The LSU swimming and diving team will split up and compete in the annual Purple vs. Gold Intrasquad meet at 2:30 pm Friday in the LSU Natatorium. The coaching staff has split the team into two to recreate a dual meet format.
“With only two weeks into our training we aren’t doing a typical meet lineup,” LSU swimming head coach Dave Geyer noted. “It’s really just an opportunity for us as a staff to see some things on relays and see our freshmen race for the first time.”
The Purple Team will be led by senior swimmer Jake Markham and sophomore diver Juan Celaya-Hernandez. Markham, a freestyle specialist, holds school records in both the 200 free and 800 free relay. Markham also qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time last season in the 200 free, where he finished in the top 20 nationally.
Celaya-Hernandez will be looking to top his own school records in all three events. Celaya-Hernandez was also named the 2016-17 SEC Freshman Diver and was an All-American after finishing ninth on one-meter and third on three-meter.
Meanwhile, the Gold Team is led by junior swimmer Haylee Knight and junior diver Lizzie Cui. Knight will be looking to improve on her personal bests in 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, all of which cracked the top-five in the LSU women’s all-time list.
Cui will be getting back in the diving well for the first time since she competed in the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she finished 19th overall on one meter for New Zealand. Cui will also be looking to repeat last season and qualify for the NCAA Championships in all three events. Last season, Cui finished 5th on one-meter and 17th on both three-meter and platform.
“The intrasquad meet is an early season tradition for our team. Our athletes have been working really hard in this preseason and haven’t had an opportunity to compete yet. Competition is critical and it’s something we love to do,” LSU diving head coach Doug Shaffer said. “This will be a fun opportunity for us to test the waters looking ahead to our first home dual meet Sept 29 vs Loyola and Tulane.”
Geyer is entering his seventh season as the leader of the swimming program. Shaffer, who was named the SEC Diving Coach of the Year for 2016-17, is also in his seventh year as the head diving coach.
Order of Events
Mixed 800 free relay
Mixed 4 x 50 medley relay
100 backstroke
mixed 100 breaststroke
mixed diving
50 freestyle
200 backstroke
100 butterfly
6 x 100 men’s freestyle relay
4 x 100 women’s freestyle relay
200 IM
Purple Team
Jake Markham, Harry Ackland, Tyler Harper, Harrison Jones, Lewis Clough, Mitchell Petras, Cameron Karkoska, Jeffrey Snoddy, Trent Schaecter, Jane MacDougall, Taylor Anderson, Lauren Thompson, Kate Zimmer, Helen Grossman, Olivia Paskulin, Lauren McIntosh, Nicole Rozier, Katie Smith, Ellie Baldwin, Lexi Daniels, Miranda Nichols, Leyre Casarin, Juan Celaya-Hernandez, Matthew Phillip, Rileigh Knox, Amber Christian
Gold Team
Karl Luht, Luca Phyffer, Joao Mescolote, Alarii Levreault-Lopez, Will Arthur, Thomas Smith, Brian McGroarty, Jackson Lucas, Spencer Steward, Braden Nyober, Megan Loop, Summer Spradley, Tennyson Henry, Lia Joslin, Gabrielle Pick, Alexandria Ham, Catherine Lowengrub, Alyssa Helak, Kit Hanley, Raleigh Bentz, Cassie Kalisz, Grace Horton, Haylee Knight, Lizzie Cui, Matt McClellan, Makayla Robillard, Dakota Hurbis, Clayton Black
Press release courtesy of LSU.
Did purple or gold win??