After a 7-1 regular season and a newly dubbed No. 24 ranking, the Texas A&M men’s and women’s swimming and diving team will compete in the SEC Championships in Columbia, Missouri.
The competition begins Tuesday and concludes Saturday for a taste of high-profile SEC action at the Mizzou Aquatic Center. The event will help set the stage for what to possibly expect in the NCAA Championships which begin in late March.
The Aggies most recently competed in the AFA Diving Invitational and ultimately pulled away with five victories in A&M’s final performance before the SEC Championships.
The Aggie men (7-1, 2-1 SEC) faired well at the conclusion of the regular season with only one loss in conference play. After a season-opening road win in Lexington, Kentucky to beat out the Kentucky Wildcats, the Aggies suffered their only SEC loss to the at-the-time No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs.
Freshman diver Sam Thornton’s two wins against the Bulldogs were not enough for the Aggies to pull of a victory, where they lost 178-122. However, A&M bounced back two weeks later on the road against No. 22 LSU to capture a meaningful 158.5-141.5 victory to finish out SEC competition 2-1.
Outside of the SEC, A&M remained undefeated in head-to-head competition. At home this season, the Aggies welcomed talent from across Texas and Missouri. A&M topped both the University of Incarnate Word and SMU through in-state competition at the Rec Center Natatorium. A&M also managed to capture a victory over Missouri State.
The Aggie women (7-2, 2-1 SEC) fared just as strong, with victories over SMU and LSU to rebound from a tough Georgia loss.
As for non-conference away meets, the Aggies finished unblemished. With only two away meets outside of conference play, A&M traveled to the Sunshine State to challenge Indian River State College and the Florida Atlantic Owls. The Aggies held both schools to only double digits, topping the Pioneers and Owls with scores of 154 and 137, respectively.
With successful performances in the regular season, the swimming and diving team aim to capture a high standing within the competitive SEC. Competition is scheduled to begin 11 a.m. Tuesday and will conclude at 6 p.m. Saturday evening.
