UW-Eau Claire Swimming & Diving Team Wins WIAC Championship Titles
The UW-Eau Claire swimming and diving team competed in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or WIAC, Championships from February 15-18 at the Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wisconsin.[0] Five teams competed in the event: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-Stevens Point.[1] Nikki Venema, a senior, was named the meet’s high point scorer, winning the 50 freestyle, 100 free, and 100 butterfly this week, and contributing legs on the winning 200 medley, 800 free, 200 free and 400 free relays.
The UW-Eau Claire women took third in the 200-yard freestyle relay, and the men’s team of Blake Nelson, Jackson Plautz, Nick Litterer, and Will Quackenbush won the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay title.[1] Schroeder placed first in the men's 200-yard freestyle for the eighteenth event of the meet.[0] In the women's 100-yard freestyle, Molly Sheehan, Bissen and Weaver finished in that order from first to third. Keller emerged victorious in the men's 200-yard individual medley event.[0] The women's 400-yard medley relay was won by Sydney McGuine, Ella Weaver, Kiara Bissen and Pelikan.
On the opening day of the championship, Cadence Showalter, Francesca Schiro, Brianna Smith and Brianna Wesenberg swam the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7:48.01, breaking a UW Oshkosh record.[2] Martinkus earned her second title of the meet with a score of 304.95 in the three-meter diving. Martinkus earned a first-place score of 302.70 on the one-meter board in diving. In the final event of the WIAC Conference Championships, the women's and men's 400-yard freestyle relay teams both won the championship title.[1]
The championships saw numerous records broken, both in individual events and relays. On Day 1, Venema earned the maximum points of 96 by winning the 50 free; on Day 2, they won the 100 fly; and on Day 3, they took the 100 free.[3]
0. “Blugolds place at WIAC Championships last week and head to NCAA Championships” UWEC Spectator, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.spectatornews.com/sports/2023/02/blugolds-place-at-wiac-championships-last-week-and-head-to-ncaa-championships/
1. “UWL Swim and Dive teams compete at WIAC Championships” The Racquet, 20 Feb. 2023, https://theracquet.org/13727/sports/uwl-swim-and-dive-teams-compete-at-wiac-championships/
2. “UWO Swim breaks five school records at WIAC championships” Advance Titan, 22 Feb. 2023, https://advancetitan.com/sports/2023/02/22/uwo-swim-conference-of-broken-records
3. “5 top swimmers at the 2023 Women’s Ivy League Championships” Sportskeeda, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.sportskeeda.com/swimming/5-top-swimmers-2023-women-ivy-league-championships
