BATON ROUGE — The LSU women’s swimming and diving team faces one final tune-up before the SEC Championships as the Lady Tigers close their dual-meet season against Tulane at 4 p.m. Friday from the LSU Natatorium.
Friday’s dual features a regular 13-event order, beginning with the 400 medley relay and closing with the exciting 200 freestyle relay. After facing 11 opponents and participating in two invitationals, the dual presents LSU with one final competitive setting before traveling to the SEC Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., Feb. 15-18.
“This is a good meet to sharpen us up for the events they are going to see at conference,” said head coach Adam Schmitt. “It is an opportunity for us to swim fast, win our last dual meet to go over .500 and cap off a successful season for a young team as we move into conference.”
LSU (5-5) is in search of a winning season in only head coach Adam Schmitt‘s second season. The Lady Tigers entered the season with 12 freshmen on the roster facing arguably the toughest schedule in school history.
Posting the team’s first victory over Alabama since 1999 was certainly a highlight but how well such a young team developed with quality performances against perennial powers Auburn, Florida State, Florida and Texas A&M may have been the stamp the squad left on the dual-meet campaign as it enters the championship stretch.
Schmitt added that facing such quality opponents has given the team an opportunity to try people in different events to find their strengths.
“It has been a great opportunity to move people in different events over the season to see where they can top out,” said Schmitt. “As the team grows and we get more athletes in here, I think it will be easier to have people swim different events. Right now, we are pretty much set.”
One event that LSU should excel in as it enters the postseason has been the 200 freestyle relay. LSU’s group of Katherine Noland, Heather Brand, Katie Gilmore and Sabrina Messmer posted a pool record in the event against Florida on Jan. 12, despite missing Colleen Bertirotti. One week later the time was bested by Texas A&M, but the Lady Tigers expect to reclaim it back and post a quality seed for the SEC Championships.
“I have been very impressed with the relay,” said Schmitt. “Being this close to conference and how well we have been swimming that relay without all the pieces in it, we are going to put our best group and let it rip. The school record is what we are going for.”
When LSU and Tulane meet on Friday, it will be the end of an in-state rivalry that has been predominantly owned by the Lady Tigers. Swimming and diving is one of eight sports at Tulane that have been eliminated following the difficult aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The two schools last met in 1989 with LSU taking the meet by a score of 69-37 en route to only the second undefeated dual season in the program’s history. The Lady Tigers hold a 9-2 advantage all-time against the defending Conference USA champion and look to add another victory to close the rivalry.
“How appropriate has it worked out for them to finish in-state, that we are their last meet,” said Schmitt. “I’m sure they want to go out a positive note and later defend their conference championship.”