2007 WIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championship Preview

     The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women�s swimming and diving championships have come down to a tightly-contested battle between UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse the past five years and all indications are to expect more of the same at the 2007 championships.
     The Pointers and Eagles combined to win all but one event last year and bring the top times in every event into this year�s championships, which are set for Feb. 15-17 at UW-Stevens Point. The Pointers won last year�s league title, snapping UW-La Crosse�s four-year reign in a rivalry that has featured five straight trophies decided by narrow margins of less than 51 points.
     UW-Eau Claire is likely the nearest challenger to the Pointers and Eagles after four straight third-place finishes and 18 consecutive titles from 1980-97. Defending champion UW-Stevens Point won both regular season meetings with UW-La Crosse, taking the team title at the UW-Stevens Point Invite and winning a dual meet on Jan. 27. The Pointers also captured the WIAC relays crown in November.
     UW-Stevens Point returns a pair of two-event champions from last year in sophomore Abby Strobel, who won the 200-yard backstroke and set a meet record in the 200-yard individual medley, and senior Meghan Walsh, who captured her second straight 100-yard butterfly title in addition to the 200-yard event. Both competitors will be challenged by UW-La Crosse senior Kelly Hackbarth, who has beaten Walsh twice this year head-to-head in the 200-yard butterfly. Strobel owns the league�s fastest times in both individual medley events this year, but has lost to Hackbarth in both events.
     Meanwhile, UW-Stevens Point senior Beth Bard carries the conference�s best 100-yard butterfly time and returns as part of the Pointers� 200-yard medley relay that set a conference record last year. Bard also teamed with senior Jerica Crook, sophomore Caitlin Hake and senior Kelsey Crunstedt to set a meet record in the 200-yard freestyle relay and claim the 400-yard freestyle relay last season. The quartet is intact again this year as the Pointers own the conference�s best times in both events as well as the 800-yard freestyle relay.
     Hake is the defending champion in the 50-yard freestyle and has posted the fastest time in the league this season, while Crunstedt has the league�s best 100-yard freestyle time after a third-place finish last year. Crook is the top contender in the 200-yard freestyle after placing second last year. Pointers� freshman Kari Slawson has the conference�s best time in the 500-yard freestyle, while senior Alissa Colbert is the returning runner-up in the 1,650-yard freestyle and swam the fastest regular season time.
     Sophomore Kristen Bennett has the conference�s best 200-yard breaststroke time, while senior Trish Nye owns the top 100-yard breaststroke time and was third in the event a year ago.
     UW-La Crosse returns junior diver Amanda Medendorp, who was the diver of the meet last season after winning both events, and has compiled the highest scores in the conference this season. The Eagles also feature junior backstroker Kristi Parker, who was the runner-up to Strobel in the 200-yard event last year, but has beaten her twice this season. Parker also was third last year in the 100-yard backstroke and owns the conference�s top time this season. Senior Heather Vogts returns after a runner-up finish in the 100-yard backstroke last year.
     Clare Hathaway was a top-five finisher in all three sprints and Sarah Russart was runner-up in both breaststroke events last year. The sophomore tandem returns along with Hackbarth as part of a conference record-setting 800-yard freestyle relay.
     UW-Eau Claire junior breaststroker Emily Diehl was a top-six finisher in three events at last year�s meet and could contend again this year. Senior Emily Viau and freshman Jackie Blank have also posted solid times in distance events and junior Sarah Myers has posted high diving scores this year for the Blugolds.
     UW-Whitewater�s top contenders are likely senior diver Eva Miller, junior sprinter Casey Alf, junior backstroker Danyelle Jenkins and sophomore breaststroker Julie Berg.
     UW-Oshkosh will look to sprinter Julie Zahour for its top performances, while sprinter Danielle Mandich has turned in the top times for UW-River Falls this season.