Oct. 15, 2009
The Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team will open its 2009-10 schedule with a pair of competitions at the Mizzou Aquatic Center this weekend. The Aggies will compete in the Big 12 Relays starting at 9 a.m. on Friday and continue with a dual meet against host Missouri on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
The Aggies get the season started at the Big 12 Relays, which features A&M and the conference's other five teams in an all-relay competition. Last year the Aggies dropped a narrow decision to Texas in a competition that wasn't decided until the very end of the meet.
"It's a great way to kickstart the season and find where you stack up against all the teams in the Big 12," Aggie head coach Steve Bultman said. "You get to find out where you're at in your training at this point of the season in a fun setting. I think everyone enjoys the relay format."
The Aggies return 10 members from its 2009 NCAA squad that placed eighth at the national meet. A&M will also get a boost from the return of seniors Julia Wilkinson and Kristen Heiss, who both missed last season due to injuries.
"I think we have a good team coming back, and we'll find out exactly how good as the season progresses," Bultman said. "We had a lot of girls step up last year in Julia and Kristen's absence. They gained a lot of experience last season, and that will benefit them, and getting Julia and Kristen back into the mix is a definite plus."