LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State swimming and diving teams will have a split squad competing this weekend. The Aggie swimmers are headed to Houston, Texas, for the UH Phill Hansen Invitational while the divers are headed west for the Lumberjack Diving Invitational.
 
"This invite is important for several reasons and will be a great challenge for our team," head coach Rick Pratt said. "This is the same three day format as our WAC Championship meet and will help our swimmers prepare for that. It is also a great meet to see where we are at in the middle of the year with a little rest. This field of ten teams is going to make it a highly competitive meet and it will be important for our athletes to handle that environment. This is a key event to help us prepare for WAC at the end of the year, that's what we're working for and it should be an exciting weekend."
 
The Phill Hansen Invitational will begin at 9 a.m. (MT) every day beginning with prelims and will follow up with finals for each event that day starting at 5 p.m.
 
Friday's session will begin with the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free and 1 meter diving  prelims and end with a 400 medley relay. Saturday's schedule will begin with prelims for the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back and 3 meter diving. Saturday's finals will begin with a 200 medley relay and end with the 800 free relay. The final day of competition will open with the prelims for the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 1,650 free followed by platform diving while the finals will end with the 400 free relay.
 
Live results for all three days at the UH Phill Hansen Invitational can be found by clicking here.
 
Meanwhile, the NM State divers led by diving coach Miranda King will be competing in Flagstaff, Ariz., at the Lumberjack Diving Invitational. The Aggies will open Friday with the 1m springboard and finish with the platform in the evening. On Saturday, NM State will conclude the weekend with 3m springboard.
 
"This is an important meet for the divers," King said. "This is their first time being on platform this season as well as competing on it. It is also our first of three trips to NAU and will give the girls a feel for the boards and platform before our dual meet in December as well as help get them ready for our Zone qualifying meet in March. The format of this meet is set up with prelims and finals just like WAC so there are several different factors that make this meet important and I am excited to see how the girls do."