GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With the 2011 Southeastern Conference Diving Championships in the books, the focus shifts to the swimming side where the LSU men’s and women’s squads are set to begin racing Wednesday at the University of Florida’s O’Connell Center Natatorium.
Following the diving segment last weekend, LSU will enter the swimming portion with 47.5 points in the men’s team standings and 31.5 on the women’s side.
The prelims for each swimming session will begin each day at 9 a.m. (CST), while the finals will be held each day at 5 p.m.
“This has been our focal point all season,” co-head coach David Geyer said. “The teams are excited to see where their commitment and dedication over the past months will take them.
“We are looking to build off the momentum the divers had last weekend and also gain from our experiences in past seasons as this young team develops. The atmosphere at this meet will be epic and like no other in the country.”
Senior Jane Trepp leads a talented core of Lady Tigers into Gainesville. The five-time NCAA All-American has emerged as one of the top sprinters in the country this season and has a chance to become the first LSU women’s swimmer to win an SEC individual championship since former Lady Tiger great Lucy Findlay claimed a pair of titles in 1997.
Trepp, who ranks No. 2 in the nation in the 50-yard freestyle (22.16 seconds) and 100-yard butterfly (52.11), is the SEC’s top seed in the 100 fly and No. 2 seed in the 50 free. She is also seeded No. 2 in the 100 free and 100 breaststroke and will swim one of those as her third event.
In addition to her individual racing potential, Trepp is the focal point of the Lady Tigers’ efforts in the 200 and 400 free and 200 and 400 medley relays.
Men’s swimmer Andrei Tuomola enters Gainesville as the Tigers’ biggest medal contender. The Finnish product currently holds the league’s third-fastest time in the 100 breast (54.19) and fourth-fastest mark in the 50 free (19.92) while ranking seventh in the 100 free (44.28).
Similar to Trepp, Tuomola is critical to the men’s relay efforts in the 200 and 400 free and 200 and 400 medley relays.
Seniors Hannes Heyl, Clint Hallum and James Meyers, junior Simon Diefenthal, sophomore Craig Hamilton and freshman Michael Saco will play large roles on the men’s team in addition to Tuomola.
Heyl is the team’s top 100-yard flyer, ranking fifth in the conference in that race (48.10), while Hallum leads the team in the 200 and 400 IM and the 200 breast. His NCAA provisional time of 1:49.20 in the 200 IM is 10th in the conference.
Meyers and Diefenthal are the Tigers’ top options in the 100 and 200 back, respectively. Meyers, a two-time SEC finalist in the 100 back, boasts the Tigers’ season best in the 100 back, 49.06, and will lead off both medley relays, while Diefenthal’s team-best mark of 1:47.34 in the 200 back is currently 12th in the conference.
Hamilton, the school record-holder in the 1000 and 1650 free, is the men’s best distance freestyler. The Edinburgh, Scotland, product is sixth in the SEC in the mile race.
Saco, a gifted sprinter from Miami, is vital to the men’s efforts in the 200 free and 200 medley relays.
The LSU women will also seek big contributions from five swimmers who have already posted NCAA ‘B’ cuts this season — senior Kannon Betzen, sophomores Amanda Kendall and Sara Haley and freshmen Cari Blalock and Torrey Bussey.
Betzen holds provisional marks in the 100 breast and 200 IM and will be a factor in relay competition, while Kendall, who ranks 10th in the league in the 100 free, should play a major role on as many as four relays. Haley possesses the league’s eighth-best mark in the 200 fly (1:59.66).
The freshman duo of Blalock and Bussey have immediately stepped into the Lady Tigers’ lineup and emerged as the team’s top options in several races.
Blalock possesses the Lady Tigers’ top times in the 200 and 400 IM and 200 fly. Her mark of 1:59.44 in the 200 fly is seventh in the conference. Bussey is the women’s fastest breaststroker at the 200-yard format and holds another ‘B’ cut in the 100 breast.
Furthermore, the Lady Tigers will look for a boost from junior Samantha Goates and sophomores Jana Ruimerman and Chelsea Griffiths.
Goates, a relay All-American a year ago, is a potential scorer in the sprint free events and will play a significant role on relays, while Ruimerman and Griffiths are the team’s top backstrokers heading into the meet.
The official site of the championships is http://www.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/tour/sec/2011/. Live video streaming of the prelim and final sessions can be accessed at www.GatorVision.tv.
For complete coverage of LSU’s efforts, visit our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/LSUSwimDive) or follow us on Twitter @LSUSwimDive.
2011 SEC Swimming Championships
Feb. 16-19 – Gainesville, Fla.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, Feb. 16
9 a.m. – Time Trials
5 p.m. – Relay Finals (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Thursday, Feb. 17
9 a.m. – Prelims (500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free)
5 p.m. – Finals (500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, 200 Freestyle Relay)
Friday, Feb. 18
9 a.m. – Prelims (400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back)
5 p.m. – Finals (400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 400 Medley Relay)
Saturday, Feb. 19
9 a.m. – Prelims (200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly)
TBA – 1650 Free (Timed Finals)
5 p.m. – Finals (200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 400 Free Relay)
* – All times Central