University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will attempt to defend its title at the 2013 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship that will be conducted at Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wis., Feb. 14-16.  The 42nd annual women’s championship will be held in union with the 51st gathering of the men’s teams.

UW-La Crosse earned the 12th first-place trophy in program history a season ago with 906 points.  UW-Eau Claire placed second with 755 points, UW-Stevens Point third with 738, UW-Whitewater fourth with 433, UW-Oshkosh fifth with 265 and UW-River Falls sixth with 158.

This year’s championship features 14 individuals that have combined to win 10 individual and 24 relay first-place medals.

UW-La Crosse senior Abby Diehl is the most decorated returnee with two individual and seven relay titles to her credit.  She earned a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle a season ago and was a member of the winning 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay teams. 

In 2011, Diehl was victorious in the 200-yard backstroke, 400-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay.  In 2010, she contributed to the first-place 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay squads.

A year ago, Diehl was joined by junior Erica O’Neill and sophomore Andrea Kolitsch on the 400-yard freestyle relay squad and junior Grace Jarzemsky on the 800-yard freestyle relay unit.  At the 2011 championship, O’Neill and junior Shannon Miller were members of the 400-yard freestyle relay with Diehl.

O’Neill, Kolitsch, and sophomore Brooke Reynolds were members of the winning 200-yard medley relay a season ago with Kolitsch and Reynolds adding the 400-yard medley relay title.  Reynolds also claimed the 100-yard backstroke and Kolitsch secured the 100-yard butterfly.  In 2011, O’Neill won the 100-yard backstroke.

Junior Tessa Kahring is the defending champion in the one-meter diving competition, while junior Taylor Smith participated on the triumphant 200-yard medley relay team in 2010 and 400-yard medley relay quartet in 2011.

UW-Stevens Point senior Andrea Wagner earned the 100-yard freestyle title in 2011, and was a member of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay teams in 2011 and 2012.  Joining her on last year’s squad were senior Ashley Majewski and junior Amy Boritzke.  Majewski added a 200-yard medley relay crown in 2011, while junior Lauren Alexander was triumphant in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 2011.

UW-Eau Claire returns a pair of seniors who were first-place finishers a season ago.  Grace Fair won the 100-yard freestyle, while Sara Eggebrecht was victorious in the 200-yard backstroke.