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Milwaukee Men Off To Indiana To Compete In Four-Team Meet

UWM faces IUPUI, Xavier and Saint Louis

Nov. 11, 2008

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's swimming & diving team leaves the confines of home for a long weekend meet in Indiana against three teams it has never competed against in the pool since becoming a division-one program in 1990. The Panthers head to IUPUI for a four-team meet against the host Jaguars, Xavier and Saint Louis. The two-day, three-way dual meet gets underway Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. CST and concludes Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. CST.

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SCOUTING THE MEET:
The IUPUI men's swimming & diving team is off to 2-3 start this season and has won two of its past three times in the pool. Last weekend, the Jaguars suffered a 107-88 loss to Kentucky Nov. 8 after earning a 152-142 victory over Centre Nov. 7. They were selected to finish fifth in the Summit League in voting of the league's head coaches. The team will be led by junior Tyler McGowan, who immediately paid dividends for the team a season ago, setting the school record in the 200 butterfly in the first event in which he swam for the Jaguars. Additionally, juniors Craig Noakes and Justin Shaw will be counted on to provide points in the breaststroke and freestyle events.

Xavier has been picked to finish fourth in this year's Atlantic 10 preseason swimming & diving polls in voting conducted by the league's head coaches. The team is off to a 1-4 start, posting it's only win of the season in a 94-51 decision against Valparaiso Oct. 17.

The 2008-09 Billiken squads feature a wealth of youth as 18 student-athletes, including 14 freshmen, will be suiting up for the first time. Seniors Justin Breithaupt and Kevin Parker, junior Sal Cruz and sophomore Michael Dahle are the top returners on the men's squad. The squad is off to an impressive 7-1 start, including a sweep of Eureka, Hannibal-Lagrange, Lincoln and Lindenwood in an invitational Nov. 1.

LAST TIME IN THE POOL:
Junior Jeremy Waldhart won twice and sophomore Nick DeWitt added another individual win to lead the men to a split with UIC and North Dakota at the Klotsche Natatorium Nov. 8. 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 freshman Jake Koll took second in both events and fellow freshman Shane Conner was third on the one-meter.

Sophomore 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. Freshman Kyle Trelka was third in 21.90. Sophomore Dan Heraly contributed, taking second in the 1000 free in 9:59.62 and second in the 500 free in 4:45.02. He also placed fourth in the 200 free.

LAST YEAR:
A year ago, the Panthers did not swim against any of the three teams they will be competing against this weekend.

THE "STUDENT"-ATHLETE
Junior Jeremy Waldhart was named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Nov. 7. It marked the second time he has been selected for the honor in his career. Waldhart started the week with a strong showing against Wright State Friday, winning the 100 backstroke in a time of 53.56, the 200 backstroke in 1:54.03 and taking second in the 200 IM in a time of 1:59.22. He followed that up with three victories in three tries Saturday against Wheaton College. He led UWM to the dual meet victory by winning the 1000 free in 10:12.22, the 400 IM in 4:15.24 and the 200 breaststroke in 1:16.11 to give him five wins in six individual events on the weekend.

In the classroom, he carries a 3.95 GPA as a business major and has been named to the Dean's List every semester. In addition, he has been selected for the Academic Winter All-Horizon League team and was named ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-District last spring.

UP NEXT:
Milwaukee stays on the road to close out the month of November, heading back to Indiana for a league meet at Valparaiso Nov. 22.