Panthers Finish Second To UW-Green Bay At League ChampionshipsFeb. 24, 2007
CHICAGO, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's swimming & diving team was in it until the final event, but had to settle for second place at the Horizon League Championships on Saturday at the UIC Natatorium. UW-Green Bay won its third-straight league crown, finishing with 845 points. The Panthers were just behind, recording 832.5 points. UWM went into the final event of the meet needing to win the 400 freestyle relay and Green Bay to take fourth. In the end, the team of junior Jess Kelly, freshman Megan Skiba and seniors Heather Sawatzki and Lindsay Caldwell took fourth in a time of 3:32.10, with UIC winning and the Phoenix taking second. "Having a chance like this is the goal every year," UWM head coach Dave Griffore said. "It was fantastic that we had that opportunity already this season. The girls did just a remarkable job this season." Caldwell, sophomore Molly Finn and freshman Shannon Berndt all contributed titles on the last day, giving the team its best finish since the 2000-01 season. Caldwell earned the eighth individual Horizon League title of her career in the 100 freestyle, taking the victory in 51.77 to earn her third championship of the meet (50 free/200 free). Kelly was also in the finals, taking sixth in a career-best 52.60. Freshman Jamilla Edwards swam in the consolation heat, placing 14th in 54.54.
"Lindsay has been one of the best swimmers to go through the Horizon League," Griffore said. "She has really dominated, especially the past three seasons. She will be greatly missed next season." The finish in the 200 butterfly pulled UWM into contention, making up 35 points on the lead in the second-to-last event of the evening. Finn won her second Horizon League title of the meet, winning in a season-best time of 2:06.15. The team had four of the top six, with Sawatzki in fourth (2:11.51), sophomore Kelsey McDonough fifth (season-best 2:11.82) and junior Briana Fergusson sixth (career-best 2:12.04). The freshman duo of Berndt and Kerry Rossow did it again in the 200 breaststroke, placing one-two in the race after doing the same thing in the 100 a day ago. Berndt earned her second title of the championships in record-breaking fashion once again in 2:19.82. That time established new Horizon League (record was 2:20.08), school (2:20.20) and freshman (2:22.94) standards. The Panthers didn't stop there, taking one-two in the consolation finals as well. Freshmen Bailey Nennig was ninth in a season-best 2:26.99 and Ali Winius 10th in 2:30.66. Senior Susan Harmsen started the night off with a bang, breaking the school record in the 1650 freestyle by over four seconds. She placed third in the race in a time of 17:31.71 to break the old mark of 17:36.10. She wasn't the only Panther to score in the event, as junior Emma McKeith took fourth in 17:37.46 and sophomore Kelsey McDonough eighth in a time of 18:03.09. McKeith's time was a season-best while McDonough's finish was a personal-best. In the 200 backstroke, Skiba was UWM's lone representative in the finals, taking seventh in 2:10.44 after a season-best 2:09.80 in the preliminaries. Sophomore Kristina Hansen (10th in 2:09.24) and senior Katie Green (11th in 2:12.01) both touched the wall in season-best times. Milwaukee picked up numerous awards at the end of the meet. Caldwell was named Women's Swimmer of the Meet for the third-straight season, senior Crystal Szymanski was named Diver of the Meet, diving coach Todd Hill picked up his third-straight Diving Coach of the Year award and Berndt was named Newcomer of the Year. "The goal is to win championships," Griffore said. "To be this close in my first season is an added bonus. We're young. So, we'll get back to work and bring in more good kids and make a run at it again next season." |
