By Jesse Welte
The University of Louisville swimming and diving team is poised to have a big season this year. On Saturday at 11 a.m., the team will open their season against the University of Tennessee at the Ralph Wright Natatorium.
The Cardinals have been training hard in preparation for this season in which they will look to advance further than any other swimming and diving team U of L has ever produced.
The Cards will look to build their success from top to bottom. They have eight members coming back for their senior seasons, four on both the men and women’s teams. They also have a highly touted freshman class, with plenty of skilled swimmers and divers packed in the middle with the sophomores and juniors.
“So far, the season has been going really well with training. I think this team has the potential to be the greatest ever at U of L,” senior captain Paul Augustus said. “The meet against Tennessee will give us a great sense of where we are as a team. Tennessee is always a top-20 team so they will be a great challenge for our team. We have some big goals as a team this year and it looks to be a great one for the program.”
Augustus excels in the backstroke and freestyle for the Cards. The captain will need all the talent and help he can get if the Cards hope to score a big win over two good Tennessee squads.
The women’s team finished in 10th place and the men’s team barely missed a top 10 finish at the NCAA championship last season, instead settling for an 11th place overall finish.
The Vols are consistently one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference, and this year should be no exception. They have nine seniors on their team, three on the men’s side and six on the women’s. That includes Octavio Alesi and Ryan Rincon who were named Honorable Mention All-Americans for the men, and Christine Magnuson who was named an All-American for the women.
U of L junior Whitney Campbell, who specializes in the freestyle, is returning to the pool from an injury last season. She is excited to get to be back and to get the season under way.
“I’d personally be worried if I were Tennessee. I don’t think they realize who they are coming to swim against. We are the best we have been with our better-than-ever freshmen and much improved and determined returnees,” said Campbell. “We are more than prepared to dominate not only this meet, but this season as a whole. I am more than eager to get back to racing. I was on the sidelines watching last year or left behind while the team traveled. Now I am competing and ready to step up and win.”
With a roster full of talent and a newly improved attitude coming into this season, head coach Arthur Albiero should lead this team to new heights at the university. Preparation is key for this coach, who looks to bring national recognition to U of L’s swimming and diving teams.
“I believe that you must enjoy the process of preparation,” Albiero said in a recent release. “My main goal is to continue to establish a practice environment that is highly conducive to excellence in the classroom and the pool.”
Albiero hopes to have his team fully prepared for this weekend when the Vols come to town. Admission is free with a valid Cardinal Card at Ralph Wright Natatorium on Floyd Street across from McDonald’s, so help the Cards start the season right by cheering them to victory over the Vols this weekend.
