BATON ROUGE — The LSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will make the short trek to New Orleans to challenge the UNO Privateers Friday at 6 p.m. (CST) in the Lakefront Aquatic Center.
The LSU women (1-4) are going after their second win against an in-state opponent this season. The Lady Tigers defeated Tulane at home two weeks ago. The Tigers (0-4) aim to register their first victory of the year.
“It will be fun to revive another in-state competition so close to home,” LSU head coach Adam Schmitt said. “They reopened their pool this year, and we look forward to competing there.
“I’m still looking to see some of our athletes step up this season, and I’m hopeful we’ll see some of that against the Privateers.”
Despite falling to Alabama and Florida State in its first road trip last weekend, LSU continues to see solid results at this point in the season from some of its top athletes and newcomers.
Men’s freshmen Craig Hamilton and Andrei Tuomola keep improving their times, and each ranks among the nation’s best in their top events.
Hamilton recorded the third-fastest 1000-yard freestyle time in school history, 9 minutes, 15.64 seconds, to take first-place against the Seminoles. That mark currently ranks ninth in the country and fourth in the SEC. The Edinburgh, Scotland, native also swam to victory in the 500 free with a season best of 4:30.20.
Tuomola registered three wins over the weekend, including a season-best effort in the 50 free, 20.47, which is currently eighth nationally and fourth in the conference. The Finnish product also showcased his potential as a breaststroker, swimming the team’s season-best time of 56.47 in the 100 breast.
Junior Hannes Heyl helped the Tigers’ cause with wins in all four of his individual events, and sophomore diver Brian Gemberling tallied career-high scores versus the Crimson Tide.
Heyl swam to victory twice in the 100 butterfly and also finished on top in the 50 free and 100 backstroke. His top times in 100 back and 100 fly are in the conference’s top 10. Gemberling moved into seventh in the program record books in both the one-meter and three-meter dives with his scores of 333.30 and 353.18, respectively.
The Tigers also came away with their first NCAA provisional cut in relay competition as the 200 medley group of James Meyers, Tuomola, Heyl and Sean LeNeave collected a winning time of 1:29.70 versus the Crimson Tide.
Junior co-captain Jane Trepp, sophomore Mary Beck and freshman Amanda Kendall led the Lady Tigers against the Crimson Tide and Seminoles. Trepp emerged victorious in three races and claimed season bests in the 100 fly (55.18) and 100 breast (1:03.32), while Beck captured wins in the 100 and 200 back, 200 free and 200 individual medley.
Kendall continues to be a model of consistency for the women’s team in dual meets, sweeping the 50 and 100 free with two wins apiece. In women’s diving, freshman Rebecca St. Germain won the one-meter against Florida State with a 279.82 score.
The UNO men are 1-2 in dual-meet competition on the season, while the women’s team brings in a 2-2 record.