INDIANAPOLIS – On day two of the 2024 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Conference Championships, the Milwaukee Panthers broke three program records and reached three championship podiums.
 
Jay Jensen set a new program record in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:26.87, taking down the 4:28.70 mark that had held since 2016. Jensen placed fourth in the event, less than 0.5 seconds off the podium. In the 500 free consolation final, Jackson Hodek, Konnor Pilger, and Vince Chiappetta finished second, sixth, and eighth, earning them 10^th, 14^th, and 16^th overall.
 
Ben Lorenz and Charlie House both had impressive preliminary times in the 50 freestyle, as Lorenz tied the program record with a 20.12 mark, and House broke the freshman record (formerly held by Lorenz) with a time of 20.20 seconds. Both Panthers advanced to the championship heat, where Lorenz finished seventh in 20.36 seconds, just ahead of House in eighth with a time of 20.52.
 
While they may not have reached a podium, finishing fourth, the men's 200 freestyle relay team of House, Jensen, Lorenz, and Jackson Ahrens combined to set a new MKE record in the event. The squad finished with a time of 1:20.45, clipping the previous record of 1:20.53 that had held since 2011.
 
Janelle Schulz took second place in the women's 50 freestyle, touching the wall in 23.22 seconds. Just 0.05 behind the first place finisher. Schulz's teammates littered the consolation final, as Milwaukee took four of the eight spots in the race. Carly Plate led the way in the consolation heat, winning with a time of 23.67 for ninth overall. Noelle Bryan followed closely behind in second (tenth overall), while Grace Mayes and Brielle Laube finished fifth and seventh, or 13^th and 15^th overall.
 
Lilly Nesson grabbed a third place finish in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 4:56.16. Antoni Haupt placed eighth in the same race, finishing with a time of 5:04.24. Grace Hudson finished 12^th overall in the event, recording a time of 5:03.70 for fourth in the consolation final.
 
The women's 200 freestyle relay team of Plate, Mayes, Bryan, and Schulz placed third, combining efforts to finish with a time of 1:33.59, 0.03 seconds behind second place finishers Cleveland State.
 
The Milwaukee women placed three swimmers into the 200 IM championship heat, with Erika Thomas, Katherine Hackett, and Johanna Edgren placing in the top eight after the preliminary heats. In the final, Thomas finished fourth in 2:05.09, Hackett grabbed sixth in 2:06.81, and Edgren placed seventh in 2:06.99.
 
Adam St. John and Ben Stitgen continued to be a formidable diving tandem for the Panthers, as they both earned a spot in the championship final for the men's 1-meter diving competition. St. John finished sixth, putting together a score of 288.75 in the final round, while Stitgen placed seventh, scoring 269.25. Hunter Johnson, competing in his first meet as a diver, finished 14^th overall with a score of 91.35.
 
Victor Kostov placed eighth in the consolation final of the men's 200 IM, touching the wall in 1:51.75 and finishing 16^th overall.
 
After two days of the championship meet, the Milwaukee women have moved up to second place with 243 points. Oakland sits in first with 325. On the men's side, Milwaukee is currently in fourth with 166 points. IUPUI (279), Oakland (267), and Cleveland State (202) make up the top three.
 
Day three opens with swimming prelims at 10:00 a.m., and will feature women's 1-meter diving, the 100 Fly, 400 IM, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 400 Medley Relay.