As the Southeastern Conference Championships inch closer, the LSU swimming and diving teams cannot stop preparing.
“Towards the end of the season we go through a rest cycle called taper,” said LSU coach Dave Geyer. “The intensity of the training, the amount of yardage and the amount of distance comes down a bit to allow our athletes to recover”.
Geyer said he is confident in his teams mental and physical preparation entering the meet. He praised their training all season for clearing their “mental state of mind.”
LSU’s men and women have struggled in SEC play this year, winning only one conference meet combined. Even with the lack of success, confidence remains high.
“I’m anxious and excited for the meet,” Geyer said. “We’re just trying to balance out our training to get that peak performance next week.”
Remaining healthy is a large concern for the Tigers. With flu season on the rise, they are attempting to avoid getting sick at all costs. Geyer said he tells players to keep their daily routine of eating properly and keeping hand sanitizer with them.
Entering the meet, the Tigers aren’t considered the favorite, so they’ll have a lot to prove. The team appears unphased however and it is aware the regular season is the past and this is a new season.
“Its about stepping up in the morning to swim at our best and put ourselves in a position at night time for finals to score as many points as possible,” Geyer said. “I like where were at, everything we’ve progressed through this season with time drops and were getting better”.
LSU is facing stiff competition, with six of the top-14 nationally ranked teams coming from the SEC.
“It’s the toughest conference in the country, it is our goal to become one of the top six teams in the conference,” said diving coach Doug Shaffer.
The Tigers, along with the rest of the SEC, will begin the Championships on Feb. 17 in Auburn, Alabama.
You can reach Malcolm Poree on Twitter @MalcolmP_TDR.