2004-05 WIAC Men's Swimming & Diving Headlines

UW-Stevens Point's Newport Named To Academic All-District Men's At-Large Team

RELEASED: Thursday, May 26, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Garth Newport has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men's At-Large Second Team.

The academic all-district at-large team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It includes the sports of golf, ice hockey, rifle, swimming and diving, tennis and wrestling.

Newport, a junior swimmer from Berlin, Wis., is majoring in business administration with a minor in economics and carries a 3.91 grade point average. He was a member of three All-America honorable mention relays in 2005. Newport also claimed the league title in the 100-yard butterfly for the second straight year and swam on two conference champion medley relays.

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Holland, Mich.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point placed 12th out of 57 teams at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17-19. The national event was hosted by Hope College (Mich.) and held at the Holland Aquatic Center.

The Pointers totaled 87 team points, while UW-Eau Claire finished 28th with 23 points and UW-La Crosse placed 43rd with 11 points.

Kenyon (Ohio) won its unprecedented 26th consecutive NCAA Division III men's swimming and diving championship. With national championship performances in 11 events, the Lords finished with 556.50 points, followed by Emory (Ga.) with 404.50 points, Johns Hopkins (Md.) with 329 points, Williams (Mass.) with 254.50 points and Denison (Ohio) with 249 points.

UW-Stevens Point was led by Alex Anderson, who claimed All-America honors in three events during the three-day meet. He finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke, seventh in the 200-yard breaststroke and eighth in the 50-yard freestyle with time of 56.61, 2:05.12 and 21.27, respectively.

The Pointers' Ben Gensler placed 15th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:06.48.

UW-Stevens Point had five relay teams finish in the top 16, led by the 200-yard medley relay team of Anderson, Travis Wolf, Garth Newport and Aaron Marshall, who finished ninth with a time of 1:33.76.

Anderson, Marshall, Newport and Tyler Eloranta teamed to finish 12th in 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:25.30, while Wolf, Anderson, Newport and Eloranta placed 13th in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:29.65.

The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Anderson, Marshall, Eloranta and Matt Grunwald also finished 13th with a time of 3:08.91. The 800-yard freestyle relay quartet of Grunwald, Gensler, Marshall and Eloranta placed 16th with a time of 7:05.42.

UW-Eau Claire's Bryan Dykstra claimed All-America status in the one-meter diving competition after placing sixth with a score of 384.70. He finished ninth in the three-meter event with a score of 394.65.

The Blugolds' Scott Heatwole finished 16th in the one-meter diving event with a score of 343.05.

UW-La Crosse's David Dettmann earned All-America accolades in the 100-yard breaststroke after placing eighth with a time of 57.61.

WIAC finishes at the 2005 NCAA Division III Championships:
50-Yard Freestyle--Alex Anderson (UW-Stevens Point-8th)
100-Yard Breaststroke--Alex Anderson (UW-Stevens Point-3rd), David Dettmann (UW-La Crosse-8th)
200-Yard Breaststroke--Alex Anderson (UW-Stevens Point-7th), Ben Gensler (UW-Stevens Point-15th)

One-Meter Diving--Bryan Dykstra (UW-Eau Claire-6th), Scott Heatwole (UW-Eau Claire-16th), Chad Pettis (UW-Stevens Point-21st)
Three-Meter Diving--Bryan Dykstra (UW-Eau Claire-9th), Scott Heatwole (UW-Eau Claire-17th), Chad Pettis (UW-Stevens Point-21st)

200-Yard Freestyle Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Alex Anderson, Aaron Marshall, Tyler Eloranta, Garth Newport-12th)
400-Yard Freestyle Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Alex Anderson, Matt Grunwald, Aaron Marshall, Tyler Eloranta-13th)
800-Yard Freestyle Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Matt Grunwald, Ben Gensler, Aaron Marshall, Tyler Eloranta-16th)
200-Yard Medley Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Travis Wolf, Alex Anderson, Garth Newport, Aaron Marshall-9th)
400-Yard Medley Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Travis Wolf, Alex Anderson, Garth Newport, Tyler Eloranta-13th)

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UW-Whitewater's Lashley Claims Men's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete Award

RELEASED: Monday, February 21, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Craig Lashley has been named the 2005 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Swimming and Diving Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Lashley, a senior from Sturtevant, Wis. (Case H.S.), carries a 3.52 grade point average and is majoring in finance. He is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on UW-Whitewater's Dean's List six semesters. Lashley has also received his institution's Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award the last three years.

Lashley, a team captain the last two seasons, won the 200-yard backstroke title at the 2005 WIAC Championship after winning the 100-yard backstroke crown last year. He holds five school records and was named the team's MVP the last two seasons.

Lashley is a member of UW-Whitewater's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Golden Key National Honor Society. He has also participated in the Reading with the Warhawks program, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and the Adopt-A-Highway program.

Lashley becomes the first UW-Whitewater men's swimming student-athlete to win the conference's scholar-athlete award.

UW-La Crosse's Joshua Mork and UW-River Falls' Ryan Hawke were also nominated for this year's award.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver's. In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

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Whitewater, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point captured its sixth consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's swimming and diving championship at the three-day league meet, which was held at UW-Whitewater's Williams Center Pool on February 17-19.

The conference title for the Pointers is the ninth in school history (2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1977). They claimed this year's league crown with a league-record 1,328 team points, eclipsing their previous mark of 1,190 set in 2002.

UW-La Crosse finished second with 1,013 points, followed by UW-Eau Claire (733), UW-Whitewater (602), UW-Oshkosh (463) and UW-River Falls (370).

UW-Stevens Point claimed eight individual titles at the championship and were led by Tyler Eloranta and Alex Anderson, who each won three crowns. Eloranta was voted the Swimmer of the Meet after securing titles in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle with times of 21.99, 47.47 and 1:43.57, respectively. His time in the 200-yard freestyle was a NCAA "B" qualifying standard.

Anderson won titles in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley with times of 56.72, 2:06.77 and 1:55.13, respectively. He established a pool record and NCAA "B" qualifying standard in the 100-yard breaststroke. Anderson's title in the 200-yard individual medley marked the third straight year he has won the event and he also set a NCAA "B" qualifying standard.

The Pointers' Garth Newport and Matt Grunwald captured the remaining two titles. Newport won the 100-yard butterfly for the second straight year with a NCAA "B" qualifying standard and pool record time of 50.65, while Grunwald claimed the 200-yard butterfly for the third straight season with a time of 1:54.33.

UW-La Crosse had two individuals each claim a pair of titles. Karl Richters won the 500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle with times of 4:40.15 and 16:36.15, respectively. Anthony Schmidt captured the 100-yard backstroke and 400-yard individual medley with times of 54:05 and 4:09.54. His time in the 400-yard individual medley was a NCAA "B" qualifying standard.

UW-Whitewater's Craig Lashley won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.06.

UW-Eau Claire's Scott Heatwole secured the one-meter and three-meter diving events with scores of 445.80 and 472.95, respectively. He was named the Diver of the Meet for his performances.

UW-Stevens Point claimed all five relay events, including three NCAA qualifying performances, during the three-day conference meet. The 400-yard medley relay team of Travis Wolf, Anderson, Newport and Eloranta established a NCAA "A" qualifying standard with a time of 3:26.53. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Aaron Marshall, Kyle Hartl, Anderson and Eloranta finished with a NCAA "B" qualifying standard time of 1:24.93, while the 200-yard medley relay quartet of Wolf, Anderson, Newport and Marshall established a NCAA "B" qualifying standard with a time of 1:34.36.

The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Anderson, Grunwald, Marshall and Eloranta finished with a time of 3:07.46, while the 800-yard freestyle relay quartet of Ben Gensler, Grunwald, Marshall and Eloranta clocked a winning effort of 7:00.49.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Al Boelk was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches for the third straight season and sixth time in his career (2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1998).

Team Scores:
1. UW-Stevens Point 1,328
2. UW-La Crosse 1,013
3. UW-Eau Claire 733
4. UW-Whitewater 602
5. UW-Oshkosh 463
6. UW-River Falls 370

Individual Event Champions:
50-Yard Freestyle--Tyler Eloranta (UW-Stevens Point), 21.99
100-Yard Freestyle--Tyler Eloranta (UW-Stevens Point), 47.47
200-Yard Freestyle--Tyler Eloranta (UW-Stevens Point), 1:43.57
500-Yard Freestyle--Karl Richters (UW-La Crosse), 4:40.15
1650-Yard Freestyle--Karl Richters (UW-La Crosse), 16:36.15
100-Yard Backstroke--Anthony Schmidt (UW-La Crosse), 54.05
200-Yard Backstroke--Craig Lashley (UW-Whitewater), 1:59.06
100-Yard Breaststroke--Alex Anderson (UW-Stevens Point), 56.72
200-Yard Breaststroke--Alex Anderson (UW-Stevens Point), 2:06.77
100-Yard Butterfly--Garth Newport (UW-Stevens Point), 50.65
200-Yard Butterfly--Matt Grunwald (UW-Stevens Point), 1:54.33
200-Yard Individual Medley--Alex Anderson (UW-Stevens Point), 1:55.13
400-Yard Individual Medley--Anthony Schmidt (UW-La Crosse), 4:09.54
One-Meter Diving--Scott Heatwole (UW-Eau Claire), 445.80
Three-Meter Diving--Scott Heatwole (UW-Eau Claire), 472.95

Relay Champions:
200-Yard Freestyle Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Alex Anderson, Aaron Marshall, Tyler Eloranta, Kyle Hartl), 1:24.93
400-Yard Freestyle Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Alex Anderson, Matt Grunwald, Aaron Marshall, Tyler Eloranta), 3:07.46
800-Yard Freestyle Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Matt Grunwald, Ben Gensler, Aaron Marshall, Tyler Eloranta), 7:00.49
200-Yard Medley Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Travis Wolf, Alex Anderson, Garth Newport, Aaron Marshall), 1:34.36
400-Yard Medley Relay--UW-Stevens Point (Travis Wolf, Alex Anderson, Garth Newport, Tyler Eloranta), 3:26.53

Swimmer of the Meet: Tyler Eloranta of UW-Stevens Point
Diver of the Meet: Scott Heatwole of UW-Eau Claire
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Craig Lashley of UW-Whitewater
Coach of the Year: Al Boelk of UW-Stevens Point

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