2019-20 Schedule LAWRENCE, Kan.— The Kansas swimming and diving team released its 2019-20 schedule Tuesday as the Jayhawks look to continue upon their success from the previous season and prepare for the 2020 Olympics.
“This is such a big year because it is a Trial year,” Head coach Clark Campbell said. “Every four years swimming becomes the national forefront athletically. So, our schedule has to reflect that. It is all geared around doing well at Big 12s, NCAAs and then getting people to Omaha. This is going to be a long season but it’s a very exciting year.”
"Every four years swimming becomes the national forefront athletically. So, our schedule has to reflect that. It is all geared around doing well at Big 12s, NCAAs and then getting people to Omaha. This is going to be a long season but it’s a very exciting year."
Head coach Clark Campbell
Kansas will open up the season with the Open Water National Championship event at Lone Star Lake on September 14. This will be the fourth consecutive season where the Jayhawks begin their season with the 5,000-meter swim.
Kansas will begin their competitive season with the Sunflower Showdown on October 4. The event will take place at Topeka’s Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka, Kansas.
“We hope that the Sunflower Showdown with become an annual meet,” Campbell said. “This will be a showcase for all the schools that have swimming in Kansas. Right now we are the only Division I program in the state that has swimming, but there are other schools that sponsor both men and women. So, we felt that this would be a good way to get all the other state schools in one facility to let people race but also to let club swimmers see that there are other opportunities in-state other than KU.”
The Jayhawks follow up the Sunflower Showdown with their first home event of the season in a double-dual meet against South Dakota and Missouri State, Oct. 11-12, at Robinson Natatorium. KU will then hit the road to Fort Collins, Colorado for a faceoff with Colorado State on Oct. 26.
Kansas returns home to host former league member Nebraska, Nov. 9, inside Robinson Natatorium.
KU closes out the month with two separate invites for the swimmers and the divers. Swimmers will be competing in the annual Kansas Classic at Topeka’s Capitol Federal Natatorium (Nov. 22-24) while the divers will be competing at the Tiger Invite (Nov. 21-23) in Columbia, Missouri.
As the Jayhawks close out the fall semester, some will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in the Toyota U.S. Open as they prepare for the 2020 Olympic Trials.
“Trials will pretty much be the focus for most of the team once we are done with Big 12s and NCAAs,” Campbell said. “Swimming will be in the national limelight, so we know this is a special time. All the athletes get one shot at Trials in their college career, some may be lucky enough to have two. Right now Kate Steward is our qualifier in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke, so the hope is to add some teammates for Kate to Trials from this event.”
"Swimming will be in the national limelight, so we know this is a special time. All the athletes get one shot at Trials in their college career, some may be lucky enough to have two."
Head coach Clark Campbell
Kansas will open up the New Year in Tempe, Arizona where the Jayhawks will be competing against Arizona State on January 11. They will then return to Lawrence less than a week later to compete against William Jewell (Jan. 16) before hosting their final home meet of the season against Arkansas on February 1.
The team will close out their regular season with a dual-meet against conference rival Iowa State (Feb. 7-8).
The Big 12 Championship is set to take place the final week of February (26-29) in Morgantown, West Virginia. And for those who post qualifying times or scores to extend their seasons will be traveling to either Dallas, Texas, for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships (March 9-11) or Athens, Georgia, for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships (March 18-21).
Following the 2019-20 postseason events, the 2020 Olympic Trials are set to take place June 21-28 in Omaha, Nebraska.
All Kansas home meets – at Robinson Natatorium, Topeka’s Capitol Federal Natatorium and Lone Star Lake – are free and open to the public.
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