Nov. 5, 2011

Results

Chicago, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's swimming & diving team continued its unbeaten season with a convincing 157-86 victory over league foe UIC Saturday afternoon at the Flames Natatorium.

Milwaukee took the top spot in seven events to knock off the Flames in a dual meet for the first time since Nov. 12, 2006.

"This meet was pretty big for us," UWM head coach Kyle Clements said. "In my time at UWM we had never beaten UIC in a regular dual meet. They were the one team I could see, dual meet-wise, of really standing in our way of a perfect season, so this was a pretty big meet for us and that guys really got up for it."

Junior Nathan Welchlin led the way for Milwaukee with a pair of wins. Welchlin took the top spot in the 200 freestyle with a season-best time of 1:41.50, and followed that up with a win in the 100 freestyle at 46.44, again a season-best time.

Senior Jordan Diel led the charge in the 200 butterfly, an event that saw the Panthers take the top four spots. Diel came in first at 1:54.62 with classmates Evan Green (1:56.75), Sky Boggio (1:57.03) and Nathan Rahe (1:57.51) filling in right behind.

On the diving boards, freshman K.J. Heger continued to impress. Heger took first in the three-meter board with a career-best mark of 310.90. In a show of dominance, Milwaukee nearly swept the event as sophomore Trevor Sisson finished with 279.56 points in second place, freshman Andy LaFleur had 253.00 for third and senior Shane Conner came in fourth with 251.40 points. Heger also took second on the one-meter board with a score of 279.50.

The 400 medley relay team of Sam Niesen, Brady Huemann, Diel and Mike Schalla opened up with meet with a first-place finish in 3:27.53. In the meet's final race, Kyle Trelka, Mike Brady, Niesen and Welchlin combined to handily take the 400 freestyle relay.

Senior Sam Keele also took first for the Panthers, touching the wall in the 200 IM at 1:55.94.

"Today was just a really good day," Clements said. "We won a lot of events and in the events we didn't win, we went two-three-four to really show the depth that has been the backbone of this team for all these years. This is a really big win for our program."

The Panthers return to the pool next weekend when they head to Stevens Point, Wis. for the annual Border Battle on Friday and Saturday.