CCIW Swimming Championships Preview

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – When the 2007 version of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s & Women’s Swimming Championships kick off at Wheaton College this Thursday, the competition will feature on the women’s side, a team looking to continue its nine-year winning streak (Wheaton), while the men’s side features a team looking to start a streak of its own (Carthage).

Last year, the Carthage Red Men ended Wheaton’s nine-year run on the men’s side, winning its first conference men’s swimming title in school history. For the women, it was Wheaton who came out on top in 2006, earning the conference title by almost 100 points against second place Carthage.

This year, one cannot talk about Carthage swimming without mentioning the name Stephen Schranck. Schranck swam the second fastest time in the nation in the 200 breaststroke on December 2, finishing with a time of 2:04.13. Schrank was a conference champion last season in the 400 IM as well as the 800 freestyle relay, as well as an all-conference performer in the 500 freestyle. He was featured in the Dec. 11 Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd” section for winning three events and finishing second at the Wabash College Invitational back in November. Bryan Pelka, a 2006 conference champion in the 500 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle, recently won the 1,650 (16:35.27) at the Wisconsin Private College Championship.

As for the defending champion Wheaton women, Katherine Burt has showcased her talents against her national counterparts, swimming the fifth fastest time in the nation in both the 50 freestyle (24.04) and 100 freestyle (51.99). Katlin Marko currently has the fastest time in the 1,650 freestyle (17:25.13) which she accomplished on November 18. Marko recently won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.38) in a three-team dual meet with Illinois Wesleyan and North Central on Jan. 27.

For the Wheaton men, they will be looking to avenge last season’s second place finish to Carthage, which ended a nine-year run as champions dating back to 1997. The Thunder will be going for their 26th CCIW swimming championship behind the performance of John Higgins, who has the sixth fastest time nationally in the 200 freestyle (1:41.35). Wheaton’s James Verner recently earned CCIW Swimmer of the Week honors after winning the 100 butterfly (55.8) and 100 backstroke (58.1) in a three-team dual meet with Illinois Wesleyan and North Central.

The Carthage women have been getting top performances out of Carly Swegle and Meredith Fridline, both of whom won the last two CCIW Swimmer of the Week awards. Swegle earned the award on Jan. 24 after swimming a lifetime best in the 200 fly in a double dual meet against Wheaton and the University of Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 20. Her time of 2:21.41 was good enough for second in the event and was two seconds better than her previous best time. Fridline earned the award the previous week when she finished third in the 400 IM with a time of 4:55.52 as well as fourth in the 200 fly (2:20.13) at the Grinnell Invitational.

The Illinois Wesleyan women finished third during last year’s championships as five Titans earned all-conference honors. IWU recently defeated Wheaton and North Central in a three-team dual meet as Erin Storck (1,000 free), Carlie Mangieri (200 IM), Anne Kopf (100 free) and Nicole Litzner (500 free) each won their respective events. In addition, the Illinois Wesleyan men, fourth place finishers at last year’s conference championships, also won the meet over North Central and Wheaton as Zach Birch (1,000 free), Brian Burch (50 free) and Chris Betzle (500 free) each won their events. Larry Graves was a winner in the 100 free and 200 free, while Ben Rock won the 100 breast and 200 IM. The previous week, Betzle earned CCIW Swimmer of the Week honors when he won the 200 butterfly against Millikin on Jan. 19 with a time of 2:04.63. His time was six seconds faster than his time from last semester for an untapered best time.

Millikin hired interim coach and Millikin alum Paul Yemm on Jan. 4, to oversee the men’s and women’s swimming programs, one month after receiving his degree in chemistry with a business emphasis in December 2006. During Yemm’s time, both the men and women faced Eastern Illinois, Vincennes and Illinois Wesleyan in dual meets. Both the Big Blue men and women lost to Eastern Illinois and Illinois Wesleyan, but defeated Vincennes. Millikin had five first place finishes individually against Vincennes, including Michael Oates (200 Individual Medley), Jared Miller (100 Backstroke), Erin Jurgens (1,650 Free), Danielle Napoleoni (50 Free, 100 Free) and Natalie Perfetti (100 Butterfly). The men’s 200 Free Relay (Nate Lynch, M. Oates, Cameron Holman, Matt Melcher) and the women’s 200 Medley Relay (Jurgens, Katie Bass, Sarah Ehlich, Napoleoni) both finished in first-place.

Augustana ended the regular season on a positive note during the Eureka Invitational on Jan. 27. Both the men’s and women’s teams took home titles in the event as the men won with a score of 251, while the women won with a score of 253. On the men’s side, Dan Betz won the 50 butterfly (25.38), while Jason Perine won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:08.65. Eric Zike won the 50 backstroke (27.16). On the women’s side, Ashley Casper earned three first place performances, including the 100 breaststroke (1:14.37) the 100 freestyle (58.98) and the 50 breaststroke (34.85). Sara Hlavin earned first place in both the 200 freestyle (2:07.65) and 100 individual medley (1:08.59), while Ramsey Vens won titles in the 100 (1:02.48) and 50 backstroke (29.44).

Mark Broucek enters the CCIW Championships as the first year head coach at North Central, previously serving as an instructor at Waubonsee Community College where he taught classes in the department of health and life sciences. Despite the loss of all-American Mark Schmitt to graduation, Broucek and the Cardinals come into the championships after strong individual performances from several members of the team. Matt Cupp recently placed second in the 50 freestyle (24.0) during a three-team dual meet with Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton. Tim Burke had second place finishes in the 200 freestyle (1:53.96) and 100 freestyle (51.65). On the women’s side, Sandra Wischmeyer was third in the 100 butterfly (1:10.67) and second in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.62). The 200-yard medley relay team of Katie Wantiez, Wischmeyer, Heather Granzella and Tracy DuPuis clocked a 2:16.04 to take third, while the 200 freestyle team of Granzella, Wischmeyer, Grace Crouch and Wantiez took third with a time of 1:55.38.