Milwaukee Press Release
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Milwaukee women's swimming & diving team won 12 of the 16 events and cruised to a 198-102 win over in-state rival Green Bay Saturday afternoon from Dorschel Natatorium.
With the win, the Panthers closed out the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record in dual meets – the first undefeated season in the women's program history.
Cassidy Pilo swept both diving boards to continue her hot streak for the Black & Gold. The sophomore posted a winning score of 275.17 on three meter and finished at 260.92 for the top spot on one meter. This marks the second-straight meet sweeping both boards for Pilo.
Sara Bentley once again had a three-win performance Saturday. It started in the 100 backstroke where the junior touched the wall in 55.58 – nearly three full seconds ahead of second place. Gabby Sanchez came in third in 1:00.79 and Keely Frankwicz was fourth in 1:01.12. Bentley later completed the backstroke sweep by winning the 200 back in 2:04.70, with teammate Maddy Nelson taking runner-up in 2:07.69.
Bentley closed out her day with yet another win, this one in the 200 IM where she led a trio of Panthers on the podium. The Ames, Iowa native clocked in at 2:08.40, with teammates Adrienne DiFoggio (2:13.28) and Carolina Matamoros (2:14.61) right behind for second and third.
Natalie O'Connell took home the top spot in both breaststroke events on the day. In the 100 breast, the junior cruised to a win in 1:05.43, with DiFoggio taking runner-up in 1:08.33. Then, in the 200 breast, O'Connell once again came in first in 2:22.19, with DiFoggio (2:26.66) second, Jenn Kordik (2:29.23) third and Emma Helgeson (2:30.20) fourth.
Senior Mandie Siehs finished her final regular-season meet in style. The sprinter first led the charge for a host of Panthers in the 50 free, touching the wall first in 24.00, with Arica Smith second 24.01 and Shelby Rozeboom third in 24.08.
Siehs once again topped the field in the 100 free, taking first in 51.93 with Smith once again second in 52.58.
In the 1000 free, Addison Skogman took the top spot. The sophomore won the distance event in 10:35.38, just ahead of teammate Natalie Johnson in 10:38.17 for second.
Milwaukee also swept both relays on the day. In the opening 200 medley relay, Bentley, Kordik, Rozeboom and Siehs teamed up to take the top spot in 1:45.53 – nearly two full seconds ahead of Green Bay's top team. Then, with the meet already in hand, the Panthers closed things out in style in the 800 free relay. Danielle Kudis, Helgeson, Skogman and Siehs combined for a winning time of 7:47.50 – a full 10 seconds ahead of second place.
Up next, Milwaukee will send its divers to the annual UIC Diving Invitational next Saturday before the team gets prepared for postseason action at the Horizon League Swimming & Diving Championships hosted this year by UIC, Feb. 22-25.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Nick Menninga closed out his regular season in style with a pair of individual wins Saturday in a 207.5-92.5 loss to Green Bay at Dorschel Natatorium.
Menninga started his day with a win in the 50 free. The senior blew past the field with a winning time of 21.29 – nearly half a second ahead of the next finisher. Classmate Evan Kuker continued his late-season push by taking third in 21.73.
Then, in the 100 free, Menninga cruised to another win in 46.30. Newcomer Ahmed Ghallab came in second overall in 48.11 in just his second-ever collegiate meet.
Milwaukee also claimed a win in the 200 medley relay. Kuker, Jacob Barson, Anthony Kolbus and Menninga combined to kick off the meet with a thriller, taking the top spot in 1:34.13 – edging out Green Bay's top relay by less than one-tenth of a second in a great race.
The Panthers took two of the top three in the 200 butterfly. Ryan Menninga had a solid swim and came in second overall in 1:55.31, while freshman Patrick Kelley was third in 1:57.89.
In the 200 breast, Barson finished runner-up in 2:11.72 with a pair of freshman close behind in Justin Ogle (2:12.71) and Tim Greci (2:16.68) for fourth and fifth.
Newcomer Jacob Fase turned in a strong performance in the 500 free. The freshman touched the wall in 4:46.06 – good for second place overall.
In diving, Dakota Skenandore led Milwaukee on three meter with a score of 273.07 for third, while Draven Feustel tallied a score of 243.67 on one meter, also to take third.
The Panthers closed out the meet with a runner-up showing in the 800 free relay. Fase, Kolbus, Ghallab and N. Menninga combined for a time of 7:03.28 – just shy of the top spot in their first relay together.
