UW Kicks Off Season at Home This Weekend
October 08, 2004 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The University of Wisconsin men's and women's swimming and diving teams open the 2004-05 season today by welcoming UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee for a three-team meet. The competition will take place at 2 p.m. at the UW Natatorium.
'This is a really exciting time for the program,' assistant coach Eric Fehr said. 'Having had a great summer and successful year, we are anxious to begin the season.'
Last year, the women's swimming and diving team placed fourth at the Big Ten championships and captured its highest national finish (10th) at the NCAA championships. Meanwhile, the men's team claimed fifth at the Big Ten championships and came in 16th at the NCAAs. The finish was the fourth in the top-20 in as many years for the Badger men.
One reason for the strong season is senior co-captain Carly Piper. The senior from Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., earned a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece this past summer by helping her 800-meter freestyle relay team to a world-record time of 7:53.42.
Fellow Olympic athlete Adam Mania is a co-captain on the men 's side. Mania holds the UW record in three individual events'the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 IM.
Both Piper and Mania are competing in the World Championships in Indianapolis and thus will not be participating in today's meet. Head coach Eric Hansen and assistant head coach Geoff Hanson will return from Indianapolis in time for the meet.
Even without Piper and Mania, Wisconsin boasts one of its deepest squads in years, as evidenced with 2004 All-Americans Susan Johnson, Sarah Hernandez, Amalia Sarnecki, Shannon Van Curen, Anna Trinidad, Eric Wiesner and Tim Liebhold.
Behind the returnees lies a deep pool of newcomers as well.
'We have a large freshman class with a lot of talent, ' assistant coach Kari Woodall said. 'I think the success of this team will ultimately be a tribute to coach Hansen and the rest of the coaching staff. '
The meet will act as a homecoming of sorts, as the Panthers and the Phoenix each have a number of swimmers from the Madison area.
UW-Milwaukee is the only school among the three that has competed this season, as it took third at the Notre Dame Relays last Friday.
The Badger men and women swept both teams at last year's meet.
