LSU coach Adam Schmitt likened Saturday’s swimming and diving team’s meet with Florida State to a boxing match.”We’d come up with a jab, they’d come back with a hook,” Schmitt said. “It was a back and forth meet, and I think what came off strong was a couple of our seniors doing what they needed to do.”The team’s senior dealt decisive blows to help the Tigers and Lady Tigers defeat the Seminoles and Lady Seminoles, 159-141 and 166-134, respectively.      LSU struck first, earning victories in the 200 medley relays, then traded blows with Florida State for most of the meet.LSU sophomore Hannes Heyl earned some key victories in the 100 backstroke and the 50 freestyle.”I think we needed that at that time,” Heyl said. Schmitt praised his team for its persistence.”When we lost that momentum in the second half they got it back and steadied the ship and regrouped,” he said.LSU senior Christoph Lubenau tagged the wall first in the 100 fly to cushion the narrow lead the Tigers had built.  “I was yelling it down the sidelines, ‘Guys, this is the meet,'” Schmitt said. “For us to get first and third and [LSU senior] Connor [Farber] almost getting in there second — I think that was just the boost they need going into the break.”Lubenau said he was glad about the win but gave his teammates credit for putting him in a situation where he could help the team.”We won by [18] points,” he said. “So if we wouldn’t have won one event, it could have gone the other way.”Senior Julius Gloeckner delivered the knockout punch with a victory in the 200 individual medley. Schmitt said he was put at ease before the event.”That made me feel a lot better knowing that Julius was there to do a 200 IM.” Schmitt said.Gloeckner holds the LSU record in the event.Senior Katie Gilmore gave the women’s team a boost with a victory in the 100 fly, and senior diver Niko Dalman earned victories in both of his events.”We counted on our divers, and they performed,” Lubenau said.
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