Swimming & Diving returns to action in the FIU Sprint Invite

Will Duval | Sports Director

The swimming and diving team is opening up the new year by hosting the FIU Sprint Invite, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 in Miami, Florida.

As their two previous events were canceled due to inclement weather, this meet marks the Panthers’ first outing since Nov. 17, 2023 at the Mizzou Invitational. Over three-days of competing, they placed third overall among nine participating teams.

In the third and final day of the competition, senior Christie Chue took home a first-place finish in the 200 breast A-Final. Her 2:08.95 time marked the 19th best time in the NCAA this season.

After placing first overall at the invitational, she was named American Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 21, 2023.

Following Chue’s performance and their third-place outing at the Mizzou Invitational, FIU was set to host the Marshall Herd in a dual-meet on Dec. 15, 2023. Due to inclement weather, their meet with Marshall and following event were both canceled. 

Originally, FIU was supposed to host the 2023 Open Water Championship on Dec. 17, 2023 but unforeseen circumstances forced the tournament to be canceled. 

Two days prior to the tournament, the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America released a statement on X regarding the cancellation. They cited “unprecedented weather” and potentially unsafe conditions as their reasoning, then expressed disappointment.

With both of their previous events getting abruptly halted, the FIU Sprint Invite is the team’s first taste of competition in nearly a month and a half.

Spanning two-days long, the invitational features a schedule of 22-events and a unique style of scoring. For the 50-yard races, they will use a tournament-style of scoring, meaning there will be three preliminary rounds and a head-to-head final round.

Including the Panthers, 10 teams will participate over the two-day event, with Alabama and UMass only fielding divers on the second day. Besides them, Barry, BYU, Concordia, Mary Washington, Penn West, Northern Ohio and South Dakota are all participating on both days.

Looking to make a splash in a new year, the swimming and diving team is hosting the FIU Sprint Invite on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2023. The meet is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Center in Miami, Florida.

Follow Will Duval on X: @WillDuval40