University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will strive for a 15th straight title at the 2014 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship that will be held at Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wis., Feb. 20-22.  UW-Eau Claire is serving as the host institution for the 52nd version of the men’s championship and 43rd annual women’s event.

The Pointers captured the 17th championship in program history a year ago with 779 points to surpass UW-La Crosse’s second-place total of 769 points.  UW-Whitewater placed third with 711 points, UW-Eau Claire fourth with 606, UW-River Falls fifth with 229 and UW-Oshkosh sixth with 151.

This year’s championship features 15 student-athletes that have combined to win 26 individual and 9 relay first-place medals.

UW-Stevens Point senior Luuk Dekkers is the defending champion in the 200-yard freestyle and secured the 500-yard freestyle crown in 2011 and 2012.  In 2011, he added the 1,650-yard freestyle to his trophy case.  Dekkers contributed to the winning 800-yard freestyle relay teams in 2011 and 2012.

Junior Alex Loftus has contributed to the victorious 200-yard medley relay team the past two seasons and the 400-yard medley relay squad at the 2012 championship.  In 2012, he also claimed the 200-yard breaststroke.

UW-Eau Claire senior Alex Card, the reigning Swimmer of the Meet, has earned consecutive titles in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.  He could become the first individual in WIAC archives to post three straight first-place finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke since UW-Stevens Point’s Dan Jesse won the event four straight years (1977-80).

Card also owns a pair of 200-yard breaststroke titles, winning the event a year ago and in 2011.  Blugold junior Jake McDade won the 1,650-yard freestyle in 2012.

UW-La Crosse junior Garrett Runing is the two-time defending champion in the 200-yard freestyle.  He is aiming to become the first three-time champion in the event since UW-Stevens Point’s Mark Weinhold (1995-97).  Senior David Flickinger will strive for back-to-back titles in the 500-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.  Junior Stephen Hanko and sophomore Charleton Skinner were members of last year’s winning 800-yard freestyle relay squad.

The Eagles claimed both diving events a season ago as junior Justin Bublitz won the one-meter board and senior Andrew Janny secured the three-meter competition.  Bublitz earned Diver of the Meet honors.

UW-Whitewater junior Joe Devroy has posted consecutive first-place finishes in the 200-yard backstroke and is looking to become the first individual to earn three straight crowns since UW-Stevens Point’s Pete Samuelson (1983-85).  Devroy also was a member of last year’s victorious 400-yard medley relay squad, along with senior Ben Wynn.

Warhawk senior John Devroy is the two-time defending champion in the 200-yard butterfly and he added a 400-yard individual medley title in 2012.  Junior Derek Scheible claimed the 1,650-yard freestyle a season ago.

UW-Oshkosh senior Dalton Anderson was victorious in the 100-yard butterfly in 2012 after winning the 200-yard butterfly in 2011.