Sept. 19, 2005
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri swimming and diving program will begin a new era in 2005-06 with the opening of the brand-new Mizzou Aquatics Center, and it will do so with a challenging slate of opponents. The women's squad will face at least six teams that finished last season in the College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) top 25.
"We're facing some challenging teams this season, there's no doubt about it," Mizzou head coach Brian Hoffer said. "It's fun to swim against good competition and it's something we felt we needed to do."
In-states foes Missouri State, Drury, Saint Louis, Missouri-Rolla, Truman State and Washington University-Saint Louis will get the first crack at the Tigers in their new facility, traveling to Columbia on Oct. 8 for the inaugural Show-Me-Showdown invitational.
Less than a week later, Mizzou faces a three-day stretch in which they will swim 2004-05 Big 12 champion Texas in the first dual meet in Mizzou Aquatics Center before hosting the annual Big 12 Relays, an event in which they finished third last season, on Oct. 14. The Tigers round out the weekend with a dual against Texas A&M on Oct. 15.
Following that weekend of action in Columbia, Mizzou will set out for Lawrence, Kan., for a Border Showdown matchup with rival Kansas. After facing the Jayhawks, the Tigers travel to Carbondale, Ill., for a dual with the Salukis of Southern Illinois.
From there, the Tigers will visit West Lafayette, Ind., and Austin, Texas, for invitationals hosted by national powers Purdue and Texas, respectively. Three teams that finished in last year's final rankings will be in West Lafayette, including No. 3 Florida.
Mizzou will then travel to Coral Gables, Fla., for a training trip meet before heading back to their home state for a dual with Missouri State in Springfield on Jan. 14.
The Tigers are back at it one week later, heading to Ames, Iowa, for a conference dual with Iowa State on Jan. 20. The next day brings the Tiger women a triangular with Iowa and Illinois in Iowa City, Iowa, before they head back towards home with a dual against Drury in Springfield, Mo. On Feb. 4, the Tigers conclude the dual portion of their schedule when they return home and look for a second win over Nebraska in their last two tries.
Mizzou will play host to each of their conference foes from Feb. 22-25 when the Big 12 Championships come to Columbia. After the conference meet, the Mizzou Aquatics Center will be the site of a Last Chance meet on Feb. 26 and the NCAA Zone Diving Championships from March 9-11.
The '05-06 season comes to an end from March 16-18 in Athens, Ga., at the NCAA Championships.