Three in the top 10 and seven in the top 25. This is what No. 2 Texas men’s swimming and diving is up against in the Southeastern Conference.
A stark contrast to the one Big 12 team, Arizona State, in the top 25, Texas has its hands full in its first year in the SEC. However, with a new look to the program, the Longhorns are well-suited to succeed in the competitive pool.
Apart from the headlining acquisition of legendary head coach Bob Bowman, the Longhorns welcomed several key transfers to bolster the program for this upcoming season. Junior Olympic gold medalist Hubert Kós followed Bowman from their former school, Arizona State, along with sophomore Rex Maurer from Stanford and fifth-year six-time NCAA Division II Champion Ben Sampson from Colorado Mesa.
Notable freshmen who have also begun their college careers on the Forty Acres are Olympic qualifier Aaron Shackell, top-ranked swimming recruits Kyle Peck and Cooper Lucas and diver Luke Forester.
On the other hand, Texas returns veteran experience with senior and Olympic bronze medalist Luke Hobson, junior former All-American diver Nick Harris and senior eight-time All-American David Johnston, who just returned from his redshirt season to train for the Olympics.
The revised roster has already impressed, as Texas began its SEC stint on Friday against No. 19 LSU in Baton Rouge. The Longhorns won 198-102 in a dominant display, setting nine LSU pool records with Kós and Maurer stealing the show.
However, it is an uphill battle for Texas, whose next SEC dual meet is against No. 7 Georgia on Dec. 18 in Austin. Key swimmers to watch for from the Bulldogs include graduate Jake Magahey, the reigning SEC champion for the 800-yard freestyle relay and redshirt senior Luca Urlando, the current NCAA record holder for the 100-yard backstroke. They pose a major threat in the diving events due to their deep roster, giving Texas diving coach Matt Scoggin a true challenge in deciding who will take to the water.
The Longhorns’ third SEC matchup and final dual meet is against No. 14 Texas A&M on Jan. 31 in Austin, and they will look to avenge their 119-143 loss last season in College Station. One major player for the Aggies is graduate student Alex Sanchez, who won the SEC title for the 200-meter breaststroke and will test Texas swimmers, such as sophomore Will Scholtz, who swim the same event.
From there, Texas goes into the SEC Championship in Athens, Georgia, beginning Feb. 18, where it will finally meet all of the top teams in the conference. No. 7 Georgia, No. 3 Florida and No. 8 Tennessee currently serve as the SEC’s other top 10 teams and will bring swimmers and divers to test Texas in its debut conference championship meet.
Nonetheless, Texas will be ready for this new chapter. With a revamped roster and coming off of a Big 12 Championship a season ago, it will look to carry over that mentality into becoming one of the SEC elites.
