BATON ROUGE — Fans won’t have to wait until Saturday night to watch LSU take on Auburn as the Tigers swimming and diving team opens the 2005-06 season Friday at 4 p.m. against top-ranked Auburn from the LSU Natatorium.
The dual meet is part of the swimming and diving program’s “Alumni Weekend”. The first 150 fans who enter the Natatorium receive free LSU t-shirts. Several promotions will feature cash giveaways and students are welcome to attend.
The festivities continue at 1:30 p.m. Saturday when the divers of both teams will host a platform diving exhibition. Both events are free to the public.
Friday’s meet features 26 events, opening with the 400 medley relay and closing with the 400 freestyle relay.
Head coach Adam Schmitt enters his second season at the helm after seven years as an assistant, four of those at Auburn.
Schmitt welcomes back 22 letterwinners on the men’s and women’s squads, including six of those who spent their summers in national and international competitions.
“I think our team is ready to compete at this level,” said Schmitt. “Because of the mentality that was changed from last year, they are ready and they won’t back down. We understand the NCAA champions are coming to town and we want to give them a good fight. We have taught them to go up there and just race.”
One of top returnees is senior team captain Heather Brand. Brand qualified and participated in four events for her native country of Zimbabwe at the World Championships. Brand was the lone women’s swimmer to represent the Lady Tigers at the NCAA Championships last spring.
Brand and junior Colleen Bertirotti anchor LSU’s one-two punch in the freestyle and butterfly. Bertirotti, a native of San Antonio, Texas, posted two school all-time top 10 times last season and earned a berth in the U.S. World Championship Trials.
Diver Hali Saucier looks to fill the void left by departed senior Jessica Wantz. Saucier surprised the diving community this summer by qualifying for the U.S. Diving National Championships along with teammate Paige Brown.
On the men’s side, Miko Malberg returns after delivering one of the best freshman seasons in school history. Malberg not only qualified for the NCAA Championships as a freshman but also etched his name into the LSU all-time top 10 with two sprint freestyle times.
In men’s diving, the return of the SEC Freshman Diver of the Year, Niko Dalman and senior Andrew Keane gives the Tigers a formidable combination in dual and championship competition.
When LSU and Auburn meet on Friday, both benches will have ties to each side.
Schmitt and associate head coach Morgan Bailey served under current Auburn head coach David Marsh. Marsh, who is in his 16th season, has guided the Tigers to a combined eight men’s and women’s NCAA Championships, including three straight men’s titles.
“One thing that he is really great at is preparation,” said Schmitt. “It doesn’t start on gameday. It is year-round process of getting the athletes prepared. He obviously is a great coach. What I have taken away from his program is the idea of a team and togetherness. That is what we are trying to gain here.”
Schmitt elaborated on Marsh being a primary influence to his coaching career.
“At the time you don’t see it, but I spent four years of my life there,” said Schmitt. “Being away from it, you can see why things are done a certain way. A large part of my coaching philosophy has come from him.”
LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer has a tie of his own between the two Tiger teams. Shaffer’s older brother, Jeff, has served as Auburn’s diving coach for the past seven seasons. Jeff also held a two-year tenure as diving coach at LSU from 1993-95.
“His divers are going to want to come in and be competitive and we are hosting them,” said Doug. “We will be competitive as well.”
The lack of hotel rooms in the Baton Rouge area due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina nearly forced officials from both schools to cancel the meet, but the help of the local Bengal Tiger Aquatic Club, their families and head coach John Roy has made it possible.
“BTAC has been generous enough to house the (Auburn) athletes,” said Schmitt. “That is another example of how this community stepped up again. It got to the point where we almost would not have had it (the meet).”
Ironically, the last meeting between the two schools took place at each team’s respective pools. The effects of Hurricane Lili in October of 2003 forced the squads to host the first “phone meet” in school history, with the Tigers of Auburn earning a sweep.
“My first dual at LSU was supposed to be that meet against Auburn,” said Shaffer. “I am glad the weather has settled down. We have had a couple of weeks of normalcy and are able to come together in our home pool.”
Auburn, winners of 32 straight duals on the men’s side, has already posted victories on the season against South Carolina and Indiana.
LSU continues its season with its first road trip, next Friday, Oct. 28 as the Tigers take on Florida State and Florida International in Tallahassee. Events get underway at 3 p.m.