Swimming & Diving Hands Out Hardware

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Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2008

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - At the annual banquet, the UW-Eau Claire men's and women's swimming and diving teams announced the award winners for the 2007-2008 season.

The swimming MVPs went to Amanda Kroger (Sr.-Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) and Brian Jordan (Sr.-Madison, Wis./West). Kroger took first in the 500-yard freestyle during the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships. Kroger also took home Most Improved while Jordan was honored as the Hardest Worker.

Sarah Myers (Sr.-Eau Claire, Wis./North) and Bryan Dykstra (Jr.-Racine, Wis./Horlick) took the diving MVPs. Dykstra was the only Blugold to make it to nationals, where he competed in the one-meter and three-meter events.

Emily Diehl (Sr.-Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) took the honor of Most Inspirational and the women's Hardest Worker was Siera Schenck (Fr.-Sun Prairie, Wis.).

The Rookies of the Year were Angie Bakula (Fr.-Appleton, Wis./West) and Jon Poppele (Fr.-Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata). Poppele won the 200-yard backstroke at the conference championships, a race he now holds the school record in.

The Coaches Award went to Alyssa Trainor (Fr.-Winona, Minn./Cotter) while Coach Liz Germonprez went home with the Blugold Award.

Next year's captains were also determined. The diving captain will be Dykstra. His swimming counterparts include Ann Grossklaus (So.-Wausau, Wis./West), Andrea Daoust (So.-Kenosha, Wis./Tremper), Mari Bodensteiner (So.-Red Wing, Minn.), Peter Schultz (Jr.-Oakdale, Minn./North), Pat Finley (Jr.-Waunakee, Wis.) and Clark Draxler (Jr.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial).