Pointers shine on NCAA stage Two University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point teams had their highest national finishes in school history and another squad hopes for the same this weekend. The Pointer men's track and field team finished fourth at the NCAA Division 3 Indoor Championships and women's swimming and diving team grabbed an 11th place finish at nationals. While it wasn't a best-ever finish, the women's track and field team grabbed its highest finish since 1994 at indoor nationals. The men's swimming and diving team gets its chance at the NCAA Division 3 Championships this weekend in Atlanta, Ga. Track and field The UW-SP men, behind two first place finishes and a runner-up, took fourth place with 28 points at nationals. Lincoln (Pa.) took the team title, scoring 59. North Central (Ill.) was second with 40 and UW-La Crosse was third with 33. "We were ecstatic," UW-SP coach Rick Witt said. "Everybody that went there either equaled or surpassed their seed going in." Dan Schwamberger outkicked the competition in the 5,000 meters (14:33.43) while Mike Mead captured the high jump title (6-feet-9-3/4). The distance medley team of Schwamberger, Chris Horvat, Ben Treptow and Jesse Drake was a close second to North Central College. The Pointers finished in 10:00.90 while North Central edged UW-SP with a time of 10:00.13. Drake also placed for UW-SP, finishing seventh in the 5,000 meters (14:43.52). The Pointer women finished 24th overall with seven points. Wheaton (Mass.) won the meet with 47 points. Leah Juno was Point's highest finisher, taking third in the 800 meters (2:14.48). Megan Lundahl also placed, taking sixth in the weight throw (51-1-3/4). Women's swimming The Pointers held true to their No. 11 ranking in the country by finishing 11th with 100 points at the NCAA Division 3 championships. UW-SP placed in four relays, led by a sixth place finish in the 200 freestyle relay of Mary Agazzi, Becca Uphoff, Jen Randall and Laura Latt (1:37.78). The 800 freestyle of Agazzi, Uphoff, Randall and Mary Thone was seventh (7:47.90); the 400 freestyle of Agazzi, Uphoff, Randall and Latt took 10th (3:34.54); and the 400 medley relay of Agazzi, Uphoff, Thone and Christine Sammons grabbed 12th (4:00.67). Uphoff and Agazzi also placed in individual events. Uphoff finished ninth in the 200 freestyle (1:54.58) and was 10th in the 200 backstroke (2:07.73). Agazzi was ninth in the 100 freestyle (52.71) and 15th in the 50 freestyle (24.73). The program's previous best finish was 26th in the inaugural meet in 1982. Kenyon (Ohio) won its 17th straight title with 619.5 points. Men's swimming With seven swimmers holding times ranking in the top three of their respective events, UW-SP has plenty of chances to bring home an individual NCAA Division 3 champion for the fourth straight year. The Pointers' best chance at this weekend's meet in Atlanta could come from junior Randy Boelk, who has the nation's best time in the 200-yard backstroke (1:49.86). Boelk won the 1998 crown, but may be challenged by teammate Jeremy Francioli, who has the nation's fifth-best time in the event and won the 1997 national title. Boelk and Francioli could also contend for the 100 backstroke title. Boelk ranks second and Francioli is third in seed time. Boelk is also a favorite in the 200 individual medley with the nation's second-best time at 1:52.67. The relay events count double in the team standings and will be the key to UW-SP's chances of a second consecutive finish in the top four. Kenyon College (Ohio) has won 20 consecutive championships, while Point has finished in the top 10 four straight years. The Pointers have won two straight national titles in the 400 medley relay and bring the nation's second-best time into this year's event. Francioli and Boelk swam on both of those relays and are joined this season by Brent Newport and Nick Hansen. Anthony Harris replaces Boelk on the 200 medley relay, which has the nation's third-best time. Hansen, Harris and Boelk will team with Eric Sands in the 200 freestyle relay and Boelk, Harris, Francioli and Hansen will swim the 400 freestyle relay. Other individual qualifiers for the Pointers include Hansen in the 50 freestyle, Harris in the 100 butterfly and Newport in the 100 breaststroke. Baseball The Pointers are off to a 3-2 start to their season as UW-SP competes in the Gene Cusic Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. UW-SP, which is ranked No. 21 in the nation, split a doubleheader with No. 15 ranked Ohio Wesleyan Tuesday, winning the opener 7-1 before dropping the nightcap 1-0. Pitching was the story as Justin Duerkop threw a four-hitter in the first game while Bill Verbrick allowed only one run in the second game. Mike McCann was 2-for-3 with a two-run single and Jon Jagler was 2-4 with two-run triple in the opener. A two-out line drive single in the third inning by Ohio Wesleyan's Joe Loudenslage drove in the lone run of the nightcap. Jon Jagler went 2-4 at the plate while Brain Wanek struck out eight in five innings as the Pointers topped Ripon 8-3 Monday. Rob Govek, Pat McCann and Randy Reed each had two hits. UW-SP then dropped a 4-1 game to Benedictine in the its second game of the day. Jagler again finished 2-4. In the team's season opener Sunday, UW-SP crushed Illinois College 12-0. A three-run third inning and a four-run fourth put the Pointers ahead 9-0. Pat McCann hit two of the team's four home runs, with Govek and Reed adding homers. On the mound, Troy Bielmeier pitched a complete game two-hitter, striking out six and walking none as the Pointers won Brian Nelson's coaching debut. McCann was 2-3, Sam Molski finished 3-5 with two doubles and catcher Eric Bennett was 2-4. Fastpitch softball The No. 17 ranked UW-SP is 4-1-1 at the halfway mark of its spring break trip in Ft. Myers, Fla. at the Gene Cusic Softball Classic. The Pointers won their first four games of the trip before Tuesday's action, where they dropped a 4-0 game to Division II North Dakota and tied Wheaton (Mass.) 0-0 in a game called after eight innings. Against North Dakota, Jamie Lowney took the loss, allowing nine hits in seven innings. Cari Briley was 2-for-3 at the plate. Freshman Karen Guckenberger pitched eight shutout innings against Wheaton, allowing three hits. Nikki Best was 2-4 as the Pointers were held to four hits. UW-SP scored eight unanswered runs to top No. 21 Keene State 8-2 Monday. Lowney allowed one hit in three innings and Guckenberger pitched four no-hit innings. Briley went 4-4 and Sarah Berg, Kelly Rutta and Jill Van Wychen all had four hits. Rutta and Nikki Best each had three hits Monday night as the Pointers trounced Framingham State (Mass.) 16-4. Van Wychen, Carrie Hermsen and Michelle Gerber all had two hits. Nicki Bertram pitched three innings and Guckenberger got the win after allowing one hit in three innings. The Pointers swept their two games Sunday, topping St. Mary's (Ind.) 1-0 to win coach Kelli Harms' debut and dropping Georgetown (Ky.) 7-0. Lowney pitched a one-hitter with eight strikeouts in the win over St. Mary's. Gerber was 2-4 and scored UW-SP's lone run when Stacy Karls drove her in in the fourth inning. Against Georgetown, Guckenberger threw a three-hitter with 13 strikeouts in her collegiate debut. Rutta was 3-3 with two RBI. Van Wychen was 2-4 and Gerber had four RBI.