Seven Home Meets Highlight 2014-15 Swimming and Diving Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
| 10/4 | Intrasquad | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 10/13 | UNO | Omaha, Neb. |
| 10/24-25 | Denver/Missouri St. | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 11/1 | TCU/North Dakota | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 11/8 | Illinois | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 11/21-23 | Kansas Classic | Topeka, Kan. |
| 12/4-6 | USA Nationals (Swim) | Greensboro, N.C. |
| 12/4-6 | UT Invite (Dive) | Austin, Texas |
| 12/6 | Jayhawk Open | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 1/10 | UCLA/San Diego | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1/24 | William Jewell/Truman St. | Liberty, Mo. |
| 1/31 | Arkansas | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 2/6-7 | Iowa State | Lawrence, Kan. |
| 2/25-28 | Big 12 Championship | Austin, Texas |
| 3/5-7 | Zone Diving | Iowa City, Iowa |
| 3/19-21 | NCAA Championship | Greensboro, N.C. |
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The third annual Kansas Classic, four double-duals, and a two-day meet against longtime rival Iowa State highlight the 2014-15 Kansas women’s swimming and diving regular season schedule.
Looking to close the gap on last year’s second-place finish to Texas at the Big 12 Championships and qualify more swimmers for the NCAA meet, the Jayhawks will open the 2014-15 season with its annual intrasquad meet (Oct. 4). The exhibition will allow fans to get a sneak peek at the progress returners have made and the new talent in Robinson Natatorium.
Despite an abundance of home events – a total of seven, not including nearby swims in Topeka and Liberty, Mo. – the Jayhawks will open the season on the road in Omaha against Nebraska-Omaha on Oct. 13.
Kansas then hosts three home meets, welcoming Denver and Missouri State (Oct. 24-25) as well as its first meet against Big 12 foe TCU and Western Athletic Conference member North Dakota (Nov. 1). The Jayhawks close the homestand against Illinois on Nov. 8.
During several of KU’s scheduled swims, opposing teams will bring their men’s squad, giving local swimmers – both male and female – a chance to watch collegiate swimming.
“Where we are, swimming is a big thing whether it’s in Topeka, Lawrence or Kansas City,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “NCAA Division I is the fastest league in the sport. We have no NFL or NBA, this is it. For so many club swimmers and high school swimmers, the end goal is to swim in college.”
The third annual Kansas Classic (Nov. 21-23) will host five teams at Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka in a three-day, championship-style meet. The team will be able to taper mid-season to get an idea of what February could be like.
“The way we look at our season, dual meets are like quizzes,” Campbell said. “In November and December we have ‘midterm exams.’ The Kansas Classic is our midterm exam. It’s a fun weekend and we get to see where they are with the type of training they’ve done up to that point and make adjustments going forward into February.”
The swimmers and divers will split up in December as those with qualifying times head to the USA Winter Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. (Dec. 4-6), divers travel to Austin, Texas for the UT Invitational (Dec. 4-6), and the rest of the squad hosts the Jayhawk Open in Robinson Natatorium on Dec. 6. Those traveling to USA Winter Nationals will get a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships which will also be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
Before heading out to Hawaii for a week-long winter training trip, the Jayhawks will compete in a double-dual against UCLA and San Diego in Los Angeles on Jan. 10.
Meets with William Jewell and Truman State (Jan. 24) and another with Arkansas (Jan. 31) bridge the gap to a regular season showdown against Big 12 rival Iowa State in a two-day dual (Feb. 6-7). The home finale will follow the same time frame as the Big 12 Championships, giving the team a feel for what it is like to compete at those times.
“Three weeks later they go to Big 12s and they end up doing a much better job because the time doesn’t throw them off kilter,” Campbell explained, “They have gained the experience from the Iowa State dual.”
The Jayhawks travel to Austin, Texas for the Big 12 Championships Feb. 25-28. The team placed second in the 2013-14 season, the highest finish in program history. The goal for the 2014-15 season is to close the gap between the Texas, who finished with 1,109.5 points, followed by Kansas with 617.
The Jayhawks also hope to qualify more swimmers for the NCAA Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Mar. 19-21. Last year, Chelsie Miller represented the team, swimming in three events, the 200- and 400-yard individual medley as well as the 1,650 freestyle. In the 400-yard individual medley she swam a final time of 4:10.55, placing 15th and receiving All-America honors.
“Last year we made history at Big 12s and finished the highest we’ve ever done. The one to beat in our conference is Texas, this year we want to put more points on the board and close the gap by 100 points. We want to get as many Jayhawk caps as we can to Greensboro and improve our national finish.”
All Kansas home meets are held at Robinson Natatorium on KU’s campus and are free of charge.
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