March 2, 2000

MILWAUKEE - Matt Schmaling, a swimmer on the UWM swimming and diving team, and Liz Pesch, a runner on the UWM track and field team, have been named the Pepsi UWM Athletes of the Month for February.

Schmaling, a freshman from New Berlin, Wis. (Eisenhower High School), was named the MCC Newcomer of the Year after helping lead the Panthers to their first-ever conference title. Schmaling won the 50 freestyle, set a school record and finished second in the 200 free, and swam legs of the winning, school-record-setting and MCC-record-setting 200-yard and 400-yard free relays. He also swam a leg on the conference champion 200 medley relay. Schmaling also swam a leg on the 800 free relay team that also set a school record and placed second overall.

Pesch, a sophomore from Fond du Lac, Wis. (St. Mary's Springs High School) won two events at the MCC Indoor Championships as she helped the Panthers to the team title. Pesch won the 800-meter run and the 1000-meter run. Prior to the MCC meet, Pesch ran what head coach Pete Corfeld called "the most amazing 1200-meter split that I've ever seen a sophomore run," a 3:35.9 leg of the distance medley relay at the Cyclone Invitational on Feb. 12. That 1200 time followed a third-place finish and personal best time in the 400-meter dash at the Redbird Invitational one week earlier.