Hog swimmers head to Mizzou for Grand Prix

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Four members of the No. 18 University of Arkansas swimming and diving team will travel to Columbia, Mo. this weekend for the Missouri Grand Prix, hosted by the University of Missouri. The Razorback divers and a small contingent of swimmers made a trip to Mizzou back in December for the Tiger Invitational.Senior Emily Fletcher is one of the Razorbacks making the trip to the Grand Prix event this weekend. Fletcher posted her first career victory in the Razorbacks’ (10-1, 3-1), 160-112, win over Drury on Feb. 6 in the 200 butterfly with a personal-best time of 2:03.82.

Fletcher is joined at Missouri by Shara Sutphen and freshmen Maddie Fogel and Sarah Howard. Fogel was part of the squad that went to Mizzou earlier this season for the Tiger Invitational.

In November, Sutphen, Howard and Fletcher swam at the Minnesota Grand Prix, where Howard and Fletcher both set personal-best times. Howard set personal-bests in the 200 free (1:55.94) and 500 free (5:03.66). Fletcher set a career-high time of 4:38.40 in the 400 IM.

The Grand Prix events are open to swimmers at any level and this weekend’s competition will include swimmers from the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla. where head Razorbacks coach Jeff Poppell and assistant Razorbacks coach Todd Mann coached before coming to Arkansas. Olympians Katie Hoff and Chloe Sutton will also be in the pool, as well as other collegiate swimmers from teams including Michigan and No. 17 SMU, whom the Razorbacks upset earlier this season at a dual meet in Denton, Texas.

The Missouri Grand Prix begins Friday and runs through Monday at the Mizzou Aquatics Center on the University of Missouri campus. For complete coverage of Arkansas swimming and diving, log onto ArkansasRazorbacks.com.