2017 WIAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championship Preview University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will try for an 18th straight title at the 2017 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship that will be held at Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wis., Feb. 16-18. UW-Oshkosh is serving as the host institution for the 55th men’s championship that will be held concurrently with the 46th women’s championship. The Pointers collected the 20th league championship in program history a season ago with 916.50 points to easily surpass UW-Whitewater’s second-place total of 742.50 points. UW-Eau Claire finished third with 594 points, UW-La Crosse fourth with 563 and UW-Oshkosh fifth with 221. This year’s championship features 18 student-athletes that have combined to win 23 individual and 31 relay first-place medals at previous league meets. UW-Stevens Point junior Sam Jekel is the most decorated returnee with five individual and seven relay championships to his credit. He posted back-to-back first-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay at the 2014 and 2015 championships. In 2015, he added titles in the 100-yard butterfly and 400-yard medley relay. Sophomore Nate Somers was chosen the Swimmer of the Meet a season ago after emerging with titles in the 500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay. Junior Jack Englehardt is the defending champion in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle, while also contributing to the winning 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay teams a year ago. Senior Andrew King has won three straight 200-yard freestyle relay titles, along with two consecutive 400-yard freestyle relay crowns. He helped the 200-yard medley relay foursome to victory in 2014 and 2015. Senior Ethan Bott and sophomore Grant Moser are the defending champions in the 200-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly, respectively. Moser also helped the 800-yard freestyle relay team to victory, along with junior Garrett Richetto, while Bott claimed the 400-yard medley relay at the 2015 championship. At last year’s championship, sophomore Reilly Donnellan contributed to the triumphant 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay teams. He was joined on the 200-yard medley relay quartet by junior Brandon Richardson. Junior Evan Catani won the 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2014 and 2015 championships, while adding the 400-yard individual medley crown in 2015. UW-Whitewater senior Josh Kanute is the two-time defending champion in the 200-yard freestyle. At the 2015 championship, he was selected the Swimmer of the Meet after adding titles in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard butterfly and 800-yard freestyle relay. Kanute captured the 500-yard freestyle in 2014 and was joined on the 800-yard freestyle relay team in 2015 by senior Alex Gidlow. UW-Eau Claire senior Ben Fisher has won back-to-back titles in the 100-yard breaststroke, while junior Dayton Miller will strive for his second straight first-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley. Senior Ryan Young is the defending champion in the 200-yard butterfly. Fisher and Young contributed to the winning 400-yard medley relay last season and were joined by junior Logan Coert. UW-La Crosse senior Jackson Uselman was a member of the triumphant 800-yard freestyle relay team in 2014. UW-Oshkosh has received strong performances this season from freshmen Ross Armitage and Bryan Solomon. # # # # #