Swimming ' Diving Schedule Released For 2008-09
June 18, 2008 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Eric Hansen's 10th season as head coach of the University of Wisconsin swimming and diving program will be highlighted by head-to-head competition with six men's and three women's programs that scored top-25 finishes at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships last season.
The team's schedule for the 2008-09 season was released Wednesday.
The Badgers will host three meets at the UW Natatorium, including their Oct. 10 season-opener against UW-Milwaukee, a Nov. 13 Big Ten Conference dual with Northwestern and a Jan 24 dual with another in-state rival, UW-Green Bay.
After opening the campaign at home, the Badgers hit the road for their first Big Ten dual of the season on Oct. 17, traveling to the University of Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. The UW women will then travel the next weekend, as well, competing at the Southern Methodist Classic in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 24-25.
The men's and women's teams join up again for an early-season test at Arizona, which swept the NCAA men's and women's team titles last season. The Badgers and Wildcats compete in Tucson, Ariz., Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The Badgers then return home for another important test against Northwestern on Nov. 13. The Wildcats come off a 2007-08 season that saw their men's team finish 12th and their women's team take 19th place at the NCAA Championships.
UW's divers will make a return trip to the desert to compete against Arizona over the weekend of Nov. 21-23, while the swimmers head their own way Dec. 4-6 to take part in the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas. The host Longhorns finished runner-up in men 's competition at the NCAA Championships last season, while the Texas women were 14th.
The Badgers then take advantage of the university's winter break to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, for a dual with the University of Hawaii on Jan. 10. The Warriors ' men's team finished 23rd at the 2008 NCAA Championships, while Hawaii 's women's team took 26th place.
The team returns to Madison to conclude its home schedule with a dual against UW-Green Bay on Jan. 24.
Action against Minnesota, which saw its men place 11th and its women take 13th at the NCAA Championships last season, as well as Purdue and Illinois comes next as the Badgers travel to Minneapolis, Minn., for the Big Ten Quad Duals, their final competition before the conference meet.
The Big Ten Championships begin Feb. 19 and run through Feb. 21 in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the UW women, while the Badger men take their shot at a conference title a week later in West Lafayette, Ind. The Big Ten Men's Championships will be held Feb. 26-28.
A final tune-up for the Badger women before national competition falls Feb. 28, as well, as they travel to the Go-Pher It Invitational in Minneapolis. The men's Go-Pher It meet comes one week later, on March 7.
UW divers then head to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in Minneapolis, March 13-16, with the NCAA Women's Championships following March 19-21 in College Station, Texas. The NCAA Men's Championships take place a week later and also will be hosted by Texas A&M on March 26-28.
