Perilous waters ahead for swimmers and divers
With UAAs less than a month away, Chicago has only two remaining meets, which might be its toughest yet. This weekend the Maroons dive in against UW–Milwaukee at home. The Panthers, who beat the South Siders 163–130 in a head-to-head meet last season, will be Chicago’s only DI competition this season. The following weekend, DePauw (3–0) and IIT (3–2) come to town for the final regular season meet. DePauw is another foe that bested the Maroons last season, 187–110, so Chicago has its work cut out for the last few weeks before UAAs.
Women’s basketball looks to start second winning streak of season
The last time the Maroons won two games in a row was the first two contests of the season. This weekend, two solid teams—No. 25 NYU (12–0) and Brandeis (8–4)—come to Hyde Park, and Chicago will have the home crowd on its side (including extra support for Friday’s Neon Night) in its attempt to put together its first string of wins since November 16. The South Siders are at a disadvantage in scoring differential, as they only average scoring 0.4 more points than their opponents compared to NYU’s +28.6 and Brandeis’ +8.5. However, this shows Chicago has played in more tight games, which could work out to its advantage if these games come down to the wire.
Wrestlers look to keep up winning ways
Coming off of a win last weekend at the Chicago Duals by a decisive margin, the Maroons travel to Elmhurst, IL this weekend for the Elmhurst College Tournament. The meet comes with less than a month left before the UAA Championships on February 18 in New York City. This means competition from here on out will serve to make clear how the Maroons’ squad will shake out for the championships. Look out for first-year Charlie Banaszak, who is 15–4 this season, to continue his winning ways. Second on the team in wins is second-year Steven Franke at 8–7.
Increased support at Neon Night should fuel men’s basketball’s offense
Chicago is far better at home this season, going 4–1 compared to a record of 3–4 on the road. The purpose of Neon Night this evening is to increase the fan support, which can only benefit the Maroons. Expect the offensive-minded South Siders to go on some big runs, fueled by consecutively-made baskets combined with way more fans exploding in the stands. With 11–1 NYU coming to town, the Maroons will need all the help they can get, especially with the visiting Violets playing a slower, lower-scoring style. Chicago will have to pick up the pace in order to do what it does best: score.
UAAs fast approaching as track and field heads to Wisconsin
The Maroons will be competing at the Private School Championships this weekend in Kenosha, WI. In a season that gets to the chase quickly, the UAA Championships are a bit over a month away—on February 28 in Boston. Thus, this weekend and each subsequent one is important for determining who will get to compete at UAAs. Standout second-year pole vaulter Michael Bennett will not be competing in order to prevent injury. But look out for first-year Michelle Dobbs, who garnered UAA Athlete of the Week accolades this past week.
