College Scene Features Several Invitationals

By John Lohn

CRANBURY, New Jersey, November 30. THE week after Thanksgiving annually features top-flight competition, and this year is no different as a handful of big-time invitational meets are on the docket. Leading the way are the U.S. Open, scheduled for Purdue University, and the Texas Invitational on the campus of the University of Texas. Here's a rundown of where the top teams in the nation will be racing this weekend.

Women

1. Stanford: Having taken over the No. 1 ranking from California, the Cardinal will be mixing it up at the Texas Invitational from Thursday through Saturday.

2. Arizona: The Wildcats always show well at the Texas Invitational and another solid outing could be in the works.

3. Auburn: The Tigers have opted to attend the U.S. Open, where they'll race in a long-course format.

4. California: Breaststroker Jessica Hardy leads the Bears into the Georgia Invitational from Friday through Sunday.

5. Texas A&M: Having broken into the top five, the Aggies will host Rice Saturday in dual-meet action.

6. Florida: The Gators will be splitting their roster this weekend between the Texas Invitational and U.S. Open.

7. Southern Methodist: The Mustangs will send their swimmers to the U.S. Open at Purdue.

8. Georgia: The Bulldogs will be in action at home while hosting the Georgia Invitational.

9. Southern California: In his first year in command of the Trojans, Dave Salo will bring his team to the Texas Invitational.

10. Michigan: The Wolverines will send a handful of swimmers to the U.S. Open and some to the Eastern Michigan Invitational.

Men

1. Auburn: The defending NCAA champion will be in Indiana for the U.S. Open.

2. Texas: On their home turf, the Longhorns will look to continue their early-season surge behind the likes of Matt McGinnis and Ricky Berens.

3. Stanford: The Cardinal will be competing at the Texas Invitational, where Ben Wildman-Tobriner is expected to be among the top sprinters.

4. California: The Bears, with talented freshman Nathan Adrian in the sprints, will be at the Husky Invitational this weekend.

5. Southern California: The Trojans, off to a strong start, will be taking their suits to the Georgia Invitational.

6. Arizona: Albert Subirats is a standout in the fly and will lead the Wildcats at the Texas Invitational.

7. Minnesota: The Golden Gophers will be racing this weekend at the Ohio State Invitational.

8. Georgia: Jack Bauerle will lead his crew into competition at the Georgia Invitational.

9. Northwestern: The Wildcats will send some of their athletes to the U.S. Open.

10. Florida: Gregg Troy's squad will take part in the Texas Invitational and U.S. Open.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use