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UWM Women Look To Extend Win Streak With Weekend Road Trip

Panthers set to take on IUPUI, Xavier and Saint Louis

Nov. 11, 2008

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's swimming & diving team will put its four-dual win streak on the line with a road trip this weekend, heading to Indiana for a four-team meet against IUPUI, Xavier and Saint Louis. The two-day, three-way dual meet gets underway Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. CST and concludes Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. CST. The Panthers have never faced two of the three teams they will be swimming against (IUPUI and Saint Louis) and have only faced Xavier once - a UWM victory way back in October of 1997.

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SCOUTING THE MEET:
The IUPUI women's swimming and diving team is off to a slow start, standing in at 1-5 on the year after dropping dual meets to Kentucky (123-73 Nov. 8) and Centre (181-107 Nov. 7) last weekend. The Jaguars lone win this season was a 110-28 decision over Butler Oct. 17. They were selected to finish sixth in the Summit League in voting of the league's head coaches. The women will count on Sara Smith and Alexandra McCreight. Smith is already among IUPUI's career leaders in wins while McCreight is also in the top 10. Diver Chen Ni is also off to a great start, earning league diver of the week honors after breaking both school records.

Xavier has been picked to finish fourth in this year's Atlantic 10 preseason swimming & diving polls in voting conducted by the league's head coaches. They are led by sophomore Kari Peglar, the 2008 A-10 Women's Rookie Performer of the Year. The team is also off to a 1-5 start, posting it's only win of the season against Valparaiso Oct. 17.

The 2008-09 Billiken squads feature a wealth of youth as 18 student-athletes, including 14 freshmen, will be suiting up for the first time. Saint Louis' top returners on the women's team are juniors Anna Larson, Lindsey Tamkun and Laura Robertson and sophomores Jordan Hagar and Katie Robertson. The squad is off to an amazing 11-1 start, including a sweep of Eureka, Hannibal-Lagrange, Lincoln and Lindenwood in an invitational Nov. 1.

LAST TIME IN THE POOL:
The women defeated all three of their opponents Nov. 8, topping UIC, North Dakota and Butler in a quad meet at the Klotsche Natatorium. The Panthers had six different individual winners and also won a relay in beating the Flames, 176.5-123.5, the Fighting Sioux, 199-101, and the Bulldogs, 254-39.

Senior Ashley Hall led the way by winning both diving events. Joining her on the list of winners was juniors Kerry Rossow and Bailey Nennig, sophomores Ellie Gross and Danielle Wenger, freshman Sarah Wardecke and the 400 freestyle relay team. Hall led a nice effort for Milwaukee on the diving boards, as her and junior Rachel Grimm each dove well. Hall won the one-meter board with a point total of 262.10, while Grimm placed second at 239.80. On the three-meter board, Hall led the way with 235.30 points and Grimm was third with 220.80.

LAST YEAR:
A year ago, the Panthers did not swim against any of the three teams they will be competing against this weekend.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Freshman Sarah Wardecke has been quick to make an impression this season, winning four times and placing second four times in her eight races so far this year. She has already put her name in the record book as well. She broke the school freshman record of 52.64 (formerly held by Lindsay Caldwell) in the 100 free when she won in 52.25 against Wright State Oct. 31.

BACK AT IT:
Senior Ashley Hall was named the Horizon League Diver of the Week Nov. 5. The award is the first of the season for Hall and the UWM swim team and also marks the sixth of her career. Hall dove well against Wright State Oct. 31, winning the three-meter event and taking second place in the one-meter. She won the three-meter board with a NCAA Zone-qualifying total of 283.88 points, topping the zone standard of 280. She placed second with 252.15 points on the one-meter.

UP NEXT:
Milwaukee stays on the road to close out the month of November, heading back to Indiana for a league meet at Valparaiso Nov. 22.