Nov. 30, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
After four weeks away from the competitive setting, the Illinois State swimmers and divers are rested and back on the road to compete in the 2006 SummaCare Invitational held in Akron, Ohio. Reigning as the 2005 champions of the invite, the Redbirds will enter the water of the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium with high hopes, starting competition this Friday.
The invitational, which will continue through Sunday, will feature 10 women's teams. Illinois State will have to edge out nine other competing teams (including host Akron, Clarion, Duquesne, Xavier, Ohio, Buffalo, Bloomsburg, Shippensburg and UC Davis) to walk away as champions for the second consecutive year. Head coach Steve Paska is eager to have the team competing again, but knows the competition will be intense.
"There is quality competition from top to bottom this weekend," said Paska. "Every competing team has some exceptionally fast swimmers on their roster. We have to be competitive as possible to walk away as champions again this year, which I think we have a very good chance at doing."
Each day of competition will consist of prelims in the morning and final-round events taking place in the evening. The first race is set to begin at 11 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Subsequent events will continue in the evening beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, while the final events will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Paska recognizes this particular invitational requires swimmers to do well every morning in order to swim in a higher-ranked heat during the final rounds each evening.
"It all comes down to the old cliché-we have to take this invitational one day at a time," Paska said. "We have to concentrate on Friday and not what lies ahead of us on Sunday. I sincerely believe the team that does come out victorious this weekend, will be the team that is able to take it one day at a time and does well during the prelims each morning."
The competition will also include divers from various participating teams.
