BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Texas A&M men's swimming & diving team commence the 2020-2021 season with a two-day, invitation-style meet on October 16 and 17 at the Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin. The Aggies will race with Texas and SMU in the swimming-only event and team scores will not be tallied.
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The Maroon & White closed out the 2019-20 season on a high note, despite the cancellation of NCAA Championships as they matched their best-ever finish at SEC Championships, claiming second as a team. A&M brought home 15 medals from SEC Championships, including six gold, and 10 Aggies qualified for NCAA Championships.
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Shaine Casas erased US Olympian Ryan Lochte's SEC 200 back record with a time of 1:37.20 and received the Commissioners Trophy as a top point scorer of the SEC Championship meet. With the 200 back record in hand, Casas also set a new program mark in the 200 free (1:32.29) and 200 IM (1:39.91) at the meet. The Aggies also return Kurtis Mathews who was awarded SEC Championships Men's Diver of the Year and also the first Aggie to sweep the springboard events at the SEC Championships.Â
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Mark Theall and Andres Puente return to the pool for the Aggies after standout performances during the 2019-20 season. Theall earned two medals at the SEC Championships, claiming a silver medal in the 500 free with a school-record time of 4:10.77 and bronze in the 200 free with a personal-best time of 1:32.45. Puente had an impressive collegiate debut, capping off the year with a silver-medal finish in the 200 breast (1:52.39), swimming only behind the two-time SEC Champion in the event and A&M graduate Benjamin Walker.
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The Aggies return 17 members of last season's squad after graduating a decorated senior class that was a part of six medal finishes as SEC Championships last year. The Maroon & White added a lot of new faces this season with a large signing class that includes Kraig Bray, Thad Dickerson, Max Hardt, Thomas Shomper, Collin Fuchs, Jerard Jacinto, Carter Nelson, David Oderinde, Vincent Ribiero, Alexander Sanchez and Elijah Sohn, as well as freshman divers Shane Mardick and Kyle Sanchez, and transfer Tony Stewart.
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Texas began its 2020-21 season with an intrasquad Orange-White meet. The Longhorns set or tied four meet records in four of the six individual events that took place in their first competition. A top-ranked team heading into NCAAs, Texas picked up its 41st consecutive conference title after claiming the 2020 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championship. The Longhorns won all 21 events during the 2020 Big 12 Championships.
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SMU finished the 2019-20 season with a third-place finish at the AAC Championships. The Mustangs were led by Caleb Rhodenbaugh in the championship final of the 200 breast with a time of 1:54.63 to become SMU's second fastest performer all-time in the event. The Mustangs returned Diver and Freshman of the Year Peter Smithson, who closed out the season with his second conference championship of the event.
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The meet begins at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, and continues at 11 a.m. Saturday.
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Schedule of Events:
Friday – 5 p.m.
100 back
100 breast
200 fly
BREAK
50 free
500 free
400 IM
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Saturday - 11 a.m.
100 free
200 back
200 breast
1650 free
BREAK
200 Free
100 Fly
200 IM
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The Maroon & White closed out the 2019-20 season on a high note, despite the cancellation of NCAA Championships as they matched their best-ever finish at SEC Championships, claiming second as a team. A&M brought home 15 medals from SEC Championships, including six gold, and 10 Aggies qualified for NCAA Championships.
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Shaine Casas erased US Olympian Ryan Lochte's SEC 200 back record with a time of 1:37.20 and received the Commissioners Trophy as a top point scorer of the SEC Championship meet. With the 200 back record in hand, Casas also set a new program mark in the 200 free (1:32.29) and 200 IM (1:39.91) at the meet. The Aggies also return Kurtis Mathews who was awarded SEC Championships Men's Diver of the Year and also the first Aggie to sweep the springboard events at the SEC Championships.Â
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Mark Theall and Andres Puente return to the pool for the Aggies after standout performances during the 2019-20 season. Theall earned two medals at the SEC Championships, claiming a silver medal in the 500 free with a school-record time of 4:10.77 and bronze in the 200 free with a personal-best time of 1:32.45. Puente had an impressive collegiate debut, capping off the year with a silver-medal finish in the 200 breast (1:52.39), swimming only behind the two-time SEC Champion in the event and A&M graduate Benjamin Walker.
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The Aggies return 17 members of last season's squad after graduating a decorated senior class that was a part of six medal finishes as SEC Championships last year. The Maroon & White added a lot of new faces this season with a large signing class that includes Kraig Bray, Thad Dickerson, Max Hardt, Thomas Shomper, Collin Fuchs, Jerard Jacinto, Carter Nelson, David Oderinde, Vincent Ribiero, Alexander Sanchez and Elijah Sohn, as well as freshman divers Shane Mardick and Kyle Sanchez, and transfer Tony Stewart.
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Texas began its 2020-21 season with an intrasquad Orange-White meet. The Longhorns set or tied four meet records in four of the six individual events that took place in their first competition. A top-ranked team heading into NCAAs, Texas picked up its 41st consecutive conference title after claiming the 2020 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championship. The Longhorns won all 21 events during the 2020 Big 12 Championships.
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SMU finished the 2019-20 season with a third-place finish at the AAC Championships. The Mustangs were led by Caleb Rhodenbaugh in the championship final of the 200 breast with a time of 1:54.63 to become SMU's second fastest performer all-time in the event. The Mustangs returned Diver and Freshman of the Year Peter Smithson, who closed out the season with his second conference championship of the event.
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The meet begins at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, and continues at 11 a.m. Saturday.
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Schedule of Events:
Friday – 5 p.m.
100 back
100 breast
200 fly
BREAK
50 free
500 free
400 IM
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Saturday - 11 a.m.
100 free
200 back
200 breast
1650 free
BREAK
200 Free
100 Fly
200 IM