December 01, 2006
The No. 5 Texas A&M women?â„¢s swimming & diving team will look to complete a perfect fall schedule by taking on Rice on Saturday at noon at the Student Rec Center Natatorium.
The Aggies (4-0, 3-0) have put together the most successful fall campaign in school history. A&M has defeated three of the five teams in the Big 12 in head-to-head dual meets this season as well as the entire conference at the season-opening Big 12 Relays. The Aggies entered the year having only ever beaten the University of Texas four times ever in any kind of meet, but will enter the Christmas season having defeated the Longhorns twice already, including a 174-125 decision in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown on Nov. 3.
Three of A&M?â„¢s four dual meet victories this season have come against teams that have been ranked in the top 25. Texas currently stands 12th nationally while Missouri comes in at the No. 23 slot. The Aggies also defeated Oregon State, 153-103, while the Beavers were ranked No. 25 in the nation.
A&M steadily outdistanced No. 10 Michigan to win the inaugural Art Adamson Invitational, 1,282.5 to 1,048, two weeks ago. The Aggies even managed to nearly double the output of No. 7 SMU, who finished in third place with 685 points.
The Aggies have already automatically qualified seven swimmers on an individual basis for the 2007 NCAA Championships, one less than the total number that actually attended the 2006 meet. A&M has automatically qualified all three of its freestyle relays for the NCAA meet and its medley relays rank among the nation?â„¢s best as well.
The Aggies?â„¢ meet against Rice marks the halfway point of the season. Only four dual meets remain before February?â„¢s Big 12 Championships to be held in College Station.
A&M holds a commanding 28-4 series lead over the Owls. The Aggies captured a 146-109 win at home on Dec. 3 of last year. Rice?â„¢s last win came on Feb. 8, 1997, a 135-124 decision, also in College Station.
Only swimming events, 14 of them, will be contested against the Owls on Saturday. Rice has no diving facility and therefore no divers. This will mark the second time this season that A&M has faced an opponent with no divers (Oregon State).
For the second straight meet, A&M will have a swimmer compete in the same meet with her sister. Aggie freshman Melissa Hain (Kingwood) will swim against her older sister Carey for the first time as a collegian. At the Art Adamson invite, sophomore Triin Aljand (Tallinn, Estonia) faced off against twin sister Berit, a backstroker for the LSU Tigers.
Admission to Saturday?â„¢s meet is free of charge. The 12th Man Team Rewards Program will be in attendance scanning it members at the door. The meet against the Owls will also be live streamed free of charge on the internet at AggieAthletics.com and live stats are scheduled to be available as well.