Jan. 4, 2012
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -
The Illinois State swimming team prepares for competition at the Copa Coqui Puerto Rico Invitational in San Juan, Thursday, Jan. 5, at 8 a.m. Central time. The Redbirds arrived in Puerto Rico late Monday night.
Along with Illinois State, the meet will host South Dakota, Bryant, Army, Connecticut and Southern Illinois. The meet differs from the majority of meets the swimmers have seen, as it will be measured in long-course meters instead of short-course yards.
"We have had two two-hour training sessions each day," head coach Steve Paska said. "The student-athletes are making a smooth transition into swimming with different measurements, and I am looking forward to seeing how they respond to the change in a meet setting."
The Redbirds are coming off almost a month without competition, with their last meet being the Zippy Invite in Akron, Ohio, in early December, where many personal and season best swims were recorded during the three-day competition. Freshman Valerie Jones led the team to a fourth-place finish at Akron, with three personal-best swims in the 1650-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle and the 400-yard IM. The competition also featured freshman Samantha Schuckles, who twice broke the school record in the 100-yard backstroke (56.37).
"The team is very excited to be a part of the 2012 Copa Coqui Invite. We are taking it one day at a time, as we also prepare for our home meet against Ball State," Paska said.
Last year, ISU's swimming and diving team traveled to Tempe, Ariz., for their winter trip. The Redbirds return to action for a home meet in Horton Pool Saturday, Jan. 14, at 1 p.m. against Ball State.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
