The LSU swimming and diving teams kicked off 2010 with a week of competition in the Sunshine State. The Tigers and Lady Tigers spent most of the week in training camp and concluded the trip with meets against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 8 and Florida on Jan. 10. LSU junior Jane Trepp said the swimmers and divers split up for most of the holidays. The diving teams competed against teams in Alabama and Georgia before returning to Baton Rouge to train, while the swim teams trained in Florida. The No. 18 Tigers and No. 21 Lady Tigers both swept the FAU Owls by winning nine events each, with victories from 13 different swimmers. Junior Eric Zeller and sophomore Morgan McGee led the Tigers and Lady Tigers with two wins apiece. Zeller won the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, and McGee took the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. The diving teams rejoined the swimmers in Gainesville, Fla., when LSU took on Florida. LSU came up short, but still racked up seven wins on the men’s side and three on the women’s. Sophomore diver Brian Gemberling was named the Southeastern Conference Male Diver of the Week following the Florida meet. Gemberling won both the 3-meter springboard and the 1-meter springboard events. Junior Clint Hallum won the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley, claiming season-best times in both. Junior Hannes Heyl had two season-best times in the meet in the 100-yard butterfly and as a part of the 200-yard medley relay team. He gained an NCAA provisional mark in both events. Senior Sean LeNeave said he thought the team swam better against FAU because it was more relaxed. ‘Florida, I think the traveling kind of caught up to us a little bit,’ LeNeave said. ‘A lot of people still had really good swims for the circumstances ‘hellip; coming off a week of training.’ Trepp said she feels the team is in a better place this year then it was at this point last season. ‘We all did really well compared to last year,’ Trepp said. ‘Last year at the same time, we were more tired. This year we actually have more people swimming their best times.’ Junior James Meyers said the week of training camp made times a little slower than normal, but the work is necessary for the team to peak for the SEC Championship meet, which is held the week of Feb. 17. ‘When you’re on the road like that and training a little extra for the week, it really takes a toll on your body,’ Meyers said. ‘I thought we performed pretty well. Some people were a little off, but that’s all right because we’re really tired and broken down. Our speed will come back.’ Meyers said he thinks the team will see faster times against Texas A&M after two weeks of training at home. ‘When we race [Texas] A&M we should see some faster times,’ Meyers said. ‘We should have a good meet.’ The swimming and diving teams will take on Texas A&M on Jan. 23 in the LSU Natatorium. — Contact Katherine Terrell at [email protected]