UW-Whitewater swimmer Dom Schlueter is a winner. By finishing the 2023 season with 18 first-place finishes and three broken school records, he has put together an impressive resume in his first two seasons with the Warhawks.
His journey to fall under Whitewater’s wing is a story that he will never regret. Through his great work ethic and his quick success, he has actually started to take swimmers under his wing. He is setting standards.
His season ended at the WIAC Championship meet, where he broke his own record and won the WIAC Championship in the 200-yard freestyle and broke two other school records in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay.
There is no denying his leadership and his impact as a Warhawk athlete. Before the WIAC Championship meet, he shared his thoughts on winning prestigious awards, what he wants to achieve as a Warhawk, and more.
(Dan Emary)
Q: Why did you choose UW-Whitewater to continue your swimming career?
A: One of my best friends, Matt Ozog, decided he wanted to come here. I was still in the process of looking around and I had looked at UW-La Crosse, I looked at UW-Stevens Point, and they didn’t really seem too appealing to me. And then Matt told me to take a visit up here. So I did a visit with Donny Gramer, who I’ve known since I was 12. I liked the team dynamic, the guys all seemed pretty cool, and obviously I got into the university. They had a really good program for my major and I really liked how everything was looking, so I decided to come here.
Q: How did it feel to win WIAC Newcomer of the Year last season?
A: It was definitely a very good confidence boost for me. I’ve been swimming for a long time, so I know this sport like the back of my hand. But to get an award like ‘the best freshman,’ I guess you can say I thought that was really cool. People started to know my name and know who I was and recognize me wherever I go as far as meets go. So that was really cool to me.
Q: What were some of your goals this season and did you end up meeting them?
A: Some of my goals I have achieved so far, but I’m not done yet. I was able to get the school record in the 200-yard freestyle; that was one of my goals coming into this year. I’d like to get first in the 200-freestyle and the 100-freestyle at conference. Then I’d like to break the school record and my own personal record in the 100-freestyle, and then I’d like to see how close I can get to the school record in the 200-IM.
Q: What are your favorite swimming events to compete in and why?
A: My favorite event has to be the 100-freestyle, but it’s not my best event. I like it because it’s shorter, so obviously I don’t have to spend as much time in the water and I can get up to faster speed. I like it because it’s longer than the 50-freestyle but it’s still a sprint. For me, I’ve never been somebody that can just sprint at 50 all the way, I’ve always been somebody that needs a little bit more room to get up to speed. I feel like I can get up to a good speed but it’s still enough distance for me to have some fun.
Q: What are some things that you value most as not just a swimmer but as a general athlete?
A: Teammates that are also motivated. I think that’s huge. I’ve been on many teams where I just don’t have the support from other teammates. Not that they don’t care, but they don’t put in the work that they could be. When it comes to practice, and I see a lot of my teammates putting in the same work that I am, that actually pushes me to be better and it pushes our entire team to be better.
Q: How do you represent being a Warhawk outside of swimming?
A: While I don’t really have much of a life outside of swimming, I definitely represent myself by cheering on my fellow athletes. I like to go to the basketball games, the football games and the volleyball games. We all do it as a team. So supporting my fellow Warhawk athletes is probably the biggest thing that I do.
Schlueter has two more seasons to show his great work ethic and push to break more team records. For now, he will continue to cheer on his fellow student athletes while preparing for the 2024-25 swim and dive season.
