Kansas to get quick look at Big 12's TCU in midweek dual

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas swimming and diving still has four months to make adjustments before the Big 12 Championship, but head coach Clark Campbell is hoping to see what kind of tweaks his team can make in just four days when it returns to Robinson Natatorium against Big 12 foe TCU Thursday afternoon. Kansas’ second dual meet of the season, and second swim against outside competition in less than a week, will start at 2 p.m. and be televised throughout the state on the Jayhawk Television Network and to a national audience on ESPN3.
 
Thursday’s meet will provide the Jayhawks a rapid review of progress following a double dual sweep of Missouri State and North Dakota last weekend and is the next step in following up a historic showing at last year’s Big 12 Championships, where it finished second and registered the program’s most points in Big 12 history.
 
“We want to be better than we were last weekend,” Campbell said. “It’s not a really high hurdle. We swam okay against Missouri State and North Dakota, but I think we can have a better performance against TCU. The team gets really excited for Big 12 competition.
 
“A lot of it is just mindset. When that first real competition happens, it’s really about what goes on between the ears – that’s what you can clean up. We talk about it all the time, making sure that your self-talk is something that’s uplifting and is stuff that builds you up instead of tears you down. That’s where the biggest jump is.”
 
Positive self-talk shouldn’t be difficult for a Kansas team hoping to replicate its 178-119 victory over TCU in Fort Worth last year. The Jayhawks won 12 of 14 races, including 10 victories in individual events. Winners of seven of those 10 individual events will be in the pool on Thursday. But Campbell sees a different Horned Frogs squad across the lane line.  
 
“They’re a complete different team,” Campbell said of TCU. “They’ve participated in some very low-key competitions and I’m sure we haven’t seen anything of what they’re capable of. They have a lot of motivation to come up here and and do what we did last year to them, so we’re going to have to be on our game and not waste any opportunities. It’ll be a highly competitive meet, a fun and fast meet, and we’re expecting our team to be better than they were last weekend.”
 
Sophomore individual medley and backstroke specialist, Madison Straight – who hails from Fort Worth –  won two individual events in last year’s dual and is fresh off another two-win performance at the double dual against Missouri State and North Dakota. She was joined by freshman Haley Downey as KU’s individual multi-event winners of the meet.
 
Thursday’s competition will consist of 16 events, including one- and three-meter diving competition. All home meets in Robinson Natatorium are free and open to the public, but Jayhawk fans who can’t attend can watch via the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN 3 produced by Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. Leif Lisec will call the action for the third consecutive year along with former Kansas men’s swimmer Brad Wells, with former diver Lori Arndt serving as diving analyst.
 
“We’re so appreciative of being able to swim on television,” Campbell said. “So few teams have that opportunity and we’re able to showcase our program nation-wide. We want to go in there and have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and show everyone how exciting Kansas swimming and diving is.”

Due to class being in session Thursday afternoon, fans are encouraged to park in the Allen Fieldhouse garage (for an hourly fee) across the lawn to the west of Robinson Natatorium or in metered parking along Sunnyside Avenue north of the Robinson Center. 
 
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