Mizzou Kicks Off Season Friday vs. Indiana
10/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 11, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri men's and women's swimming and diving teams will open their 2007-08 season Friday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. CT against Indiana. The Tigers' season-opening dual will be held at home in the Mizzou Aquatic Center (MAC). Admission to the event is free.
Last Year's Matchup
Both the Tiger men and women headed to the red and white flanked confines of Indiana's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in 2006-07 riding a three-month dual winning streak. At the close of the morning's events, both teams saw their streaks come to end in a tough loss to the Hoosiers on the road. The men dropped their dual 153-136, while the Mizzou women fell by a score of 166-121.
Red, White and Hoosier All Over
Indiana is a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten and nationally, providing a tough test for the Tigers out of the blocks this season. The Hoosier men have won six NCAA Championships and 24 Big Ten titles, their most recent title coming in 2005-2006. They ended last season ranked No. 11. On the women's side, Indiana claimed its first conference title since 2003 this past season and finished 2006-07 as the Big Ten's highest-ranked school at No. 8.
Four Gosh Sakes...
The Tigers held their own in last season's tussle with the Hoosiers. Between the men's and women's squads, Mizzou took the two through five spots in 11 events. The Tigers claimed four of the top five spots in the men's and women's 100 back and breast events.
Three's a Crowd
The Tigers crowded the standings in the diving portion of the meet as well. Mizzou senior David Boyko and sophomores Greg DeStephen and Ryan Meeker claimed the second through fourth spots on both the men's 3-meter and platform.
Ay Ay Captain
The 2007-08 men's captains (seniors Travis Floyd and Joe Wilson and junior Jake Hoffman) claimed the second through fourth spots in the 100 and 200 back against the Hoosiers. Tiger junior Byron Carlisle rounded out the top five in both events.
Flying High
Mizzou swept the 200 fly in last year's matchup with Indiana. Junior Gilad Kaufman touched in second and sophomore Brice Grunert followed in third. Both swimmers are returners on the Tiger roster this season.
The Jills
Not to be outdone by the men, Mizzou junior Jill Granger and senior Jill Bastien led a Tiger sweep in the 400 IM in Bloomington last year. Bastien also earned runner-up honors in both breaststroke races.
Hat Trick
Sophomore Dylan Lynn completed a hat trick of sorts on the morning after ending the meet with three second-place finishes. Lynn took second in the 200 free, 500 free and 400 IM.
Sweet 16
Mizzou Head Coach Brian Hoffer is entering his 16th season at the helm of the school's swimming and diving programs. Hoffer's teams have continued to progress over the course of his tenure with the Tigers. The men's 5-2 dual meet record in 2006-07 marked the team's third consecutive winning season and its seventh in the last decade. The Tiger women recorded an 8-2 mark last year and their 10th consecutive winning season.
Diving Right In
The Tigers face off against two of the nation's leading swimming and diving programs in the first two weeks of their season. In addition to the tough test Indiana will provide this Friday, next week the Mizzou men and women will dual with a top 25 caliber Texas A&M men's squad and an Aggie women's team that wrapped up 2006-07 with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
New to MU
The Tiger women welcome 11 newcomers to the team in 2007-08, all of whom are freshmen. The Mizzou men added five freshmen of their own to their roster this season.
Columbia Connection
The Tigers are finding talent right in their own backyard these days. Mizzou now has three athletes from the local area in junior Carly Sullivan and newcomers Mary Sheahen and diver Dante Jones, both of whom are Hickman High alums.
Oh Canada
With the addition of newcomer Lauren Lavigna, the Mizzou women now enlist four Canadians on their roster. Senior Taye Patterson and juniors Allie Bennett and Kendra Melnychuk are also from our nation's neighbor-to-the-north. Interestingly enough, the four all come to Columbia from different provinces.
Christopher Columbus?
In honor of the recent Columbus Day holiday it seems only fitting to mention that the Tigers have two divers who hail from Columbus, Ohio. Newcomer Colleen Burke joins sophomore Greg DeStephen as a native of the Buckeye State's capital city.
* All class years are current
Players Mentioned
