What the SEC promises for men’s swimming and diving in Texas – The Daily Texan

Three in the top 10 and seven in the top 25. That’s what the No. 2 Texas men’s swimming and diving team has to contend with in the Southeastern Conference.

In stark contrast to the only Big 12 team, Arizona State, in the Top 25, Texas has its hands full in its first year in the SEC. However, with a new look to the program, the Longhorns are well positioned to thrive in the competitive pool.

Aside from the headlining acquisition of legendary head coach Bob Bowman, the Longhorns welcomed several key transfers to strengthen the program for the upcoming season. Junior Olympian Hubert Kós followed Bowman from her former school, Arizona State, along with sophomore Rex Maurer of Stanford and six-time NCAA Division II champion fifth-year Ben Sampson of Colorado Mesa.

Notable freshmen who also began their college careers at Forty Acres include Olympic qualifier Aaron Shackell, senior swimming recruits Kyle Peck and Cooper Lucas, and diver Luke Forester.

On the other hand, Texas brings back veteran experience with senior and Olympic bronze medalist Luke Hobson, former junior All-American diver Nick Harris and senior 8-time All-American David Johnston, fresh off his redshirt season returned to train for the Olympics.

The revamped roster has already impressed as Texas began its SEC campaign against No. 19 LSU on Friday in Baton Rouge. The Longhorns won 198-102 in a dominant performance and set nine LSU pool records, with Kós and Maurer stealing the show.

However, it’s an uphill battle for Texas, whose next SEC dual meet is Dec. 18 in Austin against No. 7 Georgia. Key Bulldogs swimmers to watch include graduate Jake Magahey, the reigning SEC champion in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and redshirt senior Luca Urlando, the current NCAA record holder in the 100-yard dash -Backstroke. They pose a major threat in the diving competitions due to their deep roster, which presents a real challenge for Texas diving coach Matt Scoggin when deciding who goes into the water.

The Longhorns’ third SEC match and final dual meet is Jan. 31 in Austin against No. 14 Texas A&M, and they will look to avenge their 119-143 loss last season in College Station. A key player for the Aggies is graduate student Alex Sanchez, who won the SEC title in the 200-meter breaststroke and will test Texas swimmers like sophomore Will Scholtz, who swims the same event.

From there, Texas heads to the SEC Championship in Athens, Georgia, starting February 18, where it will ultimately face all of the conference’s top teams. No. 7 Georgia, No. 3 Florida and No. 8 Tennessee are currently the SEC’s other top 10 teams and will bring swimmers and divers to test Texas in its first conference championship meet.

Still, Texas will be ready for this new chapter. With a revamped roster and coming off a Big 12 championship a season ago, they will look to adopt that mentality and become one of the SEC’s elite.