PREVIEW: Swim & Dive Begins Season at UNCW

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Tennessee swimming & diving kicks off its 2023-24 season on Friday with an exhibition dual meet at UNC Wilmington.

The meet will begin with diving at 2 p.m. at the David B. Allen Natatorium followed by the swimming portion of the contest at 4 p.m. Friday's meet will not be scored, and there will not be a livestream. However, fans not able to attend can follow along utilizing Meet Mobile for live stats.

The dual with UNCW is a part of UT's five-day trip to Wilmington, North Carolina, and will be the third-consecutive year the two programs have met. Tennessee has swept the Seahawks the previous two seasons. Both the men's and women's teams boast unblemished records against UNC Wilmington all time, with eight and nine wins, respectively.

The trip will also include an open water race on Saturday at Wrightsville Beach.

UNC Wilmington kicked off their season last Friday, splitting a dual meet with South Carolina. The UNCW men narrowly defeated the Gamecocks, while the women dropped the first meet of the season. The Seahawks are the defending CAA Champions and captured their second-consecutive men's CAA crown last season while also becoming dual conference champions for the first time since 2006.

After this weekend, Tennessee will return home to host Louisville on Oct. 12 at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. and is free for fans to attend.

Here are some notables about the 2023-24 UT teams:

Two Olympians Featured on the Roster
Two Tennessee swimmers have already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. During the World Championships this past summer, Jordan Crooks and Mona McSharry both posted qualifying standards for the upcoming Olympics. McSharry will represent Ireland for the second consecutive Olympics, while Crooks will represent the Cayman Islands in his first appearance at the Summer Games.

Tennessee Returns Historic Level of Production
This season, UT has a combined 78 total SEC medals across the roster, leading all conference schools by at least 17. The Vols return 10 defending SEC champions, while the Lady Vols boast three. With SEC Swimmer of the Year Jordan Crooks and SEC Diver of the Year Bryden Hattie returning to Rocky Top this season, Tennessee is the first school to have the reigning SOTY and DOTY returning to campus to defend their crowns. Nick Stone, the reigning SEC Freshman Diver of the Year, is also back and solidifies one of the top men's diving groups in the country.

Vols and Lady Vols Boast Talented Group of Newcomers
In addition to a stout group of returners, Tennessee also brings in a loaded recruiting class to join the 2023-24 squad. The women's class was ranked fifth by SwimSwam, headlined by freshman additions Camille Spink, Sophie Brison and Emelie Fast along with Florida transfer Katie Mack. The men's class features freshman swimmer Nikoli Blackman and diver Jed Garner as well as two Power Five transfers in Aidan and Flynn Crisci.

Men's and Women's Squads Coming Off Historic NCAA Finish
Last season, both the Vols and Lady Vols tallied top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, the first time both teams have accomplished that feat in the same season. The men and women both return seven of eight point scorers from last season's seventh and eighth place squads, respectively. Jordan Crooks is the reigning NCAA Champion in the 50 free, while Brooklyn Douthwright (200 free), Bryden Hattie (platform) and Mona McSharry (100 breast) were all national runner-ups that are back again this year.

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Players Mentioned

Nikoli Blackman

Sophie Brison

Flynn Crisci

Jordan Crooks

Brooklyn Douthwright

Emelie Fast

Jed Garner

Bryden Hattie

Katie Mack

Mona McSharry

Camille Spink

Nick Stone

University of Tennessee Athletics