Swimming & Diving Heads To Windy City For Pair Of Weekend Meets

Panthers to take on Wheaton Friday, UIC Saturday

MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's and women's swimming & diving teams have their first two-meet weekend, heading to Chicago to take on Wheaton Friday at 4:30 p.m. before a Saturday showdown with conference foe UIC at noon.

Scouting The Meet
Wheaton will be in the pool for just the second time this season when it hosts Milwaukee on Friday. The Thunder opened the season with a pair of close loses to Chicago. Chris Dingfield was named the conference swimmer of the week after their season-opener.

Meanwhile, UIC enters the weekend with a pair of meets under its belt. The men's team is 3-1 overall, with wins over Chicago, Denison and Olivet Nazarene. The women's squad is 2-2, also claiming victories over Chicago and Olivet Nazarene, while falling to Big Ten power Northwestern.

Last Time In The Pool
The Panthers squared off against their first conference opponent last weekend with a mixed bag of results. UWM won on the women's side, and came up just short in the men's scoring. In all, Milwaukee claimed nine wins on the day, including three more by sophomore Sara Bentley and the first collegiate win for freshman Carley Thomas – taking the top spot on women's 3-meter diving.

League Notice
Just a few weeks into the season, the Panthers have already posted some of the top results in the Horizon League, with the league office taking notice. Sara Bentley and Rachel Margis swept the league swimmer and diver of the week honors after week one. Then, after an outstanding showing at the All-Wisconsin Invite, Bentley and Margis repeated their titles and were joined by Nic Halverson as Milwaukee claimed three of the four league awards.

Top Times
UWM has been one of the top teams in the Horizon League since Kyle Clements was named the team's head coach. This year is no different, with the Panthers already boasting six of the top times in the league thus far. Milwaukee also has an impressive 44 top-eight times with still plenty of time left in the season.

All She Does Is Win, Win, Win…
Sophomore Sara Bentley has been on a tear to start the 2015 season. The Ames, Iowa native has won all nine individual events through the first three meets this season. In the season opener, she won both backstroke in near-Klotsche-Natatorium-record times. In week two, she won an outstanding four events at the All Wisconsin Invite before another three wins at Wright State last week.

History Of Success
Milwaukee just missed another pair of Horizon League Championship last February in hosting the league meet, taking second on both the men's and women's side.

In all, UWM has won seven Horizon League titles in swimming & diving in program history. Milwaukee has been crowned league champs on the men's side four times (1999-2000, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12) and three times on the women's side (2000-2001, 2011-12, 2012-13).

Additionally, the Panthers have claimed an outstanding 16 team trophies (first or second) at the league meet since the move to Division I in 1990, with 12 of those trophies coming in the last seven years.

Back For More
Milwaukee had loads of success during last season and a majority of the team returns for the 2015-16 campaign.

In fact, the Panthers broke nine school records a year ago, with seven of those record-breakers back for more this year. Rachel Margis (1M), Tim Halverson (500 Free), Nic Halverson (1000 Free, 400 IM), Max Gatzke (1650 Free) and Taylor Wisdorf (100 Breast) all return in pursuit of more top times/marks this season.

Diving For Gold
UWM has always boasted some of the best divers in the conference, and this season figures to be much of the same.

Rachel Margis heads into her senior season leading the women's team. The Racine native has finished in the top-three four times at the league meet in her first three years and holds the school record on the one-meter board. Anna Percival also enters her senior season, while three freshmen (Cassidy Pilo, Carley Thomas and Kendra Wolf) all join the ranks this season.

Meanwhile, the men's team has also done remarkably well over the years. The Panthers do lose K.J. Heger (three-time league diver of the year, five time league champion, owns all three school records) to graduation, but three returners figure to play key roles in the scoring this season. Andres Villa enters his senior season after earning first-team all-league honors on both boards last year. Draven Feustel and Marcel Harris return after solid freshman campaigns.

Fresh Faces
Milwaukee has another large group of newcomers added to the team this season. Nine men and nine women join the Black & Gold after wrapping up their outstanding high school careers and are set to join the college ranks.

A Look Back At Last Year
The 2014-15 season was another one for the record books for Milwaukee. Both teams capped the season with outstanding finishes at the Horizon League Championships, bringing home both runner-up trophies. That marks the fifth time in the last six years Milwaukee has won league trophies on both sides, including bringing home five league championships in that span.

Individually, the Panthers broke a whopping nine school records last season and an additional two freshman records. Quite a few of those records were broken at the league meet, where Milwaukee won seven league titles.

Up Next
UWM will have just under a month to prepare for its next meet – the always anticipated Iowa Hawkeye Invitational. The Panthers will head to Iowa City for the three-day meet starting Friday, Dec. 4, running until Sunday, Dec. 6.

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Players Mentioned

K.J. Heger: 5' 9"; Senior; Diving

Draven Feustel: 6' 3"; Sophomore; Diving

Max Gatzke: 5' 9"; Senior; Distance

Nic Halverson: 5' 11"; Senior; Distance

Tim Halverson: 5' 11"; Senior; Distance

Marcel Harris: 5' 7"; Sophomore; Diving

Andres Villa: 5' 8"; Senior; Diving

Taylor Wisdorf: 5' 11"; Senior; Breaststroke/IM

Sara Bentley: 5' 5"; Sophomore; Backstroke

Rachel Margis: 5' 7"; Senior; Diving

Players Mentioned

K.J. Heger
: 5' 9"; Senior; Diving

Draven Feustel
: 6' 3"; Sophomore; Diving

Max Gatzke
: 5' 9"; Senior; Distance

Nic Halverson
: 5' 11"; Senior; Distance

Tim Halverson
: 5' 11"; Senior; Distance

Marcel Harris
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; Diving

Andres Villa
: 5' 8"; Senior; Diving

Taylor Wisdorf
: 5' 11"; Senior; Breaststroke/IM

Sara Bentley
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; Backstroke

Rachel Margis
: 5' 7"; Senior; Diving