Meet of the Week Preview: UW-Stevens Point at UW-La Crosse

PHOENIX, Arizona, January 24. IN another Meet of the Week, Division III provides an intra-state conflict between UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse as part of SwimmingWorldMagazine.com's MOTW program.

We also will feature Maryland and North Carolina in Frank Comfort's final home dual meet, while Division II will offer a men's meet between No. 11 Missouri-Rolla and No. 13 Truman State.

Next week, we will feature:
Feb. 2, 2007, Ashland at Wayne State
Feb. 3, 2007, Rowan at Kutztown
Feb. 3-4, 2007, Harvard/Yale at Princeton

Here is a quick preview of the Stevens Point/La Crosse match-up:

Date and Time: Saturday, January 27, 2007 – 1 p.m.
Location: La Crosse, Wis.
Facility: Mitchell Pool
Collegeswimming.com Rankings (as of Jan. 23):
Men:
Stevens Point: 6
La Crosse: NR

Women:
Stevens Point: 3
La Crosse: NR

Stevens Point's Last Time Out:
UW-Stevens Point's women's swimming and diving team captured four relay titles in claiming the overall team title at the Get to the Point Invitational on Jan. 19-20 in Stevens Point. The Pointer women totaled 1,028 team points to surpass rival UW-La Crosse, which was second with 911.5 points. On the men's side, UW-La Crosse took a tightly-contested crown with 807.5 points, holding off Gustavus Adolphus by 8.5 points. UW-Stevens Point was fourth, but just 73 points back, with 734.5 points.

For the women, Jerica Crook, Caitlin Hake, Kelsey Crunstedt and Beth Bard each swam on three winning relays. The quartet teamed on the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:38.11 and the 400 freestyle relay in 3:38.20. Crunstedt, Bard and Hake were joined by Trish Nye on the 200 medley relay in 1:49.92 and Crook united with Stephanie Boehme, Alissa Colbert and Kari Slawson on the 800 freestyle relay in 8:05.30. Hake and Crunstedt were also the top two finishers in both the 50 and 100 freestyles with Hake edging her teammate in the 50-yard event in 24.64 seconds and Crunstedt sprinting to a win in the 100-yard affair in 54.39 seconds. Kristen Bennett added a victory in the 200 breaststroke in 2:30.03.

On the men's side, Ben Gensler and Chase Gross each won two events and swam on the winning 200 medley relay for the men's team. They teamed with Willie Clapp and Kyle Hartl to win the relay in 1:37.44. Gensler added an NCAA B-cut qualifying time in the 200 breaststroke at 2:08.43 and won the 100 breaststroke in 59.77 seconds. Gross swam to victory in the 50 freestyle in 21.39 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 47.09 seconds.

Looking forward with Stevens Point head coach Alan Boelk:
Our dual against La Crosse this weekend promises to have more tight races than any dual meet either of our teams have had since we met last year. Our teams match up very well, and it will be a rowdy one! We are really looking forward to it. La Crosse has the strongest men's team that they have ever had, and its women are very strong this year as well. We have a lot of respect for them. They are a great bunch of folks. Coach Pein has done a great job getting his team ready to race. We plan on going over there on Saturday and laying it all on the line – win-or-lose. We will leave it all in the pool. I am anticipating a meet that will evoke stories to be told for a long time.

La Crosse's Last Time Out:
The UW-La Crosse women's and men's swimming & diving teams completed action at the two-day UW-Stevens Point Get to the Point Invite on Jan. 20. The Eagles' men's squad took first-place with 807.5 team points while the UW-L women's squad was second with 911.5 points.

In men's action, Anthony Schmidt captured the 400 IM (4:16.81) while the Eagles' 200 medley relay (1:37.44) and 400 freestyle relay (3:14.21) both finished second.

On the women's side, Amanda Medendorp won the one-meter diving competition (430.26 points) while Kristi Parker won the 200 backstroke (2:11.65). UW-L's 400 freestyle relay placed second (3:42.52) while the 200 medley relay was third (1:53.06).

Looking forward with La Crosse head coach Richard Pein:
Stevens Point has been the class of the conference over the past eight years. They have an outstanding group of athletes who are also fierce competitors. Their coaches, Al Boelk, Justin Stoffel and Amy Steinmetz, are all quality coaches who are both tuned in to the needs of the athletes and the most efficient methods of training. It will be an honor and a lot of fun to race and dive with them this weekend. We have an opportunity to beat them in the men's meet this weekend. UW-L has not beaten UWSP in a men's dual meet during my tenure as coach. In order for our women to win, we have to have great diving and we have to win one of the relays. When we swim UWSP in a dual meet the stands will be packed and the competition will be fierce and we will all have a great time in Mitchell Pool on Saturday.

Top 2006-07 Times Comparison:
Men:
50 Free
UWSP: 21.22, Chase Gross
UW-L: 21.69, Matthaew Diehl
100 Free
UWSP: 46.22, Chase Gross
UW-L: 47.74, Anthony Wolf
200 Free
UWSP: 1:42.60, Chase Gross
UW-L: 1:47.57, Christopher Boyle
500 Free
UWSP: 4:51.99, Jeff Nelson
UW-L: 4:53.25, Karl Richters
1000 Free
UWSP: 10:28.86, Patrick Hanson
UW-L: 10:18.32, Karl Richters
1650 Free
UWSP: 16:53.00, Jeff Nelson
UW-L: 17:22.61, Karl Richters
100 Back
UWSP: 53.58, Matt Meyer
UW-L: 54.24, Lance Scadden
200 Back
UWSP: 1:57.67, Chris Hruska
UW-L: 2:00.49, Anthony Schmidt
100 Breast
UWSP: 58.54, Ben Gensler
UW-L: 1:00.81, Karl Richters
200 Breast
UWSP: 2:05.28, Ben Gensler
UW-L: 2:16.12, Michael Hruska
100 Fly
UWSP: 50.42, Chase Gross
UW-L: 53.57, Anthony Wolf
200 Fly
UWSP: 1:56.56, Rob Donisch
UW-L: 2:01.26, Joel Coyne
200 IM
UWSP: 1:56.00, Chase Gross
UW-L: 1:59.83, Anthony Schmidt
400 IM
UWSP: 4:14.15, Ben Gensler
UW-L: 4:16.81, Anthony Schmidt
200 Free Relay
UWSP: 1:25.45
UW-L: 1:25.10
400 Free Relay
UWSP: 3:10.83
UW-L: 3:11.35
800 Free Relay
UWSP: 7:03.65
UW-L: 7:20.46
200 Medley Relay
UWSP: 1:36.50
UW-L: 1:37.17
400 Medley Relay
UWSP: 3:29.62
UW-L: 3:34.66
1M Diving
UWSP: 224.95, Josh Brandt
UW-L: 268.60, Matt Belken
3M Diving
UWSP: 203.05, Josh Brandt
UW-L: 275.00, Matt Belken

Women:
50 Free
UWSP: 24.37, Caitlin Hake
UW-L: 25.20, Clare Hathaway
100 Free
UWSP: 53.25, Kelsey Crunstedt
UW-L: 54.87, Clare Hathaway
200 Free
UWSP: 1:59.05, Kari Slawson
UW-L: 1:59.65, Clare Hathaway
500 Free
UWSP: 5:16.08, Kari Slawson
UW-L: 5:21.70, Anita Talavera
1000 Free
UWSP: 11:06.60, Kari Slawson
UW-L: 11:07.82, Anita Talavera
1650 Free
UWSP: 18:17.02, Alissa Colbert
UW-L: 19:05.03, Anita Talavera
100 Back
UWSP: 1:01.21, Kelsey Crunstedt
UW-L: 59.23, Kristi Parker
200 Back
UWSP: 2:09.91, Abby Strobel
UW-L: 2:11.65, Kristi Parker
100 Breast
UWSP: 1:08.16, Trish Nye
UW-L: 1:09.36, Brianna Peyer
200 Breast
UWSP: 2:27.44, Kristen Bennett
UW-L: 2:29.31, Lauren Sweeney
100 Fly
UWSP: 1:00.90, Beth Bard
UW-L: 1:02.57, Kelly Hackbarth
200 Fly
UWSP: 2:14.02, Meghan Waslh
UW-L: 2:13.17, Kelly Hackbarth
200 IM
UWSP: 2:13.69, Abby Strobel
UW-L: 2:15.49, Kelly Hackbarth
400 IM
UWSP: 4:42.70, Abby Strobel
UW-L: 4:45.93, Kelly Hackbarth
200 Free Relay
UWSP: 1:36.66
UW-L: 1:40.96
400 Free Relay
UWSP: 3:38.20
UW-L: 3:42.52
800 Free Relay
UWSP: 7:57.95
UW-L: 8:06.98
200 Medley Relay
UWSP: 1:49.40
UW-L: 1:52.79
400 Medley Relay
UWSP: 4:02.82
UW-L: 4:03.30
1M Diving
UWSP: 232.00, Maggie Rosier
UW-L: 423.15, Amanda Medendorp
3M Diving
UWSP: 231.20, Maggie Rosier
UW-L: 444.25, Amanda Medendorp

* – denotes meter conversion

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