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Swimming & Diving Announces 2010-11 Schedule

by Jesse Delerno
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Swimming & Diving Announces 2010-11 Schedule

BATON ROUGE — The LSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs have released their 2010-11 schedule, co-head coaches Doug Shaffer and David Geyer announced Friday.

“We’re excited for our 2010-11 swimming and diving schedule,” Shaffer said. “We have an excellent balance of competition, which will require our student-athletes to perform at the highest levels all season long.

“Each dual and invitational competition prepares us for the SEC and NCAA Championships.”

LSU’s schedule features a challenging slate of dual-meet opponents as the teams’ will face off against the likes of nationally-ranked Southeastern Conference foes Florida (men) and Auburn as well as Big 12 power Texas A&M.

Fans will have the opportunity to check out the teams on five occasions at the LSU Natatorium this season, highlighted by visits from the Seminoles and Gator men in back-to-back weeks on Oct. 30 and Nov. 4, respectively.

In addition, the programs will host the LSU Diving Invitational with divers from Auburn and Alabama coming to town. Admission to all home meets is free.

After holding their annual Purple & Gold Intrasquad meet at 3 p.m. (CT), Sept. 24, the Tigers will welcome New Orleans at 4 p.m., Oct. 1, to officially kick off the season in Baton Rouge.

The teams will then trek to the state of Alabama to take on Auburn and Notre Dame (women) on Oct. 22 and Alabama on Oct. 23 before returning back to Louisiana to duel the Tulane women in New Orleans on Oct. 29 and finish the month at home versus the Seminoles at 1 p.m., Oct. 30.   

The LSU men will go up against SEC rival Florida on Nov. 4, and the teams will travel to Houston, Texas, for the Phil Hansel Cougar Classic Fall Invitational, Nov. 18-20. The Tiger divers will close out 2010 with the LSU Invite, Dec. 16-18.

While the LSU divers travel to Tennessee to compete in the Volunteers’ Diving Invite, Jan. 3-5, the Tiger swimmers will open the 2011 portion of their schedule in the Sunshine State with meets at Nova Southeastern (Jan. 3) and Florida Atlantic (Jan. 7).

The swimmers and divers will reunite on Jan. 22 against Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, before the Lady Tigers close out the season in a home tri-meet versus Houston, Tulane and Rice on Jan. 28 (5 p.m.) and Jan. 29 (11 a.m.).

The diving corps will begin post-season competition with the SEC Diving Championships in Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 11-13, while the LSU swimmers return to Florida for SEC’s, beginning Feb. 16.

Following SEC’s, the LSU swimmers or relays on the bubble for NCAA’s will make the trip to a Last Chance Meet, which will be determined at a later date, at the end of February, and the divers who have qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Regional will compete in Austin, Texas, March 11-13.

Those Lady Tigers who have qualified for NCAA’s will represent the squad at the NCAA Women’s Championships, March 17-19, in Austin, Texas. The NCAA Men’s Championships will be held the following week, March 24-26, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Meet dates and times are subject to change. For all the latest on the LSU schedule as well as features on the teams, log onto www.LSUsports.net, become a fan of our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/LSUSwimDive) or follow us on Twitter @LSUSwimDive.