There is an unfamiliar opponent in the water as the UF swimming and diving team’s schedule heats up.
Florida opens up Southeastern Conference competition against Missouri where the teams will face each other for the first time in a dual-meet format, today at 2 p.m. in Columbia, Mo. – two days before both football teams square off at Mizzou.
“We expect to have a good meet,” coach Gregg Troy said. “It is their first real home meet after hosting an invitational, so we’re not real certain of what they have.”
Unlike Florida, Mizzou’s men’s and women’s teams each lost eight swimmers to graduation. The Gators lost only eight total – four from each the men’s and women’s teams.
Diving should prove to be difficult for Florida. Missouri sports the 2012-2013 SEC Male Diver of the Year, senior David Bonuchi. The women return the 2013 SEC Champion on the one-meter springboard, redshirt junior Loren Figueroa.
Although the Florida men recently returned from their meet against Minnesota on Saturday, this will be the first road trip for the women’s team this year.
“It will be the first time the women have traveled, so it will be a big deal for the freshmen,” Troy said. “It is a tough place to travel to. They have a good program.”
There will also be new additions for the men’s team on this trip as Troy plans to take some of his younger swimmers that did not accompany the team to Minnesota.
“It will give everyone on the men’s team at least one travel meet in the fall,” Troy said. “It will give us a good feel for where the men are at.”
But Troy said he thinks the quick turnaround will benefit the team when SECs and NCAAs come around.
“It is a lot of travel for the guys back to back, but when you swim at the conference meet and NCAAs, there is a lot of turnaround situations,” Troy said. “It gives us a feel for how people will respond to adverse situations.”
Follow Logan McGuire on Twitter @loganjmcguire.
Florida swimmers line up to begin the men’s open 400-meter individual medley during the Pinch A Penny All Florida Invitational on Sept. 28 in the O’Connell Center.
