Jan. 23, 2009

Results

CHICAGO, Ill. - Nine different members of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's swimming & diving team combined to win 10 events as the Panthers posted a 156-127 victory over the University of Chicago Friday at the Ratner Athletics Center. Milwaukee, swimming for the first time in 2009, won for the fifth-straight time and improved to 9-4 in duals on the year - the highest win total for the team since going 9-4 during the 1996-97 campaign.

Freshman Kyle Trelka was the lone double-winner, topping the field in the 50 freestyle in 21.92 and also in the 200 backstroke in a time of 1:57.58.

Junior Jeremy Waldhart and sophomores Dan Heraly, Jake Kalinowski and Nick DeWitt also recorded victories, with the rest of the team's wins coming via the freshman class.

In addition to Trelka, Nolan Sinkler, Sam Keele, Evan Green and Shane Conner all topped the field in their respective events.

"It's great for us to be back in the water and everybody contributed tonight," UWM head coach Erica Janssen said. "The University of Chicago has a beautiful facility so it was nice to be back in action. A lot of the guys stepped up and came up with some quality swims. We are right where we want to be at for this point of the season."

The 400 medley relay team set the tone in the first event of the night, as Trelka, Keele and freshmen teammates Jordan Diel and Sky Boggio combined for a winning time of 3:31.79.

Heraly then swam the 1000 freestyle in a time of 9:46.44, setting a pool record in the process.

Waldhart won the 100 backstroke in 52.55, while also taking second in the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:12.87. He also exhibitioned the 200 IM, recording what would have been a winning time in 1:57.23.

Kalinowski won the 100 freestyle in 48.22 while also placing second in the 200 free in 1:45.38. DeWitt posted his first win on the one-meter board this season, topping the field with 210.98 points.

For the newcomers, Sinkler won the 200 free in 1:44.35, Keele the 100 breaststroke in 59.26, Green the 200 butterfly in 1:57.66 and Conner posted the first victory of his collegiate career, winning the three-meter diving event with a season-high point total of 254.25.

Well ahead late in the meet, UWM began swimming races as exhibition events. Were that not the case, Milwaukee would have had three more winners. In addition to Waldhart in the 200 IM, Heraly would have added a win in the 500 free (his time of 4:47.49 was nearly six seconds ahead of the field) and Diel a victory in the 100 fly, in which he touched the wall in 51.81.

The team gets back to Milwaukee tonight only to turn around quickly for an afternoon meet against Western Illinois Saturday.

"We may be a bit tired," Janssen said. "But, we will be swimming some different `off' events tomorrow. That will help us prepare even more for the league championships next month."

Action gets underway at the Klotsche Natatorium at 1 p.m. in what will be the final regular season home meet of the year.