If recent history is any indicator of how things have gone for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men’s swimming team at the Bill Ritter Invitational, then entering this year’s competition it made sense if they had some cause for concern.

Add to that the fact that two of the Panthers’ top swimmers, senior Chase Gravengood and junior Jeremy Seibel, would not be participating in the event, and one might be downright pessimistic about Milwaukee’s chances.

Luckily for the Panthers, this time history didn’t repeat itself.

For the first time since the 1997-’98 season, the UWM men’s swimming team left the Bill Ritter Invitational with first-place honors. The Panthers recorded 1,055.5 points, finishing ahead of UW-Green Bay (1,015) and UIC (955.5) in the process.

Sophomore Robby Leibold led the way for the Panthers. He got things started by winning the first event of the day, the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:10.81. He was followed by teammate Jeremy Waldhart, who finished second in the event.

Waldhart continued his impressive weekend performance with a second-place finish in the 200m backstroke, finishing in 155.76. Saturday’s two second-place finishes followed a second on Friday in the 200m individual medley.

“Jeremy’s 200 back was excellent,” said UWM head coach Dave Griffore. “If you could see this kid train day in and day out, he’s just a workhorse.”

Leibold closed things out for the Panthers by winning the final event of the day. With a time of 16:16.59, he won the 1,650m freestyle, and by doing so set a new Klotsche Natatorium record.

As a team Milwaukee had five of the top 10 finishers in the 400m individual medley, again led by Leibold and Waldhart.

“Robby (Leibold) is a very good swimmer,” Griffore said. “Anytime he goes faster than he did the year before is a move in the right direction. I look for big things from him.”

The Panthers swim team goes ice fishing on Feb. 3, when they take on league rival UW-Green Bay Phoenix in Green Bay.

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