MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee men's and women's swimming and diving teams open the 2019-20 season with back-to-back dual meets beginning this Friday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. against Horizon League foe Oakland in Rochester, Mich. That will be followed by a quick turnaround to take on Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich. on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 12 p.m.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES & LAKERS
Milwaukee kicks off the new season, racing Oakland on Friday. The Golden Grizzlies swept the Horizon League Championships last year including all 10 relays. On the men's side, the Golden Grizzlies took home nine individual titles out of the 15 individual events; while the women claimed seven.
Oakland leads the all-time dual series against Milwaukee, 3-0.
The Panthers then get a look at the NCAA Division II team of Grand Valley State on Saturday. The Lakers swept the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships last year, while the men's team went on to finish fifth at the DII NCAAs and the women placed 11th.
The two teams have raced each other every year since 2010, with the exception of a cancellation last season. The Laker men lead the all-time series, 5-3, against the Panthers, while the MKE women lead the all-time series, 7-1, over the Lakers.
TESTING CHAMPIONSHIP WATERS
MKE will get a first glance at the 2020 Horizon League Championship pool as the Oakland Aquatic Center at Oakland will play host to the championships this season for the first time since 2016. This is a great opportunity for the Panthers to test the waters and get a preview of the pool.
The Oakland aquatic center features a 50-meter stretch pool, with two bulkheads allowing for concurrent swimming and diving. Competition will take place within eight 25-yard lanes, with additional lanes for warming up. The diving area has two one-meter and two three-meter, plus one five-meter platform. The natatorium also holds up to 1,000 spectators and has deck space for 400 participants.
A DECADE WITH CLEMENTS
Entering his 10th year as head coach,
Kyle Clements has led the Panthers to unprecedented heights. In his first nine years at the helm, Clements has completely reshaped MKE's history, bringing home 12 team trophies – four Horizon League Championships as well as eight runner-up finishes over that span.
Clements' highlights also include four NCAA appearances, an NCAA individual runner-up finish (Emily McClellan), three-time coach of the year honoree, four athletes of the year, three newcomers of the year, and 55 individual league titles.
SWEET CAROLINA
Senior
Carolina Matamoros is back for one last go-around and is looking to continue her strong athletic progression. Each year the senior has taken her racing to the next level for the Panthers.
Matamoros topped the 2018-19 season as the Horizon League runner-up in the 400 IM, with that time also sitting second on the MKE top-10 list. The senior also scored for the Panthers in both her other individual events, taking 10th in the 200 fly and 12th in the 200 IM.
MR. IM
Senior
Patrick Kelley is coming off of a strong season, scoring in all three individual events at the 2019 Horizon League Championships. Kelley earned his way onto the podium in the 400 IM after taking fifth. He also finished 10th in the 200 IM and 11th in the 200 fly.
The senior broke the four-minute mark in the 400 IM (3:58.04) which is second on the MKE top-10 list. Kelley is also the fourth-fastest Panther in the 200 IM and eighth-fastest in the 200 fly.
RECORD BREAKING TRIO
Sophomores
Mason Schoof,
Bella Passamani, and
Giulia Guerra-Montes are coming off standout freshmen seasons. The three Panthers each broke a freshman record last season, while also placing themselves on the Panther top-10 list.
On the men's team, Schoof is now the fastest freshman in school history in the 200 back (1:49.61), which is also the sixth fastest time on the Panther top-ten list.
For the women, Guerra-Montes also broke the 200 back freshman record (2:01.33), while Passamani took down the 200 fly freshman record (2:04.81). Both times sit as the third-fastest times on the top-10 list for the Panthers.
DIVING BACK IN
Spencer Peronto is back on the diving boards to start his junior season. Peronto scored for the Panthers at last year's league championships, placing 12th on the three-meter and 14th on the one-meter. The Cudahy native also scored for MKE as a freshman, where he finished in the top-10 (10th) on one-meter and 13th on three-meter.
NEW PANTHER FACES
This weekend will debut 23 new Panthers added to the roster this year.
The new faces from the women's team include
Holli Anderson,
Brianna Homontowski,
Meghan Jagdfeld,
Angela Kordik,
Gretchen Kraus,
Kelen McDaniels,
Molly Meland,
Riley Melendy,
Paige Murphy,
Hannah Pozezinski,
McKenzie Sanchez,
Amber Secrist,
Natalie Sepic, and
Bri Zablocki. The women also add transfer
Claudia Kirkpatrick.
The men's team includes
Garrett Gonwa,
Ben Huynh,
Jared Kleczka,
Jonathan Kollen,
Carson Niemiec,
Danny O'Brien, and
Jacob Weber. The men also add transfer
Danny Larson to the squad.
ON TAP
After both meets on Friday and Saturday, the Panthers will be back in action just up the road on Saturday, Oct. 19, for the All-Wisconsin Showcase at Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wis.
