Since the first practice of the season, the Lady Tigers have been preparing for the Southeastern Conference Championship and NCAA zone competitions.
The No. 20 LSU women’s swimming and diving team (9-1, 2-1 SEC) will get one last meet to prepare when it travels to Houston for a meet with the University of Houston, Rice University and Tulane at the University of Houston Recreation Center on Friday and Saturday.
“I am excited for the last competition before our conference meet,” said swimming coach Dave Geyer in a news release. “With the training progression we are in, our women should be pretty sharp, and they have a great opportunity to fine tune their racing details before the final preparation for SEC’s.”
LSU is coming off of its first loss of the season after falling to No. 6 Texas A&M in a conference meet by a score of 181-119.
The Lady Tigers will look to get back on track against some familiar competition.
In the final meet of the 2014-15 season, LSU defeated the same trio in Baton Rouge on Jan. 31. The Lady Tigers defeated Houston (279-73), Tulane (267-82) and Rice (233-113).
Then-sophomore swimmer Kara Kopcso won in all four events she participated in during the quad meet last year. Kopcso has won two SEC Swimmer of the Week awards coming into this season’s rematch.
Then-sophomore swimmer Leah Troskot won three events as a member of LSU relay teams in the quad meet in 2015. This year, Troskot has won six individual events in January alone including two individual wins in the home meet against the Aggies on Jan.23 along with two relay wins.
Then-junior diver Cassie Weil set a school record on the platform in the meet last season, which she topped in her SEC championship win in the platform on Feb. 20. Weil has compiled 10 wins this season.
The Lady Tigers will be especially comfortable swimming against Tulane.
LSU opened the season at home against Green Wave on Oct. 9 with a 210-86 victory. The Lady Tigers dominated the meet, winning every event except the 100-yard butterfly.
Senior swimmer Megan Cox, who won the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly, and Kopcso, who won the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley, spearheaded the Lady Tigers’ victory.
Unlike the dual meet against Tulane or the meet against the Aggies, this season’s meet will span two days with half of the events on each day.
“The format for the meet is great because it allows for quality racing spread out over two days,” Geyer said. “It’s a great competition knowing that our opponents are phasing into their championship season preparation as well.”
You can reach Jarrett Major on Twitter @Jarrett_TDR