Razorbacks sharing the load early in season

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No.22-ranked University of Arkansas women’s swimming and diving squad will push off against old foes and new when it heads to Denton, Texas for the UNT Invitational this weekend to take on No.14 Southern Methodist, North Texas, Colorado State, and New Mexico State. The Razorbacks will lean on a number of swimmers to carry the team to the top of this weekend’s competition, a trend seen already in the first two meets of the season.

The Razorbacks hope to turn the tide against the SMU Mustangs, who have taken seven-of-eight dual meets with Arkansas, behind sophomore Katie Kastes who already has five wins this season and Leah Pierce who broke a 14 year-old school record in the 200 breaststroke last week in the Razorbacks’ win over LSU. Arkansas will also look to seniors Stephanie Carr and Madison Palmer, both Arkansas record-holders and returning All-Americans, to bring home wins in distance freestyle and diving, respectively.

Freshmen have had an early impact for the Razorbacks as well. Katie Whitbeck finished second in the 100 and 200 freestyle and anchored the second-place 200 medley relay team in the LSU meet, and Alison Templin touched in third in the 500 freestyle in each of the first two meets and second in the 1000 freestyle behind Carr last week.

Against North Texas, the Razorbacks have been unrelenting, winning all five of the teams’ dual meets, the last one a 210-90 drubbing in 2007. Arkansas has never swum against Colorado State or New Mexico State in a dual meet.

The swimmers will take to the starting blocks at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning at the Pohl Recreation Center on the University of North Texas campus. For updated results and complete coverage of Razorbacks swimming and diving, log onto ArkansasRazorbacks.com.