BATON ROUGE — The LSU swimming and diving team looks to continue the momentum it established in last weekend’s sweep of South Carolina as the Tigers take on Georgia at 2 p.m. Friday in the LSU Natatorium.
The first 250 fans in attendance will receive LSU versus Georgia commemorative programs. The LSU cheerleaders will give out free LSU swimming and diving t-shirts following any event the Tigers win.
LSU and Georgia are meeting for the first time since the 2003 season opener when the Bulldogs defeated both the LSU men and women in Athens. Georgia is visiting Baton Rouge for the first time since 1998. They are coached by Jack Bauerle, who will serve as the head coach for the United States women’s swimming team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
“Coach Jack (Bauerle) and Harvey (Humphries) have been in the conference for a long time,” said LSU head coach Adam Schmitt. “I think they will be surprised by not only our team but our facility and some of the things we have done. They will be excited about the competition to be able to swim some good races and times.”
The LSU men’s and women’s teams enter the meet following dual-meet victories against the Gamecocks last Saturday in Columbia. The Tiger men posted a 204.5-94.5 win, while the Lady Tiger women defeated South Carolina, 164-136.
Senior Kevin Braud swept the backstroke events and helped add a first-place finish in the 400 medley relay on Saturday. For his efforts, he was named SEC Male Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday by the league office. He became the first LSU male swimmer to earn the award since Julius Gloeckner did so on Jan. 17, 2007.
“It is a great honor early,” said Schmitt. “Day-in and day-out he has given to the LSU program. He’s competed for us and won events when we needed him to. He definitely deserves this in his senior year. He is even going to get better. It is not like he is going to sit back on this and relax. He knows that he’s an integral part of this men’s team going to the next level.”
Gloeckner contributed wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly. Senior Miko Malberg led a 1-2-3-4 Tiger finish in the 50 free, while tying for first place in the 100 free. Malberg holds the fastest 50 free time in the SEC this season after recording a mark of 20.52 against Stanford on Sept. 14.
Junior diver Niko Dalman returned to dual-meet competition for the first time since 2006. Dalman, who redshirted last season due to an injury, took home runner-up finishes in the 1-meter and 3-meter.
Meanwhile, the LSU women’s team will be competing at home for the first time this season on Friday. The Lady Tigers got first-place swims from Kannon Betzen, Katherine Noland, Victoria Givens, Monica McJunkin and Berit Aljand against the Gamecocks. LSU also swept both women’s relays.
The Georgia women’s team is off to a 3-0 start this season, and the men’s team holds a 1-0 dual-meet record in 2007. The Bulldogs swept North Carolina to start the season, and the women’ team added victories against Arkansas and North Texas in Fayetteville, Ark., last Friday.
Georgia recorded fifth and 13th-place finishes at the Women’s and Men’s NCAA Championships, respectively, last March. Both of the Georgia men’s and women’s teams were ranked ninth in the last College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll.
“They are a nationally known swimming and diving program,” said Schmitt. “We are just going to have to be at the top of our game. I think we can hold our own and try to push them a bit.”