margins when UIC's Brendan Dougherty won in 21.43. Kyle Trelka was third in 21.90.

UP NEXT:
A road trip up north will test the Panthers against several area opponents with ties to UWSP, as they head to the Stevens Point Border Battle. Teams competing include the University of South Dakota, Minnesota State Mankato, UWM and the host Pointers Nov. 13-14.