The Milwaukee women’s swimming and diving team showcased a strong performance at the Wisconsin Showcase in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. The Panthers excelled by winning 14 out of 16 events, securing the top three positions in six of them.
Key contributors to this success included Janelle Schulz, Christiana Brooks, Erika Thomas, Mara Freeman, Skylar Ruggles, Gabrielle LePine, Maddi Hayashi, Julie Rebek, and Elli Moss. The team also triumphed in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:36.65 and the 200 medley relay clocking in at 1:46.27.
Four swimmers made impressive debuts for Milwaukee. Gabrielle LePine claimed victories in both the 100 (1:04.05) and 200 (2:25.19) breaststroke events. Freshman Maddi Hayashi won first place in the 100 (58.12) and 200 (2:09.10) butterfly races during her collegiate debut. Christiana Brooks finished first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.97 in her first college meet as well. Elli Moss completed her debut by winning the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:11.70.
Erika Thomas achieved two wins herself, capturing titles in the 200 freestyle and the 400 individual medley with times of 1:54.35 and 4:37.39 respectively. Janelle Schulz was victorious in the 50 freestyle event with a time of 23.99 seconds while Skylar Ruggles led the pack in the 200 backstroke finishing at 2:06.22.
On the diving board, Julie Rebek secured victory in the one-meter dive scoring an impressive total of 258.45 points.
Head coach Kyle Clements commented on their performance saying, “It’s always fun to see and race our friends from across the state.” He added that although it is early in their season to predict February outcomes, this meet provided insight into their current standing and emphasized that there is significant work ahead for improvement.
The Panthers are set to host IU Indianapolis for their first dual meet of the season on Saturday, October 26 at Klotsche Natatorium starting at 11:00 a.m.
