MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee swim & dive teams are ready for a big day as the Panthers host DIII powerhouse Wheaton College Friday. The dual is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. from the Klotsche Natatorium.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Seniors Cassidy Pilo and Jenn Kordik paced the women's swim & dive team in the team's second meet of the season at IUPUI.
 
Pilo placed 1-2 in both dive events, winning the 1-meter event tallying 248.85 points. The senior nearly won both events, but came up three tenths of a point shy for the top podium spot in the 3-meter.
 
Fellow classmate Jenn Kordik also had a successful meet ending the day with an event win and three runner-up finishes. Kordk won 200 IM with a final time of 2:10.24 and took second in the 200 Medley Relay, 100 Breaststroke and 200 Breaststroke.
 
On the men's side senior Kareem Nofel won the 100 Butterfly at IUPUI. Nofel edged out Jaguar's Cameron Green by a time of 51.35 to 51.50.
 
Jacob Fase and the Panthers 400 Freestyle Relay came away with second place finishes at the meet as well.
 
Fase turned in two second place finishes in the 100 Breaststroke and the 200 Breaststroke, and at the end of the meet the Panthers finished on a high note when Ahmed Ghallab, Jasper Appleton, John Ruan and Bailey Bodart teamed up and took second in the 400 Frestyle Relay.
 
SWIMMING FOR A CAUSE: Panthers Ryan Menninga is raising money for Kathy's House, a nonprofit hospital guest house that provides affordable lodging for patients who have to travel to Milwaukee for medical treatment.
 
Menninga is swimming the 1000 Butterfly in the team's home opener against Wheaton.
 
For more information and to donate CLICK HERE.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WHEATON THUNDER: The Wheaton Thunder opened the 2018-19 season last weekend to fellow DII opponent the University of Chicago with both teams falling to the Maroons.
 
The Thunder claimed five total event wins with Brooke Barnes and Chris Haase tallying two each. Wheaton also claimed seven runner-up finishes in the dual.
 
The DIII powerhouse have an impressive history winning a total of 50 conference championships since it's induction. The women have been on a remarkable run of 19-straight CCIW Championships (1998-2017), while the men have accumulated 25 championships of their own. Of it's 50 CCIW titles, Jon Ledershouse was at the helm of the program for 47 of them. In March, Wheaton named Jacob Ayers and Meghan Ayers head of the program after Lederhouse announced his retirement.
 
SKENANDORE TABBED HORIZON LEAGUE DIVER OF THE WEEK: With two dive event wins at the All-Wisconsin Showcase on Saturday (Oct. 20), Dakota Skenandore was named Horizon League Diver of the Week for the week of Oct. 22.
 
The West Bend native won the 1 meter and 3 meter, scoring 300.50 points in the 1 meter – an NCAA Zone standard.
 
This marks the fourth time that Skenandore has garnered with the award.
 
FRESH FACES, RETURNING ROCK STARS: The Panthers welcome 20 new freshmen this season. Sprinkled in with the new and exciting talent are 44 returning Panthers – 26 on the men's side and 18 on the women's.
 
Ahmed Ghallab, Jasper Appleton and Bailey Bodart return ¾'s of the men's 400 freestyle relay team. The squad finished took the podium at third place at the Horizon League Championships a season ago.
 
Also returning is seasoned veteran Dakota Skenandore on the diving side of the team. The junior is a 4x Horizon League Diver of the Week and leads with fellow junior Frank Hearn and sophomore Spencer Peronto.
 
The women are led by 2017-18 Horizon League 400 IM Champion Addison Skogman. The Waukesha native claimed the title at 4:21.63 – narrowly missing her own school record in the event she set as a freshman at 4:21.00.
 
Diver's Cassidy Pilo and Carley Thomas add valuable experience to the team having finished in the A-Final in fourth and fifth place at the conference championships.
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Last season the Panthers took to the road six times in addition to their high-level, mid-season meet at the Miami Invitational. The tides switch as the 2018-19 schedule features four home meets at the Klotsche Natatorium and the annual Wisconsin Showcase held in Brown Deer (Wis.).
 
WELCOME ASSISTANT COACH ALEX HALLAM: Coach Hallam begins his first season as an assistant coach for the MKE swim and dive team. Hallam comes to Milwaukee with over six years of coaching experience and over 14 years devoted to the sport.
 
Familiar with the Horizon League, Hallam graduated from Green Bay and was a four-year swimmer for the Phoenix. He swam distance free, IM and backstroke events with the Phoenix.