Rutgers Swimming & Diving Looks To National Level Competition in 2015-2016

The Rutgers swimming and diving program released its schedule for the 2015-16 season, head coach Petra Martin announced Wednesday. Five out of the Scarlet Knights’ first six contests will take place at home, with a number of national-level competitions taking place throughout the campaign.

“We are very excited about this year’s schedule,” Martin said. “It will give us a lot of different opportunities to compete against some of the best programs in the country and increase the level of competitiveness within our team.”

RU finished its inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference with a 9-1 dual record during the 2014-15 slate. The Scarlet Knights also recorded an 11^th place finish at the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship, setting four program records during the event.

Rutgers begins the season on Saturday, Sept. 26 when the Scarlet Knights host their annual RU Alumni meet. The RU swimmers will then compete at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla. (Oct. 2-3) for their first road event of the season.

After the FGCU Invite, the Scarlet Knights host four straight home events, beginning with the yearly Sonny Werblin Invitational from Oct. 16-17.

Wagner visits Piscataway less than a week later for RU’s first dual meet of the season on Friday, Oct. 23, followed by a home quad meet with Georgetown, Seton Hall and Villanova from Nov. 6-7. The Frank Elm Invite (Nov. 20-22) marks the final home event during the stretch for Rutgers.

Rutgers remains in the Garden State for its next event, as the divers travel to Princeton, N.J. to compete in the Princeton Invitational (Dec. 4-6). During the same weekend, the swimmers host Boston and Connecticut for a tri-meet.

Qualifying athletes will also get the chance to compete at the U.S. Long Course Nationals in Federal Way, Wash. (Dec. 3-5).

The Scarlet Knights face their first Big Ten opponent of the season after the New Year, competing against Iowa along with Kansas and Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, Jan. 9 in Miami. RU remains on the road the following weekend with a multi-day dual meet against Penn State from Jan. 15-16 in New Haven, Conn.

A home dual meet on Saturday, Jan. 23 with New Hampshire concludes the regular season for Rutgers. Last year, RU defeated the Wildcats, 183-117, and claimed 11 of 16 events.

The Big Ten Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships is set for Feb. 17-20 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Following the Big Ten Championships, RU remains in Ann Arbor to compete in the Long Course Time Trials on Sunday, Feb. 21.

“We are especially excited to bring in more invitational and national level competitions to our schedule, which is crucial for us as we look to build a stronger program both nationally and within the Big Ten Conference,” Martin said. “With next year’s Olympic year approaching, the schedule also gives our athletes more opportunities to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials and prepare our athletes for any international competitions down the line.”

Rutgers Swimming and Diving 2015-16 Schedule

Date Event Location Time

9/26	RU Alumni Meet	Sonny Werblin	10 a.m.
10/2-10/3	FGCU Invite	Fort Myers, Fla.	TBA
10/16-10/17	Sonny Werblin Invite	Sonny Werblin	4 p.m. / 9 a.m.
10/23	Wagner	Sonny Werblin	4 p.m.
11/6-11/7	Villanova/Georgetown/SHU	Sonny Werblin	4 p.m. / 10 a.m.
11/20-11/22	Frank Elm Invite	Sonny Werblin	10 a.m. / 6 p.m. / 5 p.m.
12/3-12/5	U.S. Long Course Nationals	Federal Way, Wash.	TBA
12/4-12/6	Princeton Invite	Princeton, N.J.	10 a.m. / 6 p.m.
12/5	Boston/Connecticut	Sonny Werblin	9:30 a.m.
1/9	Iowa/Kansas/Miami	Miami, Fla.	11 a.m.
1/15-1/16	Penn State	New Haven, Conn.	5 p.m. / 11 a.m.
1/23	New Hampshire	Sonny Werblin	11 a.m.
2/17-2/20	Big Ten Championships	Ann Arbor, Mich.	TBA
2/21	Long Course Time Trials	Ann Arbor, Mich.	TBA

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworld.com.

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