e two-day Southern Methodist University Invitational.
The No. 3 Florida men’s swimming and diving team will be one of those top squads traveling to Dallas to take on No. 1 Michigan, No. 6 USC, No. 8 Louisville, Purdue and SMU at 8:30 p.m.
Only eight swimmers and a diver will suit up for the Gators over the weekend in a specially formatted meet.
“It gives us the chance to see athletes in a much more controlled setting a little bit similar to the championship meet at the end of the year,” coach Gregg Troy said.
Because swimmers competing in three events have to make one event a relay, Troy said he had to select swimmers who could contribute in those races.
Redshirt senior Sebastien Rousseau, seniors Connor Signorin, Brad deBorde and Marcin Cieslak, juniors Matt Elliott, Dan Wallace and Eduardo Solaeche-Gomez, sophomore Corey Main and redshirt sophomore diver Zach Hernandez will be making the journey to Dallas.
The Gators have put swimmers in events that are not always their strong suits this season in an attempt to diversify an already deep roster and find swimmers’ third event for the upcoming championship meets in February and March.
But the SMU Invite will have them in more familiar swims.
“The men, in Dallas, will swim events that they’re a little bit better at,” Troy said.
“Now there’s a couple guys, a guy like Rousseau, that since it’s only two days we may not swim exactly the same events as what we would swim at the end of the year. But we’re certainly looking at events that we’re considering real strongly.”
Florida will be using this meet to measure its team against quality opponents. And with only a month to go until Southeastern Conference Championships, Troy said he will be using this meet to make some of his final lineup adjustments to the roster.
However, Troy is pleased with the overall attitude and progress the team has made since returning from a six-week break from competition to defeat FSU on Jan. 4.
“We’re in a pretty good spot,” Troy said.
“The weaknesses we’ve addressed we feel like we’ve gotten better on.”
Follow Logan McGuire on Twitter @loganjmcguire
Senior Sebastien Rousseau swims the butterfly in the men’s 400-meter individual medley on Aug. 28 in the Pinch A Penny All Florida Invitational. Rousseau and the Gators start competition at the NCAA Championships today.
