Swimming & Diving To Battle LSU Friday In Baton Rouge
Oct 29, 2009 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 29, 2009
Coach Guarriello's Comments Following Thursday's Practice
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University swimming and diving team returns to action on Friday, Oct. 30, when they travel to Baton Rouge, La., to take on the LSU Tigers at the LSU Natatorium.
Both teams enter the dual meet 0-2 on the year and hungry to pick up their first win of the 2009-10 season. The difference in the two teams is overall experience as LSU features a veteran club and has fielded a program since the 1977-78 season. The Green Wave, meanwhile, are in their first season back in the pool following a three-year layoff in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
"It's going to be a tough meet," Tulane head swimming and diving coach Lena Guarriello said. "They definitely have an established program. We matched up pretty evenly with them in 2006 but our youth is going to be very evident tomorrow. Our girls are going to get to race high-quality, SEC opponents and that's going to be a really great way to enter our next meet - the invitational at Houston where we're going to be racing girls from Michigan, girls from (Texas) A&M and some other big-time schools. This will be a good prep for that weekend."
Friday's meet marks the 13th time Tulane and LSU will meet in the pool and the Tigers own a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series. The last time the two teams squared of was back on Feb. 3, 2006, when LSU posted a 130-81 win in Baton Rouge, La.
While the competition marks the first time most of the Tulane team will face competition from the Southeastern Conference, one Green Wave swimmer has plenty of experience in the league as junior Kylie Kastes was a member of the Arkansas squad the previous two seasons.
A butterfly specialist from Palm Harbor, Fla., Kastes has been a leader to the young Tulane team both with her performance in the pool in competition and practices, as well as away from the natatorium.
"Kylie has been great," Guarriello said. "As far as her work ethic, she's one of the hardest workers in practice. She loves to win and she wants to win. She trains with an SEC mentality which is a great way to show the other swimmers that there's more to you than you think.
"She knows how to push herself to failure, which is where you have to go sometimes in order to improve. She really does show the other girls how to push their limits in practice and how to take one race at a time in competition. I think she's done a really great job as far as that is concerned. She should have a really good meet this weekend."
Other swimmers Guarriello said she is looking forward to see compete in Baton Rouge include freshmen Grace Tarka, Gisele Calderon and Rebekah Harris.
Tarka has been one of the most consistent performers for the Green Wave this fall, winning the 100 fly against New Orleans with a season-best showing of 58.28 and again at North Texas with a time of 59.89. Calderon and Harris, meanwhile, have been among the team's most improved swimmers in recent practices.
"Gisele Calderon has been awesome," Guarriello said. "She's a much improve swimmer. Her times don't necessarily reflect that right now because she's swimming and competing more tired than she ever has in her life. She's working harder now, she's added the weight program to her training regiment, and she's probably training a little more yardage than she has in the past.
"Rebekah Harris also has improved tremendously since she's been here. She is almost hitting her personal bests at every meet. She's right on top of the best she's ever swam and she's doing it tired."
Following the trip to LSU, the Green Wave return to action on Friday, Nov. 20, when they open play in Cougar Classic Fall Invitational in Houston at the CRWC Natatorium. The three-day event runs through Sunday, Nov. 22.
Players Mentioned
