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2004 Highlights

Heitkamp Dives To A Pair Of NCAA Titles

Rachel HeitkampUW-Oshkosh's Rachel Heitkamp (Sr. • Mequon) was named NCAA Division III Diver of the Year for the second consecutive season after winning both diving events at the 23rd Annual NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championship held Thursday through Saturday (March 11-13) in St. Peters, Mo.

Heitkamp, UW-Oshkosh's lone participant at this year's NCAA Division III Championship, captured the one-meter diving title with a score of 387.05 and the three-meter diving crown with a mark of 457.05. She is the first person to win both diving events at a NCAA Division III Championship since 1999.

Kenyon College (Ohio) scored 507 points to claim its third straight NCAA Division III title and 20th overall. The Ladies were followed in the team standings by second-place Emory University (Ga.) with 362 points, third-place Denison University (Ohio) with 335, fourth-place Williams College with 289 and fifth-place UW-La Crosse with 215. UW-Oshkosh counted 40 points, all by Heitkamp, to rank 25th among the 60 teams that scored.

Heitkamp was followed in the competition for the one-meter diving title by 2001 champion Rachel Gealy of Williams College (Mass.). Gealy had a second-place score of 369.75, while Kara Seaton of Bates College (Maine) finished third at 365.80, Kelley Anderson of Allegheny College (Pa.) fourth at 358.10 and Kristen Simms of The College of New Jersey fifth at 354.15.

Off the three-meter springboard, Gealy, the 2002 champion, had a score of 438.10 to finish second to Heitkamp again. Simms finished third in the event with a score of 415.25, while Kate Shaw of Amherst College (Mass.) placed fourth at 381.50 and Sara Gilliam of Williams College fifth at 378.25.

Last year at the meet, Heitkamp finished second in the one-meter diving and fourth in the three-meter diving to share NCAA Division III Diver of the Year honors with Gealy. Heitkamp also finished third in the one-meter diving at the 2001 NCAA Division III Championship.

With two national titles and five All-America efforts during her four-year career, Heitkamp has become the most celebrated performer in the history of UW-Oshkosh's women's swimming and diving program. Her national title count ties a UW-Oshkosh record, while her All-America tally sets a new school mark. Also winning two national titles for the Titans during her career was Cheri Tiegs, who took the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events at the 1996 NCAA Division III Championship. Previously, Heitkamp's three All-America listings tied her for the school's career record with Jennifer Hasel (1995-98), Erin LeRoy (1999-2002) and Tiegs (1994-97).

Also recognized at this year's NCAA Division III Championship besides Heitkamp were Kenyon College's Beth Galloway, UW-Oshkosh's Amy Krysiak and UW-La Crosse's Rich Pein. Galloway was named the NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year, Krysiak the NCAA Division III Diving Coach of the Year and Pein the NCAA Division III Swimming Coach of the Year.

Heitkamp Captures Diving Titles
At WIAC Championship

Katie Andreska Julie Gibbons Rachel Heitkamp Sarah Schettle

UW-La Crosse captured its third straight title at the 33rd Annual WIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championship held Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 19-21) in UW-Oshkosh's Albee Hall.

The Eagles won the league crown with 964.50 point, while UW-Stevens Point finished second with 923, UW-Eau Claire third with 518, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 365, UW-Whitewater fifth with 251.50 and UW-River Falls sixth with 206.

UW-La Crosse claimed an impressive 11 individual titles and four relay crowns en route to the championship. Carlene Empanger, Shara Geurts, Anne Melvin, Elizabeth Miles and Fallon Toomsen were double-winners for the Eagles. Empanger won the 500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle for the second straight season with times of 5:01.87 and 17:40.66, respectively. She was voted the Swimmer of the Meet for her efforts. Empanger's time in the 1,650-yard freestyle established a conference record, while her time of 5:01.51 in the preliminaries of the 500-yard freestyle also set a new league mark.

Geurts won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.81 and 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:11.57, while Melvin won the 50-yard freestyle for the second straight season with a time of 24.46. She shared this year's title with UW-Eau Claire's Cori Severson. Melvin also successfully defended her crown in the 100-yard butterfly with a conference-record time of 57.93.

Miles won the 200-yard butterfly for third straight year with a time of 2:11.27 and secured the title in 400-yard individual medley with a conference-record time of 4:35.56. Toomsen won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59.68 and claimed the 200-yard backstroke for the third straight year with a time of 2:09.42. UW-La Crosse's Krista Melvin won the 200-yard freestyle for the third straight season with a league-record time of 1:54.71. Melvin also set a conference record in the preliminaries of the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.43.

UW-La Crosse successfully defended relay titles in the 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay. Geurts, Toomsen, Anne Melvin and Krista Melvin teamed to set a conference record in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:31.97. Kelly Hackbarth, Krista Melvin, Geurts and Empanger won the 800-yard freestyle record with a league-record time of 7:47.96. Steph Karis, Anne Melvin, Krista Melvin and Toomsen set a conference record in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:55.14, while Lexi Fink, Anne Melvin, Toomsen and Karis claimed the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:48.82.

UW-Stevens Point's Jennie Roskopf captured the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke titles with times of 1:08.27 and 2:26.53, respectively. The Pointer quartet of Alissa Bartz, Jerica Crook, Kelsey Crunstedt and Erica Janssen won the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:38.78.

UW-Oshkosh's Rachel Heitkamp (Sr. • Mequon) was named the Diver of the Meet for the second straight season after successfully defending her titles in the one-meter and three-meter diving events with marks of 428.25 and 495.25, respectively. She also won the one-meter crown during the 2001 championship. Heitkamp set a conference record in the preliminaries of the three-meter diving competition with a score of 510.85. Her scores of 428.25 in the one-meter diving and 510.85 in the three-meter diving established Albee Hall records.

UW-Oshkosh also received seventh-place times of 1:10.72 in the 100-yard breaststroke from Sarah Schettle (Fr. • Oshkosh) and 18:59.94 in the 1,650-yard freestyle from Katie Andreska (Jr. • South Milwaukee). Adding eighth-place finishes were Schettle with a time of 2:35.55 in the 200-yard breaststroke, Julie Gibbons (Sr. • Marathon) with a time of 19:04.87 in the 1,650-yard freestyle and Bridgette Schrampfer (Fr. • Neenah) with a time of 2:17.22 in the 200-yard backstroke.

UW-La Crosse head coach Rich Pein was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches, marking the eighth time in his career he has won the award (2002, 2001, 1998, 1995, 1992, 1987, 1986).