Panthers Have Record-Breaking Weekend At League ChampionshipsFeb. 28, 2006 MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee swimming & diving teams wrapped up the season at the Horizon League Championships this past weekend in Cleveland with a record-breaking performance. The two teams combined on 19 school and three Horizon League records, with the women placing third and the men taking fifth at the season-ending event. For the men, two swimmers broke three records each. Sophomore Chase Gravengood won the first three league titles of his UWM career in his three individual events, setting school marks in each. Freshman Robby Leibold established new freshman standards in all three of his distance events, setting new marks in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle. Gravengood earned Horizon League titles in the 200 IM, the 100 butterfly and the 200 butterfly. In the 200 IM, he won in a time of 1:51.70, breaking the school record of 1:53.32 that he set last year. In the 100 fly, his time of 49.18 eclipsed the time of 49.41 set by Andrew Babcock in 2000. And, in the 200 fly, his time of 1:49.17 broke Mike Burmeister's time of 1:51.37 set in the 1995 season. Leibold reset the freshman record at 4:35.32 in the 500 free (from 4:37.10), 9:30.92 in the 1000 (9:41.07) and 15:54.18 in the mile (16:05.47). Leibold had already broken the records in the 1000 and 1650 earlier in the season, erasing all three entries held by David Faust from the UWM record book. The women set 10 school marks, three freshman records and three league records in finishing in third place, just 41 points out of first. Junior Lindsay Caldwell broke the Horizon League record in the 100 freestyle and was part of four record-breaking relay teams. Freshman Molly Finn established new school and freshman marks in three individual events, while also taking part in two of the relays. Sophomore Jess Kelly played a key role, anchoring all four record-setting relays. Caldwell's time of 50.69 leading off the 400 freestyle relay bettered her Horizon League record of 50.94 that she won the 100 free individual race with earlier in the night. That time improved on the league record of 51.08 that she established a season ago. The 400 free and medley relay teams not only set school records, but established new league-bests as well. In the 400 free, Caldwell, junior Heather Sawatzki, sophomore Heidi Goetsch and Kelly touched the wall in 3:28.93, breaking the school mark of 3:30.41 set in 2005 and the league mark of 3:30.11 set by Wright State in 2004. The 400 medley team of senior Julie Olson, Caldwell, Finn and Kelly won in a time of 3:51.09, bettering the school mark of 3:51.93 set in 2005 and the league record of 3:51.26 established by Wright State in 2004. The 200 and 800 freestyle relay teams both improved on school records, with Caldwell, sophomore Kristin Skiba, Goetsch and Kelly finishing in 1:35.99 in the 200 (old record was 1:36.36 set last year) and the lineup of Caldwell, Finn, Skiba and Kelly touching the wall in 7:42.00 in the 800 to break the old mark set in 2001 by nearly a second (7:42.99). Finn capped an amazing freshman season with Horizon League titles in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly, while finishing second in the 200 IM. She lowered school and freshman marks that she broke earlier this season in all three events with times of 2:07.30 in the 200 IM (2:07.43), 4:28.32 in the 400 IM (4:33.41) and 2:05.01 in the 200 butterfly (2:05.77). Senior Erin Blemberg broke the school record in the three-meter diving, scoring 348.80 points to win the event en route to Horizon League Diver of the Meet honors for the second-consecutive season. She broke her own record in the event of 315.68 points, set Nov. 13 of this season. Lastly, Olson topped her own school record in the 200 backstroke, lowering the standard from 2:04.71 to 2:04.28.
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