As the 2020-2021 swimming and diving season is underway, Texas A&M men’s and women’s swimming teams will travel to Austin this weekend to compete in a rivalry meet against Texas.
This will be the second time the men’s program has competed against Texas this season, as the Aggies faced the Longhorns and SMU two weeks ago at the First Chance Invite. Although it was not scored, A&M’s men’s swimming team had an impressive debut performance.
A&M senior Shaine Casas led the team by breaking two school records and recording the fourth fastest time in history in the 200-meter back. Casas also earned first place in the 200-meter individual medley and was awarded the title of SEC Men’s Swimmer of the Week for the second time in his collegiate career.
Sophomore Andres Puente and senior Mark Theall also contributed to the Aggies’ success by posting first and second place finishes, respectively. Puente won the 200-breast and Theall was runner-up in the 100-meter free.
The Longhorns also had a successful return to the pool as one of their swimmers broke a pool record at the First Chance Invite. Texas freshman Carson Foster scored the third-fastest time in collegiate history in the 400-meter individual medley. Foster holds seven other national age group records in various swimming events.
Currently ranked No. 7, the A&M men’s team will have tough competition against the Longhorns as Texas was listed as No. 1 in the CSCAA pre-season poll.
A&M’s 17th-ranked women’s swim team will face Texas this weekend as well, coming off of a dominant 150-107 win over the Rice Owls this month. In the season opener, the Aggies placed first in 12 of the 14 swimming events.
Freshman Chloe Stepanek had a great first performance in maroon and white as she accumulated three individual wins against Rice in the 200-meter free, 50-meter free and 500-meter free. Stepanek also contributed to the team’s 200-meter medley relay win.
A&M seniors Jing Wen Quah and Kara Eisenmann also performed well in the season opener with multiple individual wins each. Quah won the 400-meter individual medley, 100-meter fly and 200-meter fly while Eisenmann earned a pair of victories in the 100 and 200-meter back. Quah and Eisenmann also contributed to the team’s 200-meter medley relay win.
The women hope to have similar success in their first meet on the road this weekend against an eighth-ranked Texas team.
The swimming events are set to begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 at the Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin. The event will be closed to the public due to COVID-19 safety precautions.