Christmas Invitational Psych Sheet
CLEVELAND - With cold winds and blustery conditions hounding the Mississippi Delta, coach Brian Hein and the Delta State University Swimming & Diving teams began the process of gearing up for the annual Christmas Invitational on Wednesday. The annual winter classic will run from Saturday through Monday and features some of the top teams in NCAA Division II with three teams from NCAA Division I tossed into the mix this year.
"We're excited to get back into the pool," stated Hein. "We haven't competed since Nov. 21 and our team is ready to get back at it. The six teams competing this weekend are very talented and I believe we'll see some amazing times at this year's event."
The Lady Statesmen, ranked No. 12 in the latest CollegeSwimming.com Top 25, will have their hands full this weekend. No. 8 Tampa, No. 14 Incarnate Word, and three NCAA Division I teams - Arkansas-Little Rock, Rice, and New Orleans - dot the roster of teams competing.
"The women's draw will be very deep and impressive," added Hein. "Incarnate Word and Tampa will be coming in rested and prepared and the three DI teams will also bring a wealth of ability into the pool."
On the men's side, the Statesmen enter the annual event ranked No. 12 in CollegeSwimming.com Top 25 Poll. Joining DSU at this year's Christmas Invitational is No. 3 Incarnate Word and No. 13 Tampa. New Orleans, a member of NCAA Division I, will also be competing at the three day invitational.
The annual Christmas Invitational features prelims each day at 10 a.m. with finals set for 6 p.m. Results, photos and video highlights will be available each day here on GoStatesmen.com.