Kelly Ward

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Wisconsin to name California assistant Yuri Suguiyama as head coach of swimming and diving team

The University of Wisconsin swimming and diving team is expected to name Yuri Suguiyama as head coach, replacing Whitney Hite, SwimSwam News reported Tuesday. The 34-year-old Suguiyama comes to Wisconsin after six seasons as men’s associate head coach at Cal, helping guide the Bears to one national title in 2014 and five national runner-up finishes.

Cultural appropriation on full display in Wisconsin and beyond in form of mascots

Last month, the Cleveland Indians voted to remove their Chief Wahoo imagery from their uniforms effective next year. Cleveland’s Chief Wahoo and other Native American mascots have been the source of years of controversy due to their inaccurate depiction of indigenous peoples.

'Dream come true' as Nelson has record-setting performance, but UW finishes fifth

After being shut out of the top two in all three of her individual events at last year’s Big Ten Championships, sophomore swimmer Beata Nelson knew it was time to drop the hammer and show the conference and the country what she could do.

Wisconsin seeks Big Ten title in highly contested meet

After a regular season full of ups and downs including a Big Ten Record for sophomore Beata Nelson and the departure of one of their captains, the No. 21 Wisconsin women’s swim team is ready to put its last four months in the rearview mirror and move to the penultimate point of its season – the Big Ten championships. “It’s always an exciting time of the year because everyone’s always rested and ready to do some special things,” head coach Whitney Hite said.

Cardinal Zone Swimming and Diving Podcast— Women's Big Ten Preview

Swim writer Kelly Ward and 2016 Olympian Matt Hutchins preview this week’s women’s Big Ten Swimming and Diving championships, which will be held in Columbus, Ohio starting Wednesday.

Ward to the Wise: Nassar scandal must inspire schools around country to be more proactive

With the fallout of the Larry Nassar scandal affecting Michigan State, schools in the Big Ten Conference and NCAA in general, schools all over the country are now being held under increased scrutiny in terms of how they choose to respond to misconduct scandals involving their coaches. Nassar’s conviction resulted in MSU’s president and director of athletics both stepping down amidst pressure from the school community, mainly because they allowed Nassar’s abuse to go on for so long, allowing him to harm many more victims.

Wisconsin swim teams ready for postseason tune-up in Shamrock Invitational

With championship season on the horizon, the unranked (men) /No. 19 (women) Wisconsin swim teams will head to Notre Dame for the two-day Shamrock Invitational. Traditionally, this meet has served as a final tune-up for the Big Ten meet as well as a chance for swimmers to figure out what events they will compete in to finish out the season.

Hutchins retires from competitive swimming

Twenty three-year-old Olympian and Wisconsin volunteer assistant coach Matthew Hutchins announced his retirement from competitive swimming on Wednesday through a statement to Swimming New Zealand. Hutchins enjoyed a highly successful college career as a Badger, twice placing in the top five nationally in the mile and owning four school records before exhausting his eligibility in spring 2017.

USC outlasts UW in close, dramatic meet

It came down to the final relay and just four total points, but the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Swim team couldn’t escape No. 9 Southern California on Monday afternoon in sunny Los Angeles.

Wisconsin heads into difficult battle against Trojans of USC

Immediately after a nine-day training trip to Hawaii that was equal parts relaxation and hard work, the unranked Wisconsin swim team is heading to the University of Southern California for a dual meet with the No. 7/No.9 Trojans on Monday to start the second half of their season. Last year, the Trojans threw everything but the kitchen sink at head coach Whitney Hite and his team, and with a reloaded USC squad that includes multiple US National teamers and international Olympians, the Badgers are expecting to have their hands full. USC is a team that’s rife with star power, but Wisconsin sophomore Beata Nelson says going head-to-head with the Trojans’ big names is a challenge the Badgers are up for. “Our expectation is to go out and compete with them,” Nelson said.

The senior men from the Badger swim team. Back row: Ryan Barsanti, Matt Hutchins, Sean Maloney, Harrison Tran. Front row: Brett Pinfold, Cannon Clifton. 

Reggie Thedford discussed the importance of community awareness of prison conditions while fellow panelists Tyriek Mack and Michael Roy look on during a panel on mass incarceration at the Law School.

Colleges Against Cancer members celebrated the beginning of Breast Fest, a week-long series of events that concludes Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and informed people of the upcoming Rally for Life event.