“It’s always the best way [to start the season],” head coach Matt Gianiodis said. “Our alumni swim meet is the longest running event on campus during homecoming, outside of the football game. [Alumni] provides a lot of support for our team. It is more of a fun way to begin the year.”

Each year, an estimated 150-200 people attend the swim meet, including alumni, parents of alumni and current swimmers, general fans and friends and family.

The Alumni Meet will consist of MSU students and alumni only. Although this meet is more for the purpose of fun verses intense competition, swimming and diving will use this time to prepare themselves for their meet against Notre Dame on Oct. 3^.. Gianiodis thinks this meet will be tough.

“It’s a really early start for us. We didn’t have [Notre Dame] on the schedule last year so I wanted to get them on the schedule because we are so close,” Gianiodis said. “Our team has to approach that meet like they would any other of our Big Ten meets with expectations that the other team is very talented, deep and good.”

With over twenty freshmen on the team, the summer camps and practices leading up to the fall season are crucial in getting the younger athletes ready for Big Ten competition.

“I think we are prime to do well. I don’t know when it is going to click—for some of them it might take a year. Our expectations are always set high to individual and team achievements,” Gianiodis said. “My expectation is we are going to do really well.”

The men’s side consists only of two seniors: Kyle Workman and David Zoltowski.

Regarding the women’s side, “We have a strong group of seniors and we need the young kids to step up as fast as they can. How will they do? My hope is extremely well,” Gianiodis said.

Coaches thing the women will stand out in the breast stroke and diving, but where they lack is freestyle, since they lost some of their better women in that event last year. The men’s side succeeds in butterfly and backstroke, and with sophomore Brennan Labar as their head diver, the team should reach success this season.

“We will be bringing back a lot of Big Ten scores,” Gianiodis said.

In addition to Labar, seniors Shelby Lacy, Becca Berman and divers Cristee Cordes, Alison Menzies, and Taylor Forkertsma will lead the team.

“It’s a tough league and we will see how we do,” Giandiodis said. “I think we have a lot of experience. We will see how the younger [athletes] respond and how quickly they get acclimated with Big Ten competition.”