Hunting for another title -- Milton's Jeff Maxwell

At first glance, Milton's Jeff Maxwell doesn't look like a championship swimmer. With a compact frame and sturdy build, he looks like he might fit in as a linebacker on his high school football team.

And although a hard worker in the pool, he's not necessarily a slave to the water; fall mornings in late November are just as likely to find him in out in the fields with his rifle (surely he's one of the few -- if not only -- top-tier high school swimmers in the Wisconsin to have his picture published in the local newspaper with his 14-point buck with a 20-inch spread -- this from 2007):

But Maxwell has been one of Division 2's top swimmers since his freshman year; in six individual swims at the state meet, he's never finished lower than 4th. He's also swum on six Milton relays that have qualified for state, including three that have earned top-six podium finishes.

This year, the senior swimmer has set off with one top goal in mind -- recapture his Division 2 title in the 500 free. Maxwell won the 500 free as a sophomore, edging Cedarburg's Tommy Radtke by less than .30 seconds to win in 4:42.72. He also finished 2nd to Radtke in the 200 free that year. Last year, despite improving his time in each event, he finished lower on the podium -- 4th in the 200 free, and second to McFarland senior Graham Thoresen in the 500 free by a mere .23 seconds in the 500 free. Now he's back for one last try at the 500, as well as working to help his Milton teammates defend the Badger South Conference title the Red Hawks won in their first year in the conference.

Name: Jeff Maxwell
School: Milton High School
Year: Senior
Favorite event to swim: 500 Free
Proudest accomplishment as a swimmer: Earning a college scholarship to UW- Milwaukee.
Favorite swimming memory: Sophomore year state championship in the 500 Free.
Favorite non-swimming activity: Hunting and Fishing
Favorite food: Chicken Alfredo
Music you listen to get psyched up for a meet: Depends on my mood, either rock or rap.
Role model: My parents
Favorite swimmer: Ryan Lochte
Family: Jeff (father), Monica (mother), Katie (sister)
Plans after high school: Attend college at UWM and graduate with a BS from the College of Health Sciences, then apply to a college of pharmacy
Career goal: Pharmacist