Panthers Enjoy Record-Breaking Weekend At League ChampionshipsMarch 1, 2007 MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee swimming & diving teams had a very successful showing at the Horizon League Championships, held Feb. 21-24 at the UIC Natatorium in Chicago. Ill. The women's team was in contention until the final event, finishing in second just 12.5 points behind UW-Green Bay, which won its third-straight league title. The Panthers ended the meet with 832.5 points, with the Phoenix first at 845. On the men's side, UWM earned a solid third-place finish with 622 points, trailing only runner-up Cleveland State (700.5) and champ Wright State (782). The finish was the Panthers' best since 2000, with Milwaukee placing fourth or fifth for the past five years. The women broke eight records overall - two Horizon League, four school and two freshman records fell at the event. The team claimed 10 league championships, with senior Lindsay Caldwell leading the way with four titles (three individual/one relay). Sophomore Molly Finn (400 IM/200 butterfly/relay), freshman Shannon Berndt (100 and 200 breaststroke/relay), senior Crystal Szymanski (one-meter diving) and senior Emily Duesler (three-meter diving) rounded out the First Team All-Horizon League victories. Finn nearly had three individual titles, taking second in the 200 IM. Berndt was the big record-setter. Her time of 1:03.81 in the 100 and 2:20.92 in the 200 established league, school and freshman marks in both of her breaststroke events. The 400 medley team of sophomore Kristina Hansen, Berndt, Finn and Caldwell claimed a league title in 3:51.89, less than a second off of the school record of 3:51.09. They beat UW-Green Bay (3:51.95) by the slimmest of margins in the race. Panthers earning second team all-league honors included Szymanski (three-meter diving), Finn (200 IM), senior Heather Sawatzki (100 butterfly) and freshman Kerry Rossow (second to Berndt in both breaststroke events). Senior Susan Harmsen (17:31.71 in the 1650 freestyle) and the 200 free relay team also established new school records. The 200 free relay team actually broke what was the Horizon League record as well, but had to settle for third-place in the event by 32-hundredths of a second. Caldwell closed out her UWM career with 13 total league titles (eight individual/five relay) and Swimmer of the Meet honors for the third-straight year. Szymanski (Diver of the Meet), Berndt (Horizon League Newcomer of the Year) and coach Todd Hill (Diving Coach of the Year) rounded out the award-winners for Milwaukee. Going from fifth to third in just one season was a complete team effort for the UWM men. To compare, the Panthers had 23 swimmers and divers in the finals of the championship events this year. Last season, they had only 16, for an increase of almost a half. Junior Chase Gravengood won two Horizon League titles and missed a third by five-hundredths of a second. He repeated in the 200 IM (school-record 1:50.06) and the 200 butterfly, but was touched out (49.64 to 49.69) in the 100 fly. In the 200 medley relay, Gravengood, freshman Cody Smith, and juniors Ross Bittner and Tyler Jefferson finished in a time of 1:32.97 to establish a new school record. That broke the former mark of 1:32.99 that was established in 1999. Other top finishers for the men included Jefferson (50 free consolation winner, third in 200 back, fourth in 100 back) and sophomore Robby Leibold (third in 1650 free, sixth in 1000 free).
|
