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Strong Performances Highlight Season Openers for UIC Swimming and Diving Teams

Women defeat Butler while men fall short to Ball State

10/14/2023 4:45:00 PM

CHICAGO (Oct. 14, 2023) – The UIC men's and women's swimming and diving programs began their 2023-24 seasons Saturday afternoon at the Flames Natatorium, with the UIC women easily defeating Butler (169-86), while the Flames' men's team came up short against Ball State (187-113).
 
COMMENT FROM UIC HEAD COACH ASHLEY DELL
"It was a lot of fun to see the team compete again. I'm proud of the way both teams took it one event at a time and gave it everything they had. We're excited for the rest of this busy Fall and can't wait to see what this group accomplishes together. We're just getting started!"
 
COMMENT FROM ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH/DIVING COACH SUSAN BROMBERG
"I thought that everyone did well today.  It was a great showing, especially from our men.  Going 1-2-3-5 in both the 3-meter and 1-meter events was awesome.  For both Cole (Tremewan) and Harrison (Nolan) to get their (NCAA) zone qualification scores on both boards in their first meet of the year is phenomenal."
 
DIVING 
Men's
  • The Flames had a strong showing on both the one- and three-meter boards against Ball State, taking four of the top five places, including the top three spots.
  • Junior Cole Tremewan (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) won the one-meter event with 333.08 points. He also finished second on the three-meter board with 344.45 points. 
  • Sophomore Harrison Nolan (Riverside, Ill./Kentucky) scored 361.13 points to win the three-meter event for the Flames. He also placed second on the one-meter board behind Tremewan with 329.10 points. 
  • Both Tremewan and Nolan posted qualifying marks for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships next March in Louisville.
  • Senior Hunter Trautmann (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) registered a career-high score on the one-meter board with 260.40 points, good for fifth in the event.
 
Women's
  • Since Butler had no divers to compete, the UIC divers competed against one another in an exhibition format. Sophomore Kathryn Kleckza (Franklin, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) posted a career-high total on the three-meter board (239.78).
SWIMMING

Women's
  • Sophomore Madison Hemlick (Bingham Farms, Mich./Birmingham Groves) had a big day, winning three freestyle events for the Flames — 100 yards (53.18), 200 yards (1:54.53) and 500 yards (5:12.07).
  • Senior Taira Juronis (Palos Hills, Ill./Amos Alonzo Stagg) won the 200-meter breaststroke event in 2:24.75. She also swam a leg on UIC's  winning team alongside sophomore Bella Drake (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead Union), seniors Izabella Del Rosario (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) and Jessica Phillips (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) in the 200-yard medley relay, finishing at 1:47.06.
  • Drake later won the 100-yard backstroke in 58.65 seconds. Phillips also won the 50-yard freestyle in 24.31 seconds.
  • Freshman Molly Kroeger (Easton, Md./Easton) and Sophie Stefanac (Fenton, Mich./ Fenton) each earned their first collegiate wins on Saturday. Kroeger won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:48.67. Stefanac then narrowly edged Drake to win the 200-yard backstroke in 2:09.20 (Drake finished in 2:09.46).
  • Junior Kendra Preski (Springfield, Ill./Colorado State) earned a win in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:12.88.
 Men's
  • Senior Liam Davis (Naperville, Ill./Plainfield North) earned the Flames' first individual win in the 200-yard freestyle (1:43.57).
  • Freshman James McCarthy (Minnetonka, Minn./DeLaSalle) collected his first collegiate win in the 400-yard individual medley with a 4:04.89 finish. He also narrowly placed second in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:55.11. 
  • Junior Cory Michalek (Wales, Wis./Kettle Moraine) was 0.49 seconds away from a victory in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.58 seconds.
  • Seniors Rafe Dolan-Peterson (Austin, Minn./Green Bay), Ben Ramminger (Deforest, Wis. /Deforest Area) teamed with Davis and Michalek in the 200-yard medley relay, placing second in 1:34.53.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE FLAMES
The Flames travel to Terre Haute, Ind., next Friday, Oct. 20, to face off against Southern Indiana and Indiana State in a tri-meet at 4 p.m. (CT). The UIC women will compete against both schools while the Flames' men's team will only swim against Southern Indiana.
 
It will then be a quick turnaround for the UIC women, who return to Flames Natatorium the following afternoon (Oct. 21) for a 1 p.m. (CT) dual meet against fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Illinois State.
 
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For more information, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_SwimDive and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_swimdive and @uicflames).
 
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