WKU swimming and diving head coach Bruce Marchionda has announced the 2014-15 schedule on Friday, as the Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers prepare for another competitive season with plans of conference championships and NCAA participants.
The season begins on October 11 when Delta State comes to Bowling Green for Parents’ Weekend. WKU has faced Delta State in its season opener for the past two seasons. The team will then travel two weeks later to face IUPUI in Indianapolis.
“Delta State is always a great way to start the season for us,” said Marchionda, who enters his 10th season as WKU’s head coach. “They are a very good team, very balanced, and it will give us an opportunity to see where we are and what we need to work on.
Shortly after on November 7, the men are going to be challenged with a great Big 12 team in Purdue. A consistent nationally-ranked team, Marchionda said that the Boilermakers will be a great challenge for the men’s side, as the Tops will have to step up and swim with the “big boys.” That same weekend, the women will take on Vanderbilt and Tulane, a pair of teams the women defeated last season in a tri-meet, in Nashville on November 8.
Marchionda noted that one of the most exciting parts of the first semester will be going to Louisville, Ky., for the Louisville Invite, which will consist of host team Louisville, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Connecticut and James Madison.
“That meet is a little bit of a different format,” said Marchionda. “We will be going long course for the prelims, which will be exciting because it will give our swimmers opportunities to make Olympic Trial cuts because that’s the only way you can make them. Then the finals will be in short-course yards, which is what we swim collegiately all year.
“It will give us a great opportunity to swim against a phenomenal Louisville team that is ranked top 10 in the country. Perhaps at that point it will give us some opportunities to make some NCAA cuts, which is what we are after.”
Prior to the team’s winter break, WKU will have the opportunity to take a group of swimmers to the AT&T Winter National Championships on December 4-6 in Greensboro, N.C. Heading to the event will be an advantage for the Lady Toppers, as it is the same location as the Women’s NCAA National Championships. At last year’s event, many Hilltopper and Lady Toppers set season and lifetime-best times while former Lady Topper and Olympic gold medalist Claire Donahue won the national title in the 100 fly.
The next semester’s competition begins while the team is in Florida where they will compete against the field at the FIU Relay Invite in Miami before coming back to the Bluegrass State with a pair of home meets for WKU’s Senior Day. The weekend begins on Friday, January 23 with University of the Cumberlands and Olivet Nazarene coming to Bill Powell Natatorium and concluding on Saturday, January 24 against a talented Cincinnati squad.
The dual season finishes up with the women’s team traveling to Conference USA foe Marshall for a final tune-up before the Conference USA Championships February 18-21.
“We are excited that the league meet is in Knoxville,” said Marchionda. “It will be great for many of our families to travel and for our fans. Our goal each year is to win the conference championships on both sides.”
After that, postseason action will continue with NCAA Championships where Fabian Schwingenschlogl will look for a return trip as well as a trip for many of his teammates. The National Invite Tournament in Rockwall, Texas, will also be a great postseason option for the Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers.
“The NIT meet last year was just a phenomenal meet for us,” said Marchionda. “We had swimmers going lifetime bests, going faster than the conference championships, which is what you want to see. Of course we are trying to get more individuals to the NCAA Championships. For the first time we feel that we have a legitimate shot of getting some relays there. We will see what we can do.”
