2003 WIAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships Preview

     Most heavyweight battles end with the combatants feeling plenty of black and blue. However, by the end of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men�s swimming and diving competition, the participants will likely be feeling plenty of purple and red.

     By all indications, it appears this year�s competition will be a tightly-contested race between UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse. The purple-clad Pointers have won three straight conference crowns and five of the last six titles, but the red-clad Eagles are catching up quick and looking for their first championship since 1971.

     The Pointers won each of the past two years by more than 200 points in the team standings, though there�s a different look to this year�s event with just three returning individual swimming champions. UW-La Crosse�s Ethan Kaercher is back in the 400-yard individual medley and Paul Noffke returns in the 200-yard backstroke. UW-Whitewater�s Andy Gilbertson will defend his title in the 200-yard butterfly. UW-Oshkosh�s Chris Hansman is also back after winning both diving events last year.

     UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse have already hooked up in several tight competitions this year with the Pointers taking a 129-104 dual meet win on Jan. 31. UW-Stevens Point also edged the Eagles in the UW-Stevens Point Invitational and the WIAC Relays in November.

     UW-Stevens Point won last year�s meet with its depth, claiming the title with just two individual titles and three relay titles. This year, the Pointers will again look to depth, but they�ll be relying on a much younger squad. Sophomore Aaron Marshall swam on all three winning relay teams, while junior Thad Gunther is also back after swimming on a winning relay. Gunther will be a threat to win titles in the individual medley events and has the conference�s best time in the 100-yard backstroke.

     Junior Peter Nowak, one of just six upperclassmen on the Pointers� roster, placed in the top four in two distance events last season. Freshmen Alex Anderson, Matt Grunwald, Garth Newport and Travis Wolf will also be keys to the Pointer relays and have title hopes in individual events as well.

     UW-La Crosse looks to Kaercher and Noffke to battle for titles again, with Dave Dettmann, Josh Mork and Mike Cavill all back after winning the 200-yard medley relay last season. Juniors Shane Ryan and Trevor Rowlands will contend for crowns in freestyle events. Freshman backstroker Nick Welton and freshman freestyler Travis Martin have posted solid times this season as well and will battle near the top.

     UW-Eau Claire was third at last year�s meet, but went 1-4 in dual meets this season. The Blugolds will likely earn plenty of points in diving where senior Dan Von Feldt and sophomore Scott Heatwole are both back after top four performances in both the one-meter and three-meter events last year. Versatile junior Mike Carroll is the team�s top returner after qualifying for finals in butterfly, distance and medley events at last year�s conference meet.

     UW-Whitewater features a pair of sophomore title contenders in Gilbertson and Craig Lashley, who was second in both backstroke events at last year�s conference meet as the Warhawks placed fourth.

     UW-Oshkosh is led by Hansman, who was an All-American in the three-meter last season and will defend his diving titles from last season. The Titans also have a title hope in Japanese freshman Yusuke Iimori, who has the nation�s fourth best time in the 100-yard breaststroke this season.