2018 WIAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championship Preview University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will target a seventh straight first-place finish at the 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship (presented by Culver’s) that will be held at Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wis., Feb. 15-17. UW-La Crosse is serving as the host institution for the 47th edition of the women’s meet that will be held in conjunction with the 56th meeting of the men’s teams. The Eagles secured the 17th league title in program archives a year ago, earning 864 points to surpass UW-Eau Claire’s second-place total of 784.50 points. UW-Whitewater finished third with 731 points, while UW-Stevens Point was fourth with 404 and UW-Oshkosh placed fifth with 330.50. This year’s championship features 11 student-athletes that have combined to win 19 individual and 22 relay first-place medals at previous conference meets. The Eagles’ Kayley Alioto is the defending champion in one-meter diving and three-meter diving, and was named the Diver of the Meet for her efforts in 2017. Courtney Boak, Victoria Campbell and Jaime Kloehn contributed to the winning 800-yard freestyle relay team last year. Boak was also a member of the first-place 800-yard freestyle relay unit in 2016. Maddie Volk helped the 400-yard freestyle relay team achieve a first-place performance a season ago. UW-Eau Claire’s Samantha Senczyszyn has earned Swimmer of the Meet honors the past two seasons and collected six individual titles and seven relay crowns in her career. A year ago, she posted first-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 400-yard individual medley, 200-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay. In 2016, Senczyszyn was victorious in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay. The Blugolds’ Jessica Short has won consecutive titles in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay. A year ago, she added the 200-yard individual medley crown and helped the 200-yard medley relay squad to victory. At the 2016 championship, Short was a member of the first-place 400-yard freestyle relay team. Sari Mailey is the defending champion in the 1,650-yard freestyle, while Brittany Farr was a member of last year’s victorious 200-yard freestyle relay team, 200-yard medley relay team and 400-yard medley relay team. UW-Whitewater’s Michaela Matthys is one of four performers in conference history to win three straight titles in the 100-yard butterfly and could become the first to secure four consecutive first-place finishes. At the 2015 championship, she won the 200-yard butterfly and helped the 200-yard medley relay team reach the top spot on the award podium. The Warhawks’ Melanie Carlson is the defending champion in the 200-yard butterfly. UW-Oshkosh has received strong performances from Sydney Challoner, McKinzie Halkola and Tess Shorten in swimming events this season, while Gabrielle Kraus has posted the team’s highest diving scores. UW-Stevens Point’s Kaylee Benson, Anna O’Malley and Sydney Richetto have produced the team’s best swimming performances in 2017-18, while Jackie Braun owns the best diving scores. # # # # #