2007 WIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Championship Preview

     Richard Nixon was president and none of the competitors in this year�s Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men�s swimming and diving championships had even been born the last time somebody other than UW-Stevens Point or UW-Eau Claire took home the league trophy in 1971.
     But that may change this week as UW-La Crosse brings a strong squad into this year�s event and is the top challenger to dethrone seven-time defending champion UW-Stevens Point. The Eagles already defeated UW-Stevens Point in a dual meet on Jan. 27, snapping the Pointers� 49-match conference dual win streak that dated to 1995. UW-La Crosse also captured the team title at the UW-Stevens Point Invite the previous week. However, the Pointers are still imposing, having posted the conference�s best performances this year in 15 of 20 events and having the meet in their home pool on Feb. 15-17.
     The defending champion Pointers feature junior Chase Gross, who won all three sprint events last season and set a conference record in the 100-yard freestyle. He has the league�s best time in the 100-yard and 200-yard events this year. Gross swam on four winning relays at last year�s conference meet, including record-setting swims in the 400-yard and 800-yard freestyle relays. The Pointers own the top times this year in four of the five relays.
     UW-Stevens Point also features junior Ben Gensler, who is the conference record holder in the 200-yard breaststroke and has the top times in both breaststroke events this year. Gensler is also a strong contender in both individual medley events. Sophomore Rob Donisch is the defending champion in the 200-yard butterfly and has the league�s fastest time in the event again this year.
     Junior Willie Clapp was last year�s runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke and has one of the conference�s fastest times this season. Senior Jeff Nelson has posted strong distance performances this year and freshman Chris Hruska could also challenge in both events with the league�s best regular season 200-yard backstroke performance. Hruska�s brother, Mike, is a sophomore at UW-La Crosse and was a third-place finisher in both breaststroke events last year.
     UW-La Crosse returns a pair of two-event champions in junior Anthony Schmidt and junior Karl Richters. Schmidt is the two-time defending champion in the 400-yard individual medley and won the 200-yard backstroke last season. He has the league�s second-best times in each event this year. Richters swept the distance titles the past two years and is a top contender in both events this season as well as either breaststroke competition.
     A pair of freshmen will provide a Gross a stiff challenge in the sprints. Matt Diehl owns the conference�s fastest 50-yard freestyle time this season and edged Gross in the 100-yard freestyle in the dual meet, while Anthony Wolf has also posted swift times. Versatile senior Joel Coyne has solid times in distance, butterfly and individual medley events this season and was a top-three finisher in each discipline at last year�s meet.
     UW-Eau Claire�s best title chances come in a pair of divers. Junior Bryan Dykstra posted the conference�s best three-meter score this year at the UW-Stevens Point Invite, while freshman Kenny Ritt has also achieved high marks. Senior Cale Schmidt-Jackson was fourth in both backstroke races last season and sophomore Pat Finley was a top-five finisher in middle distance events.
     UW-Whitewater freshman Jon Stanczyk has been among the league�s top sprinters this year and has anchored the Warhawks� relays. Sophomore Mike Huffman placed fifth in the 100-yard backstroke last year and junior John Sedgwick could contend in the butterfly events. Senior Kyle Boers is among the conference�s top divers.
     UW-Oshkosh returns sophomore diver Jacob Chadderdon, who won the one-meter conference title and was runner-up in the three-meter event last year. Junior Nicholas Cole placed fourth in last year�s 1650-yard freestyle.
     UW-River Falls will likely look to sophomore breaststroker Michael Brudzinski for its top performances.