Arkansas swimming and diving hosts Denver and Missouri State

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas swimming and diving team returns to the pool Saturday, Jan. 6 at 11 a.m. to take on Denver and Missouri State at home in the Arkansas Natatorium. After almost a month of training, including a winter training trip to Florida, the Lady Razorbacks are ready to compete. “Our focus has been strictly on training, but we’re looking forward to a change of pace and getting up and racing this weekend,” said head coach Jeff Poppell. “I’m so proud of the way the girls have handled the training that we’ve thrown at them. We’ve been hitting it hard.” Lady’Back swimmers traveled to Sarasota, Fla., for winter training, facing the University of DePauw in a two-relay competition. They took home top honors in the 200 medley relay and finished second in the 200 freestyle relay. Arkansas diving held a meet with the University of Pittsburgh in Miami, Fla. Junior Brieanne Kushner and sophomore Madison Palmer went 1-2 in the one meter challenge. “The last two weeks going into this meet were probably our most intense training all year long,” said Poppell. “We placed adversity in front of the swimmers. If you can get them used to competing in adverse situations I feel you’re going to make them much stronger and more competitive when they’re faced with those types of circumstances.” Denver enters the meet finishing 2-1 in a quad meet at Florida Atlantic University December 16. The Pioneers are ranked 18th in the CollegeSwimming.com Top 25 for Division I-Mid Majors. Missouri State dropped three matches in a triple dual January 6 and is ranked 21st. Saturday’s meet marks the first of the 2007 portion of the Lady’Back schedule. Arkansas finishes the regular season with another home meet January 20 before going to the Southeastern Conference Championships in early February. “We’re excited about our second home meet.” “With our last two competitions both being at home, we can think of no better way to finish our season prior to going to the SEC meet in February.” For more information about Arkansas swimming and diving, log on to LADYBACKS.COM.