The LSU swimming and diving team saw a successful semester in spring 2013 in which several Tigers earned national honors allowing the team to grow and position themselves for more success next year.

The men got the year started off on the right foot with their 161-139 victory at Southern Methodist University against the Mustangs.

“I think every time we compete is an opportunity for the swimmers and divers to put together a team victory,” diving coach Doug Shaffer said in a news release after the meet. “We had some strengths and at the end of the day we were a little stronger than SMU was.”

Both the men and women then got a chance to scope out the site of the Southeastern Conference Championship Tournament as the Tigers took on Texas A&M in a dual meet in College Station, Texas. While neither LSU team was able to come away with a victory, the meet served as a chance to get used to SEC competition and prepare for the SEC meet.

“I told them that this is what SEC’s are going to be like,” swimming coach Dave Geyer said in a news release after the meet. “There are going to be multiple top-10 teams at the conference championships.

After the Lady Tigers swept a quad meet against Houston, Rice and Tulane, LSU had some positive momentum it could ask for heading into the SEC meet.

The hard work paid off for LSU at SEC’s as the team broke seven records and won two medals. Freshman diver Cassie Weil finished in the top-eight in the three-meter and platform events which was good enough to be named SEC Freshman of the Year. Weil is Shaffer’s seventh diver to win the award.

“It was well-deserved. She was the top freshman performer of the SEC Championships,” Shaffer said. “She had a top-eight finish in two events and scored in all three.”

The Tigers sent 13 men and women swimmers and divers to the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Ind.

“We’re going to go there and try to score some points,” Geyer said. “We want to come back with a top-25 finish. The NCAA Championships will be intense. We will be excited to compete.”

Weil continued her torrid pace at the NCAA Championships as she picked up two NCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors in the three-meter and platform events.

“Cassie has had a tremendous year and has a very bright future ahead of her,” Shaffer said. “I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

On the swimming side, seniors Craig Hamilton and Andrei Tuomola also earned honors as Hamilton was named a First-Team All American for his performance in the mile, and Tuomola was given an Honorable Mention All-American distinction after his time of 52.76 in the 100 breaststroke.