Sept. 28, 2006

The Missouri swimming and diving teams will host a pair of events at the Mizzou Aquatic Center this weekend as they open their 2006-07 campaign.

Friday evening will see the Tigers hit the pool in their annual Black & Gold meet, beginning at 5 p.m. with free admission. While the event is nothing new to the 39 returnees on the team, it will give the 14 true freshmen the opportunity to go head-to-head in a collegiate setting for the first time.

Of the returning Tigers, senior Shannon Hogan and junior Bennett Clark were the top point scorers at last year's meet, with 18 points apiece. Both swimmers claimed a pair of individual race titles, while leading the Black squad to a 239-181 victory. Sophomore Kendra Melnychuk swept the 1- and 3-meter diving competitions for 18 points as well.

The weekend is also the alumni's opportunity to return to Ol' Mizzou, get reacquainted with old friends and partake in a mixed alumni/varsity exhibition Saturday morning in the one-year-old MAC. The alumni meet will begin at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to last one hour, allowing participants and spectators ample time to cross campus for the MU football game against Colorado, which kicks off at 11:40 a.m.

Both meets will serve as a tune-up for the second annual Show-Me Showdown, which Mizzou will host next Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.

The schedule of events for the Black and Gold meet is as follows with the women preceding the men in each race:
200 Medley Relay
500 Freestyle
200 Freestyle
50 Freestyle
1-Meter Diving
200 Individual Medley
100 Butterfly
100 Freestyle
100 Backstroke
3-Meter Diving
100 Breaststroke
400 Freestyle Relay