Dec. 8, 2007

Results

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's swimming & diving team won all 16 events Saturday to defeat Valparaiso University, 186-77, at the Klotsche Natatorium. The Panthers close out the 2007 portion of their schedule with four wins in their final five dual meets.

The list of multiple-event winners for Milwaukee included senior Chase Gravengood, juniors Robby Leibold and Andrew Belton and sophomore Jeremy Waldhart. The victory moved UWM's all-time record against Valpo to a perfect 14-0.

Other winners included both relay teams, sophomore PJ Rongitsch and freshmen Matt Kluczinske, Nick DeWitt, Bill McCarty and Jake Kalinowski.

"Any time you win every event in a meet it's great," UWM head coach Dave Griffore said. "But, more importantly we just wanted to be tough throughout the weekend and we did that."

Gravengood was the big winner, as the senior captain claimed three victories and put his name into the record book once again. He won the 100 butterfly in a season-best time of 50.78, eclipsing the former pool record of 50.87 set by UW-Green Bay's Joey Weber in 2006.

He swept the butterfly events with a time of 1:53.72 in the 200 fly and also claimed a first-place finish in the 400 IM in 4:07.17.

Leibold just keeps on winning, providing first-place efforts in the 1000 freestyle in 9:39.84 and in the 500 free in 4:46.59.

Belton came through with the first two victories of his UWM career, winning the 100 free in a time of 47.64 and the 100 breaststroke in a season-best 1:00.23.

Waldhart won for the second-straight day, sweeping the backstroke events against the Crusaders. He finished with a season-best time of 54.17 in the 100 back and 1:54.74 in the 200 back. Senior Ross Bittner gave UWM a one-two finish in the 100, recording a time of 55.82.

"I think our guys are stepping up and swimming well," Griffore said. "We are definitely on the right track."

The Panthers won both diving events as well. Rongitsch won the one-meter board with a point total of 252.15 before pulling out of the three-meter event due to illness. After recording his first collegiate win yesterday, DeWitt came back with another, topping the three-meter board with a career-best 270.08 points.

Other winners for Milwaukee included McCarty in the 200 free in 1:45.50 - touching out senior David Yugo, who took second in 1:45.87; Kalinowski in the 50 free in 21.85 and Kluczinske in the 200 breast in 2:16.32. He also placed second in the 100 breast in 1:03.13.

The team opened and closed the meet with relay wins. The 200 medley relay team of Waldhart, Belton, Gravengood and Kalinowski earned the win in 1:37.88 and the 200 free relay squad of McCarty, sophomore Sam Parent, Yugo and Kalinowski won in 1:27.04.

Milwaukee is off for the rest of the semester, returning to the pool next year when it heads to Florida for its annual training trip, starting Jan. 3.