Feb. 23, 2012

Results

Brown Deer, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's swimming and diving team broke two league records after another dominating day in the pool after the second day of action at the Horizon League Championships at the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center Thursday.

Milwaukee is in the lead after eight events with 295 points, with Cleveland State sitting in second at 287 and Green Bay in third at 242. UIC stands in fourth with 205.5 points, while Wright State (156.5), Youngstown State (145), Valparaiso (80) and Butler (72) round out the scoring.

"Today was another great day and we're so proud of this whole team," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Clements said. "Obviously, a big congratulations to (sophomore) Emily (McClellan) and the 400 medley relay team, but this team is really starting to show its depth and that's what makes me so proud."

McClellan broke her own league record in the 200 IM, winning the event with an NCAA `B' cut time of 1:59.84 to become the first Horizon League female to break two minutes in the event. Sophomore Diana Diel was right behind with a season-best time of 2:04.90 to take fourth.

Also scoring in the event, senior Danielle Chapman won the consolation heat, touching the wall in 2:05.41, while sophomores Erika Pliner (2:09.63) and Hilary Woldt (2:09.73) also scored valuable points for the Panthers.

UWM also broke the league record in the 400 medley relay in the day's final event. Sophomores Becky Yokosh, McClellan and Diel, and senior Heidi Niespodzany combined to shatter the previous mark by nearly two seconds with a new standard of 3:41.23, which also is an NCAA `B' cut time.

In the 500 freestyle, Karmyn Van Dewettering swam a season-best time for the second-straight day to lead Milwaukee with a fifth-place finish in 5:02.60, while Niespodzany finished just behind in sixth at 5:03.16.

Freshman Brittany Walsh won the consolation finals in the event and classmate Anna Yontz took 12th to add more important points to UWM's overall lead.

"We know what we're going to get out of our top swimmers, that doesn't change," Clements said. "What's going to get us to where we want to go is having performances by the roll-swimmers that are going to move up in points like Karmyn, Brittany Walsh, Anna Yontz, Hilary Woldt, Danielle Chapman, Erika Pliner - those are the girls that are going to get us to where we want to be."

In diving, junior Aubrey Griffiths finished sixth on the one-meter board with a score of 225.50.

Day three of action kicks off Friday with preliminaries starting at 10:30 a.m. and finals, which can be seen live on the Horizon League Network, set to get underway at 6:30 p.m.