Alabama
Tennessee Diving Invite
Alabama Swimming and Diving Opens 2017 with Two Dual Meets
1/5/2017 11:44:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama swimming and diving has wasted no time getting things going in the New Year. The Crimson Tide's divers have been competing at the Tennessee Diving Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn., through the first part of this week and will join the swimmers for two meets in Louisiana this week.
The Crimson Tide women will take on Tulane Friday at 2 p.m. CT in New Orleans while both the men and women will face off against Southeastern Conference foe LSU in Baton Rouge Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.
The two meets in Louisiana are checkpoint meets for head coach Dennis Pursley and the Crimson Tide.
"We haven't had a meet since before Thanksgiving, and we've been through Christmas training, which is our heaviest of the season and then came back after some time off for the holidays and have been back at it working hard," Pursley said. "This gives us a chance to see where we are and what we need to work on as we start the process of honing in on the end of the season."
Back-to-back meets for the women will help prepare them for the championship season, when they will compete multiple days in a row. It's also a chance for the coaching staff to evaluate those who might be on the bubble when it comes to making the conference squad.
"We have a number of swimmers who we know will be in the mix when the championship season rolls around, but for others, this is another chance to see where they are as we come closer to the postseason," Pursley said.
The Tulane meet will also give Alabama the chance to mix things up when it comes to its lineup.
"Against Tulane, some of our women will swim off events while others will have the chance to swim an event they might normally only get to compete in at an invitational or the postseason," Pursley said. "Still others will be looking to make their case for a postseason roster spot."
The LSU meet will be pretty straight forward in terms of lineup.
"LSU is strong on both the men's and women's side and we'll have to put together our best lineup to have a chance to win," Pursley said. "It will be a good test for us."
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