LITTLE ROCK - The swimming and diving Trojans are set to head north to Fayetteville this Saturday, facing Arkansas at the Razorback natatorium for the first time in program history. The second dual meet of the season for Little Rock will begin at noon.
"We are looking forward to this big opportunity," said head coach
Amy Burgess. "It is so exciting to start a new tradition that will help elevate our level of competition and bring more awareness to swimming in the state of Arkansas. The Razorbacks will be some of the toughest competition we see all season, and a great test to see who can handle the pressure."
As for those that can handle the pressure, in the team's first outing of the year last weekend at North Texas, several underclassmen stepped up for the Trojans in the midst of perhaps the most rigorous training cycle of the season. For more on the North Texas meet,
click HERE for the recap.
A few notable faces that look to lead Little Rock against this weekend include freshman
Emma Bleasdell, classmate
Fer Moussier, junior
Palmer Ristroph, classmate
Sierra Thain, and sophomore
Carolyn Godwin. Bleasdell specializes in the distance events, and will be prepping to go under the 11-minute mark in the 1000. Moussier has shown depth in both the backstroke and butterfly events, and should appear on the medley relay as well. Ristroph is perhaps the most decorated breaststroker for the Trojans, specializing in the 100. Finally, in terms of versatility, Thain commands both boards, while Godwin can compete in the 100 of both free and fly.
As for the competition, the Razorbacks have not raced in a dual yet this season, having only held their annual intersquad meet and pentathlon earlier in September. Arkansas competes in the SEC, finishing eighth out of twelve teams at their conference championship last year and sending a group of swimmers as well as a diver to the NCAA Championships. At the most competitive D1 meet, current senior Anna Hopkin finished in the A final of the 50 free and placed second in the 100 free and current junior Brooke Schultz placed 2nd on the 3 meter board 4th on the 1 meter. Before 2019, the Razorbacks had not finished within the top 20 teams at the championship meet since 1988.
"Our team is a part of something special this weekend," added Burgess. "We are up to the challenge, and are reminded that if it wasn't for those that came before, this opportunity may not have been an option."
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For the latest information on Little Rock Swimming and Diving, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSwim on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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