The LSU swimming and diving team will return to action at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday at the LSU Natatorium for the senior tribute against Alabama.
In all, 16 seniors, including 14 swimmers and two divers, will be honored in a pre-meet ceremony before taking on the Crimson Tide. Admission is free and the first 100 fans will receive LSU keychains, as well as $5 coupons for the men’s basketball game against Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. CT. Saturday afternoon.
“I think the senior meet is always a challenging event because you have that emotion of recognizing a large group of seniors that have committed their time to the program,” said head swimming coach Dave Geyer. “Then you balance that with bringing in a very talented Alabama program. There’s some great talent on their women’s side, and I think their men’s program is one of the most under-the-radar programs in terms of talent.”
“This is also our first competition of the new year. It’s shaking off those cobwebs again, but we know that this is a great SEC rivalry, and we’ll try and win events the best we can and see where we are this time of year.”
The men’s team (2-1) returns to the pool after a long layoff from the midseason meet. Logan Rysemus holds two top-10 Division I times in the 100 back and 100 fly, tallying finishes of 45.89 and 45.98 that are good for sixth and eighth respectively. Silas Dejean also broke the school record in the 200 breaststroke at midseasons, posting a time of 1:56.13.
For the diving team, Juan Celaya-Hernandez has won seven of nine events this season after grabbing wins on one-meter and platform at the Tennessee Diving Invitational.
On the women’s squad (3-1), Colleen O’Neil has compiled eight individual victories this season, breaking the school record in the 200 breaststroke with a finish of 2:11.64 to lead the team.
Diver Lizzie Cui returns to the boards after a solid showing at the Tennessee Diving Invite, placing in the top-10 in all three events and taking second overall on three-meter.
“This is a quick turnaround for us coming back from the Tennessee Invite yesterday, but we’re excited to compete in our home pool against a strong opponent in Alabama,” said head diving coach Doug Shaffer.
“It’s a special meet as we honor and reflect on the careers of our seniors.”
For more information and updates on LSU Swimming and Diving please visit LSUsports.net, ‘like’ us on Facebook at LSU Swimming and Diving or follow us on Twitter @LSUswimdive.
News courtesy of LSU Athletics.