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UWM Women In Search Of Third-Straight Title At Wheaton Invite

Divers also set to compete at Miami (OH) Invitational

Nov. 27, 2007

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's swimming & diving team returns to the pool after the Thanksgiving break this Friday, with the swimmers and divers heading off to different states. The swimmers travel to Illinois for the Wheaton Invitational, while the divers are set to participate at the Miami (OH) Invitational. Both weekend meets get underway Friday and conclude on Saturday.

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SCOUTING THE MEET:
The Panthers will join nine other schools at the Wheaton Invitational, competing against some top teams from all NCAA levels across the country. They have done very well at the Wheaton Invitational, taking first or second place 11 of 13 times they have participated in the meet. They will be looking to defend back-to-back team titles and have also won three of the past four years.

AT THE MIAMI (OH) INVITATIONAL:
This is just the second year that the Panthers will be competing at the Miami Invitational, which has other schools also taking part in swimming events. Diving preliminaries start each day at 2 p.m. and finals start at 8 p.m. Friday's action includes men's one-meter and women's three-meter boards. Saturday will have men's three-meter and women's one-meter action.

LAST TIME IN THE POOL:
Juniors Molly Finn and Ashley Hall each won twice to lead Milwaukee to victories over the University of Illinois at Chicago and Butler University Nov. 10.

Sophomores Shannon Berndt and Kerry Rossow and freshman Danielle Wenger also added individual wins as the Panthers downed the Flames, 195-104, and the Bulldogs, 246-45.

Finn won the 200 butterfly and 400 IM, while also taking second in the 100 fly. Hall won both diving events, marking the third time this season she has accomplished the feat.

Other winners for UWM included Berndt in the 200 breaststroke in 2:25.37 and Rossow in the 100 breast in 1:06.54. She also took second in the 200 breast in 2:26.44, while Berndt was third in the 100 in 1:07.41.

Wenger won the 500 freestyle in a season-best 5:08.81, knocking over nine seconds off her previous best. She also took second in the 1,650 free in 17:53.50.

LAST YEAR:
UWM won the Wheaton Invitational with 814.50 points, over 200 points ahead of runner-up Washington University (603). Rounding out the top five was UW-Stevens Points in third (563), Hope in fourth (548.5) and host Wheaton in fifth (518).

The Panthers finished day two of the event as strongly as they started day one, getting individual wins from Lindsay Caldwell, Molly Finn and Shannon Berndt.

Caldwell won the 50 freestyle in 23.56 before taking second in the 200 free. Finn won her third event of the meet, recording a victory in the 400 IM in a season-best time of 4:33.75, knocking just about seven seconds off her previous-best this year.

Berndt, who just missed a freshman record in the 100 breaststroke on day one, set a new freshman record in the 200 breast when she won in a time of 2:22.94

STARTING IN THE TOP 10:
The first NCAA Division I mid-major collegeswimming.com poll of the season has come out and the Panthers are starting high. For the second-consecutive season, they enter the poll in the Top 10 - this season at No. 8 with 171.16 points. Harvard tops the first poll with 202.90 points. UWM appeared at No. 10 in the initial poll a season ago.

QUITE A FIRST IMPRESSION:
After having to sit out last season after transferring, junior Ashley Hall is making quite a first impression on the UWM diving team. She was named Horizon League Diver of the Week for the second time Nov. 13, after winning both diving events against UIC and Butler Nov. 10 - marking the third time this season she has accomplished the feat. She has recorded six victories in eight attempts this year and has already qualified for NCAA Zones on the three-meter board.

UP NEXT:
Milwaukee will finally open the home portion of its 2007-08 schedule next weekend at the Klotsche Natatorium. The team will host South Dakota State Friday and then Valparaiso Saturday. Friday's action gets underway at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday's meet is slated for a 1 p.m. start.