“We’ve been pushing them hard and I am expecting us to swim fast,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “I would like to see our best swims of the year. I also expect to learn a little about how our kids are with the pressure of a championship format. It’s very different than a dual meet and you have to be tough every time you step up. We’re excited. I just want to see them race.”
The meet will run Friday through Sunday. Prelims will take place each day at 9:30 a.m., with finals slated for 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturdayand 3 p.m. on Sunday. Diving will be held at 11:30 a.m. and during finals Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Joining Georgia in the meet will be Auburn, Florida State, Virginia, Penn State, Vanderbilt and California (men only). Harvard and Fresno State will enter divers in the invitational.
There also will be a dual meet within the invitational as Georgia takes on Auburn. Both Georgia squads are 4-0 on the year, while each Auburn team is 2-0. The Lady Bulldogs will be trying to extend their UGA all-sports record of 97 straight dual or tri meet wins at home dating back to Nov. 8, 1995. The Lady Bulldogs also sit at 26-0-1 in their last 27 dual meets.
In the most recent CSCAA women’s team rankings, Virginia is No. 1, Georgia is No. 3, Auburn is No. 10 and Penn State is No. 15. On the men’s side, Cal is No. 2, Georgia is No. 4 and Auburn is No. 9.
This will be Georgia’s first competition since defeating Emory on Nov. 13.
Hali Flickinger enters the weekend ranked sixth in the 200 butterfly and seventh in the 500 freestyle, while Brittany MacLean and Stephanie Peters are Nos. 2 and 10 in the 1,000 freestyle, respectively.
Swimming news courtesy of Georgia Swimming & Diving.