The LSU men’s swimming squad, represented by one individual qualifier and a four-man relay team, begin NCAA Championships today in Austin, Texas, in hopes of bringing home the first individual championship to Baton Rouge since 1988.
The Tigers will only bring five total competitors, including junior team captain Frank Greeff, who will be appearing in his second NCAAs after earning an NCAA Honorable Mention All-American honor in last year’s event, finishing in 12th place in the 200-yard butterfly.
Greeff returns to the event with his eyes set on a top-eight finish in the 200-yard butterfly, along with strong finishes in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly.
Being the lone qualifier could pose a challenge for the captain, but LSU swimming coach Dave Geyer said Greeff’s experience should help him overcome the circumstances.
Greeff won’t be completely alone though, as he can rely on the support of the LSU relay team of freshman Tyler Crosson, junior Marco Gonzalez, sophomore Alex Linge and senior Michael Saco.
The relay team will swim the 200-yard freestyle relay on Thursday, followed by the 400-yard freestyle relay on Saturday.
The meet is held at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, and Geyer said the facility has taken some getting used to.
“It’s a big pool,” Geyer said. “There isn’t a ton of room on the pool deck like what we are used to in other meets.”
The atmosphere is sure to add extra pressure to the meet, as Geyer said it is sold out. But he said he believes his swimmers can handle the pressure and they are used to the atmosphere, having competed in high profile amateur national meets.
The number one concern for the Tigers heading into the meet is the emphasis on performing well in the morning. Qualifying for the finals hinges on strong morning performances during the preliminary rounds.
Geyer said it has been the focal point he has pitched to his squad: for them to do something special, it all comes down to the morning competition.
“We have got to go fast in the morning,” Geyer said. “The past two mornings we have been waking them up early for the morning sessions to make sure that their bodies will be awake and ready to go when the morning hits.”