The Bloomsburg men and women’s swim teams will be preparing for their weekend long invitational hosted by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks. 

The first day of the John A. Pidgeon Memorial Invitational will begin Friday at 5:00 p.m., while the second day of competition will start at 9:00 a.m.

This meet will be of great importance, as for both teams the event will act as an opportunity to better their records and to hone their skills for the culmination of their season at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Meet on Wednesday, Feb. 19 through Saturday, Feb. 22. 

In this meet the Husky men will only be competing against the Crimson Hawks.

 The Bloomsburg men’s team has an overall record of 5-3 and a 3-1 conference record. They boast a 4-1 record at home, an away record of 1-1 and a neutral record of 0-1. Their last meet was a loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions who beat the Huskies 120.5-73.5. 

This meet was a non-conference meet however, and will not affect the men’s standing within their division. 

Their competitors, the Crimson Hawks, have a losing overall record of 1-4. They sit at a 1-1 record at home, a 0-3 record away and have not swam any meets at a neutral setting. 

The Crimson Hawks also sport a two-meet losing streak. The Hawks resulted in a loss to the Clarion Golden Eagles, with a final score of 165-110. Their only win this season was in Nov. against Saint Vincent in a decisive victory of 108.5-89.5.

The men have a great chance to continue their domination this season and be able to overcome the competitor, hopefully scoring a win before their PSAC Championship. 

The women’s team will be preparing for a tri-meet at the tournament against the hosting Crimson Hawks and the Lock Haven University Bald Eagles. 

The Huskies have been hot this year, sporting an impressive six-meet win streak and 6-2 overall record. This season the Huskies have been a force to be reckoned with at home, boasting a 5-0 record. 

They sit at a 4-1 record within their division and share with the men an away record of 1-1 and neutral 0-1. The last meet for the women was a resounding victory over East Stroudsburg University at home. They bested their opponents 115-78. 

The hosting Indiana University Crimson Hawks women’s team has an overall record of 2-3 this season. They have shown they are more proficient at home this season, sporting a record of 2-0 at home this season.

The Huskies will have to come prepared as they face a team that has yet to lose at home. A loss against Clarion University’s Golden Eagles was the last meet that the Crimson Hawks competed in. 

They lost on the road against the Golden Eagles with a final score of 173.5-112.5. 

The Crimson Hawks were also able to score a victory against Saint Vincent with a score of 133-70. They also managed to best the Golden Knights from Gannon University, where they reached a final score of 124-80.

The Bald Eagles from Lock Haven University have had a less than proficient season. They are on a four-meet losing streak and currently have an overall record of 1-4. Having yet to compete in a conference meet, the Bald Eagles have a home record of 0-3, an away record of 1-1, and a neutral record of 0-0. 

Their last meet resulted in a loss to the Golden Bears of Kutztown University, where they lost on the road 142-106. The only victory awarded to this season was against the Millersville University Marauders in the season opener 141-93.

Although their competition may be more difficult than the men’s team, the women should be poised off their impressive win streak and be able to emerge victorious from their competition. 

The next event scheduled for both the men and women’s team is the Senior Day Celebration. Hosted at home in the Steph Pettit Stadium; this celebration is held to honor the work and dedication of senior athletes. This event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8. 

This will be a nice break for the team before their season ending PSAC Championships. 

An especially stressful meet, the PSAC Championship is the culmination of all the season’s hard work and dedication. Athletes hope to swim their best time of the season.