LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Little Rock swimming and diving schedule has officially been announced by head coach
Amy Burgess, with the Trojans preparing for a successful year of competition once again after a season where five new school records were set.
View the full schedule here.
"This season looks to bring some new and exciting challenges," said Coach Burgess. "Growing from our ups and downs over the past couple years, there is a lot of untouched potential and I believe you will see this team continue to persevere and grow though the season ahead. The culture and team spirit that has been built by those before continues to live, and this group of student-athletes is the perfect collection of GRIT and integrity that Little Rock Swimming & Diving is all about."
Little Rock's home slate is light, kicking off the year with the All-Arkansas Invite on Saturday, Sept. 17. The Trojans will host Arkansas, Henderson State, Hendrix, Ouachita Baptist, University of the Ozarks, Williams Baptist, and their respective men's teams with some friendly in-state competition to open the season.
The following Friday, Sept. 23, Little Rock will host North Florida in the first meeting between the two teams before taking two weeks off to prepare for a tri-meet against Incarnate Word and DII powerhouse Drury at the Donaghey Aquatic Center on Oct. 7. The final home meet for the Trojans will be on Jan. 13 against Henderson State as the team celebrates Senior Day.
A tough away schedule is on the horizon for the Trojans, beginning with the inaugural Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Showcase on Oct. 21 and 22. During this event, attending conference teams will split between two sites, as Little Rock heads to Southern Illinois to face the hosts along with Evansville and Missouri State, while Northern Iowa will host Illinois State, Indiana State, and new MVC member UIC.
Little Rock will take on rivals North Texas on the road on Friday, Nov. 4 for one more tune-up before attending the Kansas Classic from Nov. 18-20 for their mid-season invitational, where the team will rest and suit up for some fast swims before getting into the thick of winter training.
The Trojans will battle the Razorbacks a second time this season on Saturday, Jan. 14, this time in Fayetteville. It won't be their only SEC opponent that month, as Little Rock will also travel to Vanderbilt on Saturday, Jan. 28.
The two battles with SEC teams are separated by back-to-back tri-meets. The Trojans will first face off at MVC foes Southern Illinois on Friday, Jan. 20, joined by Lindenwood, a formerly dominant DII school that will compete as a Division I member for the first time this year. Little Rock's grit will be tested the very next day, as the team heads to St. Louis on Jan. 21 to race the host team as well as MVC opponent Valparaiso.
The MVC Championships will be held in Iowa City for the second year in a row, as the Trojans will taper for their biggest team event of the season for a four-day conference showdown from Feb. 15 through 18. Postseason will continue for select swimmers at the CSCAA National Invitational meet from March 9-11, while the NCAA Championships will take place March 15-18.
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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