For the second straight weekend, the LSU swimming and diving team will head to Texas to face off against a ranked foe.
The No. 17 LSU men’s team is coming off a victory against No. 19 Southern Methodist last weekend. On Saturday, the LSU men and women will go to College Station, Texas to face No. 7 Texas A&M.
“Every meet is a building block toward our championship season,” said LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer. “We look forward to nothing but our highest standard of competition heading into this event.”
The Tigers have enjoyed success so far this season, which Shaffer said has them feeling confident they can compete with some of the best the conference has to offer.
“We’ve had positive competitive experience, which builds confidence,” Shaffer said. “At this particular time in the season, that’s what we want to continue to do.”
The No. 2-ranked Texas A&M women’s squad features several Olympians including Breeja Larson who earned an Olympic gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay at the London Olympics. Despite these credentials, LSU swimming coach Dave Geyer said the Tigers squad is not backing down and is looking forward to competing against such a strong team.
The LSU women are building on a successful showing at the University of Kentucky where senior Sally Wood, freshman Danielle Stirrat and freshman Megan Cox earned a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 free.
“We need to step up and race them well and not be intimidated by them,” Geyer said. “You come to school to race against some of the best competitors in the country and in the world, and this weekend is an opportunity to do that.”
For the men, the meet comes at a crucial point in the season, as it’s their last chance to compete before heading to the SEC championships.
“We’re getting into that last stretch of championship preparation,” Geyer said. “We’re looking to swim fast, and we’re not backing off the throttle.”
In addition to offering an opportunity to swim against one of the top teams in the country, visiting A&M gives the Tigers a chance to become comfortable with the site of the conference championship meet.
“We’ll get to stay at the same hotel, get in a routine, check out the locker room, check out the floor space and just get an idea of what it’ll be like,” Geyer said. “It’s pivotal to get that experience before the big meet.”
