Titans To Make First Splash Of Season In Eau Claire
The UW-Oshkosh men's swimming & diving team gets the 2018-19 season underway with a dual meet at WIAC rival UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Oct. 13).
The season opener is the first of four meets for the Titans against conference opponents. UW-Oshkosh also hosts UW-Whitewater on Nov. 9 in Albee Hall and travels to 19-time defending WIAC champion Stevens Point on Dec. 7 and to UW-La Crosse on Jan. 19.
UW-Oshkosh's schedule includes a visit from Carroll University for its home opener on Oct. 27 as well as home meets against Lawrence University on Jan. 5, Iowa Central Community College on Jan. 26 and Ripon College on Feb. 2.
Rounding out the Titans' regular season slate are the Wisconsin College Showcase on Oct. 20, the Lawrence University Gene Davis Invitational on Nov. 17, the Carthage College Classic on Nov. 29-Dec. 1, the Beloit College Triangular and Luther College (Iowa) Diving Invitational on Jan. 12, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Diving Invitational on Feb. 2.
This year's WIAC Championship will be held Feb. 14-16 in Brown Deer, while the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championship is set for March 20-23 in Greensboro, N.C.
Last season UW-Oshkosh finished fifth at the WIAC Championship with 245 points, marking the program's highest point total at the league event since 2012. The Titans had a 3-5 record in dual meets last season, including wins by scores of 125-75 over Carroll University, 113-98 over Lawrence University and 143-64 over Beloit College. UW-Oshkosh also placed second among six teams at last season's Gene Davis Invitational.
UW-Stevens Point claimed last year's WIAC title with 905 points. The Pointers were followed in the team standings by second-place UW-Eau Claire with 711 points, third-place UW-La Crosse with 635.5, fourth-place UW-Whitewater with 583.5 and fifth-place UW-Oshkosh.
Fourth-year UW-Oshkosh head coach Christopher Culp welcomes back six letter winners from last year's squad, including sophomore All-WIAC performers Jarrett Lieder and Matt Wilke.
Lieder finished second in the 1,650-yard freestyle at last season's WIAC Championship with a school-record time of 16:31.67. He also established a program record for the 1,000-yard freestyle with his split time of 10:00.40 during the 1,650-yard league race. Lieder's freshman campaign featured new school records in the 500-yard freestyle (4:42.34) and as part of the 800-yard freestyle relay team (7:11.15).
Wilke earned All-WIAC second team honors in 1-meter diving a year ago with a total of 469.45 points. He produced a third-place finish in 3-meter diving with 443.05 points before placing seventh in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events at the NCAA Division III Region 1 Diving Championship.
Senior Ian Sewell returns to the Titans after swimming a leg on the school's record-breaking 800-yard freestyle relay team.
Completing UW-Oshkosh's list of returning letter winners are sophomore David Bain, and juniors Michael Gerondale and Dylan Sobolewski.