Molly Finn continued her strong freshman campaign this year pacing the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s swimming and diving team, as the Panthers defeated Horizon League foe University of Illinois-Chicago Flames Saturday at the Klotsche Center.

Finn claimed individual wins in all three of her events (200 fly, 100 fly and 400 individual medley) and was a part of the winning 400 medley relay.

Her time in the 400 IM of 4:38.05 established a new freshman record and new Klotsche Center record. She narrowly missed setting the school record in the event by less than one second.

The Panthers paced the meet by claiming victories in 11 of the 16 events. UWM received strong showings by a number of their veteran swimmers including seniors Julie Olson and Erin Blemberg.

Olson won the 100 and 200 backstroke, while Blemberg won both diving events for the Panthers. Joining Olson and Blemberg as double event winners was junior Lindsay Caldwell, in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and sophomore Heidi Goetsch, in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

Sophomore Jess Kelly teamed up with Caldwell, Finn and Olson in the 400 medley relay to win the event in a time of 4:01.97, seven seconds ahead of second-place UIC.

The Flames won the final event of the afternoon, the 400 freestyle relay, out-touching the Panthers by two-tenths of a second.

The men nearly duplicated the women’s success of the day, tying UIC 150-150.

Sophomore Chase Gravengood and freshman Robby Liebold led the way for the men’s swimming and diving team this weekend as they tied UIC.

Gravengood won three events for the Panthers, while Liebold won two.

Gravengood, who has been swimming strong all year, won the 100 and 200 fly as well as the 400 IM. Liebold claimed victories in the distance events for the Panthers, winning the 500 and 1,000 freestyle.

Senior diver Jeff Jasinowski won the three-meter diving event with a score of 285.68, and took second in the one-meter event behind UIC’s Mark Pappalardo.

Sophomore Tyler Jefferson gave UWM another win in the 200 backstroke, finishing the event with a time of 2:00.36. Jefferson also swam to a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke.

Seniors Tim Watt and Kyle Fyock teamed up with Gravengood and Jefferson in the 400 medley relay, finishing second with a time of 3:34.61.

The UIC men’s swimming team showed its strength in the sprint freestyle events, winning the 50, 100 and 200 free as well as the 400 free relay.

Both teams return to action next Saturday as the men dual the University of North Dakota, while the women square off against North Dakota and the University of Northern Iowa.

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