By Kali Schmieding

Nov. 18, 2015

The UW-Whitewater men’s and women’s swimming and diving team won its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener against UW-Oshkosh.

The men’s team won 145-72 and the women’s team won 129-100.

“This meet is about our swimmers getting in and competing in their third-best events with their eye towards the Conference meet in February,” head coach Joel Rollings said.  “Also, doing some events that they don’t always get to do and to see the things we are working on in practice.”

For the men’s team, freshman Jonathon Jaworski took first place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.41. He also placed first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.90.

Senior Keefur Kuhl took first in the 3-meter dive with a score of 211.43. Kuhl also took fourth in the 1-meter dive with a score of 179.33.

Sophomore Steven Missak won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.00. Freshman Sam Douglass also took first place in his event, the 200-yard IM, with a time of 2:04.83.

“I think the team performed well against Oshkosh,” junior Josh Kanute said. “We had a very tough week of training. Joel  [Rollings] wanted us to be tired at this meet, to simulate in a way what a longer invite meet is like, such as conference. Everyone swim hard while being as tired as they were, and there were a lot of respectable times and races, and I think everyone was generally happy with how the meet went.”

For the women’s team, senior Sierra Becker placed first in the 1-meter dive with a score of 246.60. Becker also took first in the 3-meter dive with a score of 250.05.

Junior Sarah Arteaga took first place in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:14.64. Arteaga also took first place in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.05.

Freshman Erin Hawker took first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:00.75. Freshman Vada Williams took first place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.77.

“The team did great against Oshkosh,” sophomore Michaela Matthys said. “A lot of the team were not swimming their usual events, but we were able to put that aside and have some really good swims.”

Hawker, Matthys, Williams and junior Grace Devine took first place in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 4:10.05.

“I did well against Oshkosh,” Matthys said. “My team always helps me do the best I can.”

Kanute is looking forward to the rest of the season.

“I have very high hopes for conference,” Kanute said. “We are a stronger team than ever before and the other teams in the conference take notice of that. Our biggest competition is Steven’s Point, who we actually face in a dual meet this upcoming weekend. Dual meets and the conference meets are two very different things, but it will be interesting to face Stevens Point this early on in the season.”

The ’Hawks will continue the season Saturday with a dual meet against UW-Stevens Point at the UW-Stevens Point Aquatics Center.