Denver Releases 2015-16 Schedule

DENVER – The University of Denver swimming and diving team will be put to the test this season with seven home meets and 10 away meets, according to the 2015-16 schedule, which was released by DU head coach Brian Schrader today.

“This schedule suits our team very well. We will definitely be challenged with having a few Top 25 programs on the schedule and our regional rivalries will serve us well,” Schrader said. “Our fall schedule always starts with Denver Relays – a great way to start a season with a lot of racing and athletes swimming a lot of events and strokes.”

Following the Denver Relays, the women’s team will travel to Fort Collins to face Colorado State University on Oct. 16, while the men’s team will be in Laramie, Wyo. to compete against the University of Wyoming on the same day.

The women’s team will host the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. at El Pomar. The diving team is set to begin at noon that day.

“Nebraska-Omaha will be here over Homecoming weekend with their women’s squad—I anticipate them being one of the most improved teams in the Summit League, and it will be great to have an event for Homecoming weekend,” said Schrader.

Both teams will travel to Lawrence, Kan. from Oct. 23-24 for a two day competition against the University of Kansas (W) and Missouri State University (M/W).

The men’s squad will begin the month of November in California as they compete against UC Santa Cruz on Friday, Nov. 6, followed by a trip to Stockton, Calif. to face the University of the Pacific the next day. The women’s team is set to host Air Force on Nov. 7 at noon.

December will start with a three day tournament in Iowa City, Iowa as both teams will participate in the Hawkeye Invitational.

The Pioneers will then travel to Coronado, Calif. for their annual training trip before the start of the New Year.

“When we return from the holidays we will have one of our toughest home dual meet schedules and challenges we have seen,” said Schrader. “We will start out with a good rivalry meet with Wyoming in early January, and then host Big Ten powerhouse Minnesota (M/W) and MPSF Champion BYU (M/W) as well in a two day quad dual.”

The women will travel to Boise, Idaho on Jan. 23 to compete against Top 25 Boise State before both the men’s and women’s teams host Utah on Jan. 29 for senior day. The men will also have a one day sprint eliminator meet at Air Force on Jan. 30.

The month of February begins with the Pioneer divers (M/W) competing in the AFA Diving Invitational on Feb. 5-6, also in Colorado Springs.

The men’s and women’s teams will then take part in the Summit League Championships from Feb. 17-20 in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Pioneers will host the DU Pentathlon/Time Trials at 3 p.m. on Feb. 25 for all of the athletes trying to qualify for postseason competitions.

“We will peak and taper for Summit League Championships to qualify as many men and women for NCAA Championships as possible, and hopefully bring home two more team championships there,” added Schrader.

The DU diving team will being its postseason in early March, as they head to Flagstaff, Ariz. from March 8-10 for the NCAA Championship.

The American Short Course Championships (M/W) are being hosted in Austin, Texas from March 5-7. The DU women’s team will begin their NCAA Championship weekend from March 17-19 in Atlanta, Ga., while the men’s team will compete in their NCAA Tournament the following weekend (Mar. 24-26), also in Atlanta.

Schrader is also excited for the opportunity to potentially have some student athletes qualify for the 2016 Olympic Trials, as the 2016 Olympics are scheduled to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next summer.

“We have set a goal to have more Olympic Trials qualifiers competing at the US Olympic Trials than we did in 2012, when we had 10 total,” Schrader said. “We also have a few international student athletes that have very legitimate chances to perhaps represent their home countries in Rio this year—so we have a lot of competitive team and individual opportunities to set the bar high.”

Swimming news courtesy of Denver Swimming & Diving.