LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State swimming and diving team is returning to the pool.
 
The Aggies are set to travel to Tucson for a meet on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 12 p.m. (MT). NM State is set to take on Arizona and defending WAC champions Northern Arizona.
 
"Last week's decision by the state to allow our teams to travel could not of come at a better time for our team," said head coach Rick Pratt. "Our athletes have done an incredible job at practicing and being safe and it will be incredible not only for our moral, but also for our preparation for the WAC Champs in three weeks.  There have obviously been many challenges for everyone this year, but being an Aggie means facing those issues head on, and I think our team has become stronger despite them.  I can't tell you how fun it's going to be to compete, and it's a perfect meet to have against an excellent UA team, and the defending WAC Champs.  Most of our team hasn't competed in a meet for almost a year, and we're ready to step on the blocks, and boards to do that.  Our main goal is to get our competitive juices going again, but mainly it's going to be about having fun and owning the pool deck."  
 
Last season, the Aggies set two relay school records starting with Aimee Burton, Airam Oliva-Aun, Neza Kocijan and Natalia Villa swimming a 1:32.12 in the 200 Free Relay. Maude Boily-Dufour, Ashley Reynolds, Reagan Nentwich and Kocijan set the school record in the 200 Medley Relay on their way to a WAC Championship with a time of 1:39.94.
 
NM State also returns diver Italia Aranzabal who set the school record on the 3m (313.35) as a freshman. Aranzabal also competed at diving zones and the Mexican Olympic Trial.