BATON ROUGE — With the season-opener only a week away, the LSU swimming and diving team continues its preparations for Auburn at 3 p.m. Friday with the 17th-annual Purple and Gold Intrasquad from the LSU Natatorium.
The exhibition has become a popular event over the years with the Purple team having won six out of the last 10 intrasquads. The Gold team last won in 2002, defeating Purple, 223-202. Last season, the Purple squad staked its claim again, narrowly beating Gold, 235-230.
Second-year head coach Adam Schmitt said the exhibition has become a measuring stick to see where the team is competitively before the season officially begins.
“We will use this to see how people have progressed since beginning training,” said Schmitt. “It’s also a measurement to see what specific events they will be swimming throughout the year. It’s basically a fun event for the athletes.”
Assistant coaches Anne Blachford and Dave Geyer will oversee the Purple team, while associate head coach Morgan Bailey and graduate assistant Matt Leach guide the Gold squad.
Fresh off of an offseason filled with international competition, senior Heather Brand captains Gold with diver Andrew Keane.
Jenna Molinski and Ryan Ashby have been chosen as captains for the Purple side. Ashby, one of six seniors on the team, stated the importance of competing in a meet-like setting.
“There’s always a sense of urgency to perform well, especially when a school like Auburn is coming in next weekend,” said Ashby. “This year’s team has looked well so far. This meet will give us a sense of how good we will be going into next weekend.”
The season-opening showdown against top-ranked Auburn gets underway at 4 p.m. next Friday, Oct. 21. Admission is free to the public.