Nov. 4, 2009

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's swimming & diving team takes another road trip to start November, this time heading to Illinois for two weekend meets. First up is a match-up against Wheaton College Friday afternoon, starting at 4:30 p.m. Then, on Saturday, a busy day gets underway at the UIC Natatorium at 1 p.m., as the Panthers will be swimming against UIC, Butler and North Dakota.

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SCOUTING THE MEET:
Although UWM leads the all-time series with Wheaton by a 15-3 count and have not lost since 2001, the Thunder presents 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, 105-100, to the University of Chicago.

The Panthers hold a 14-4 lead in the all-time series with UIC and carry a 10-meet win streak into action Saturday, not having lost to the Flames since the 1998 season. Emily Gniatczyk was named league swimmer of the week last week, helping her team to a 138-121 win over Eastern Illinois. UWM holds a perfect 9-0 mark all-time against Butler, which is 0-8 in dual action so far in 2009-10. Meanwhile, Milwaukee and North Dakota have split a pair of duals all-time, with the Panthers winning, 199-101, a year ago.

LAST TIME IN THE POOL:
The Panthers battled the flu and having to swim shorthanded all weekend, but came away with a big 155-145 win over league foe Wright State Friday before falling to Toledo and Eastern Michigan Saturday.

Six different members of the team accounted for eight individual victories Friday night to lead the way. Milwaukee took on a WSU team that had already beaten league foes Butler, UIC and Valparaiso and carried a 5-1 dual mark into the meet.

Senior Kerry Rossow and sophomore Sarah Wardecke each won twice and the diving team swept the top two spots on each board to lead the way.

LEAGUE NOTICE:
Junior Kelsey George was at it again, winning Horizon League Diver of the Week honors for the second time this season.

She competed in back-to-back meets last weekend, traveling to Wright State University on Friday and Eastern Michigan University on Saturday in a meet that included the University of Toledo.

On Friday, George claimed first-place honors from the one-meter board with a score of 252.37 and notched second place off the three-meter board, coming up just six-tenths of a point from the sweep. At EMU, the Middleton, Wis., native picked up second- and third-place accolades from both heights. She again just missed a victory on the one-meter, as her second-place total of 246.55 was edged by the winning total of 246.95.

LAST YEAR:
The women defeated all three of their opponents in this matchup a year ago, topping UIC, North Dakota and Butler in a quad meet at the Klotsche Natatorium. The Panthers had six different individual winners and also won a relay in beating the Flames, 176.5-123.5, the Fighting Sioux, 199-101 and the Bulldogs, 254-39.

Ashley Hall led the way by winning both diving events. Joining her on the list of winners was Kerry Rossow, Bailey Nennig, Ellie Gross, Danielle Wenger, Sarah Wardecke and the 400 freestyle relay team.

Rossow led the way in the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:07.12. She also placed second in the 200 breaststroke, in 2:27.17.

Gross won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:56.38 and Wenger the 1000 freestyle in 10:31.31. Nennig won the 200 IM in 2:12.78, with senior Molly Finn right behind in 2:14.07. Finn also placed second in the 200 butterfly and the 100 fly. Wardecke continued her nice freshman campaign, winning the 100 freestyle in 52.90 while taking second in the 50 free in 24.49.

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.