Huskers Begin Season with Intrasquad Meet

The University of Nebraska swimming and diving team kicks off the 2005-06 season on Friday, Sept. 30, with an intrasquad Red-White Scrimmage. The Red squad will take on the White squad at the Devaney Center Pool at <?xml:namespace prefix="st1"?>4 p.m. Admission to the Red-White Meet is free and open to the public.

Head coach Pablo Morales enters his fifth season at the helm of the Husker program and is returning 21 letterwinners from last season's squad that endured one of the most successful regular seasons in school history with an 8-1 dual record. The team then went on to improve to third place at the 2005 Big 12 Championships.

"To improve every year is obviously very satisfying, and it creates momentum into this season," said Head Coach Pablo Morales. "It allows people to see our progress and that we are established a track record of success. When you improve every year, it shows that you are program that is going to continue growing to the highest level."

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The Huskers have went through nearly two months of fall practice and are anxious to see their strengths and weaknesses in the earliest point of their season.

Nebraska welcomes a new head diving coach to the team this fall in two-time former Olympian Natalia Chikina.  A native of Kazakhstan, Chikina was a standout diver at the University of Southern California, earning NCAA All-American honors in 1997 and 1998.

Nebraska opens the regular season on Friday, Oct. 14 at the Big 12 Relays in Columbia, Mo. The annual Alumni Meet is next Saturday, Oct. 8. The time has yet to be determined.