2024 WIAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championship Preview University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will strive for a second straight title at the 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. 14-17. UW-La Crosse is the host institution for the 52nd gathering of women’s teams that will be held concurrently with the 61st edition of the men’s championship. Competition begins on Feb. 14 at 1:45 p.m., with the preliminaries of the men’s three-meter diving. The finals will start at 6:30 p.m., and include a pair of relay events. For competition held Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, preliminaries will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the finals commencing at 6:30 p.m. The final day will feature 10:00 a.m. preliminaries and a 5:45 p.m. start for the finals. Medals will be awarded to the top-eight finishers in each of the individual events and the individuals comprising the top-three relay teams. In 2023, the Blugolds secured their 20th WIAC championship in program history – and first since 1999 – with 901 points. Ten-time defending champion UW-La Crosse placed second with 883 points, UW-Stevens Point third with 554, UW-Whitewater fourth with 381 and UW-Oshkosh fifth with 338. UW-La Crosse has a conference-best 21 championships and UW-Eau Claire ranks second with 20. UW-Stevens Point owns six titles, while former member UW-Madison secured four first-place finishes. Returning champions in individual events include: UW-Eau Claire’s Sydney McCollor (2023/500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle), Sydney McGuine (2022/100-yard freestyle; 2023/100-yard backstroke), Elaina Plonis (2023/200-yard butterfly), and Ella Weaver (2022/100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke; 2023/100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke); UW-La Crosse’s Maddy Albert-Nelson (2022/100-yard butterfly and 200-yard butterfly), Jordy Hahlen (2022/100-yard backstroke), Abi Schauske (2023/400-yard individual medley), Autumn Seebach (2022/200-yard backstroke), and Lauren Steien (2022/200-yard individual medley; 2023/200-yard individual medley); UW-Oshkosh’s Abbi Priestley (2023/one-meter diving) and Francesca Schiro (2023/200-yard freestyle); UW-Stevens Point’s Kasey Fris (2022/400-yard individual medley; 2023/200-yard backstroke) and Joy Vandenberg (2022/50-yard freestyle). Priestley secured Diver of the Meet recognition a season ago. McGuine and Steien received Newcomer of the Year honors in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Individuals that have claimed first-place relay medals at previous championships include: UW-Eau Claire’s Kiara Bissen (2023/200-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley), Molly Hosack (2023/800-yard freestyle), Sydney McCollor (2023/200-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle), Sydney McGuine (2023/200-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley), Grace Schnabl (2023/800-yard freestyle), Molly Sheehan (2023/200-yard freestyle), and Ella Weaver (2023/400-yard medley); UW-La Crosse’s Maddy Albert-Nelson (2022/200-yard medley and 400-yard medley; 2023/200-yard medley), Reilly Eiynck (2022/400-yard freestyle; 2023/400-yard freestyle), Sydney Guenther (2022/400-yard freestyle), Jordy Hahlen (2022/200-yard medley and 400-yard medley; 2023/200-yard medley), Paige Rundahl (2023/400-yard freestyle), Kylee Sommer (2023/400-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley), and Lauren Steien (2022/200-yard medley and 400-yard medley; 2023/400-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley); and UW-Stevens Point’s Kasey Fris (2022/200-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle), Rose Hansen (2022/200-yard freestyle), and Joy Vandenberg (2022/200-yard freestyle). UW-Whitewater has received strong swims this season from Emily Connell and Hannah Wenszell. Qualifying individuals will compete at the NCAA Division III Championship, which will be conducted March 20-23 at Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C. # # # # #