October 23, 2007
The Texas A&M men?â„¢s swimming and diving team was ranked No. 22 in the initial NCAA Div. I Dual Meet Rankings of the 2007-08 season, the College Swim Coaches Association of America announced on Tuesday.
The Aggies have finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships for 12 straight seasons, which is a record for any sport in Texas A&M history. Last season, the Aggies placed No. 19 at the national championships.
The 2007-08 Aggies will be led by a strong group of returnees, including 2007 Big 12 Champions Israel Duran (200 butterfly) and Alejandro Jacobo (200 breaststroke). Other current Aggies with Big 12 crowns on their resumes include senior Ozzie Gardner (200 freestyle relay in 2004 and 400 free relay in 2006) and junior James Hard (1,650 free in 2005). Nine-time Big 12 Champion diver Eric Sehn is redshirting this season while concentrating on qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
The Aggies were joined in the Top 25 by Big 12 rival Texas and six other teams that dot A&M?â„¢s 2007-08 schedule. Future opponents in the current ranking include No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Auburn, No. 14 Purdue, No. 17 Notre Dame, No. 18 Northwestern, No. 19 LSU and No. 23 SMU.