FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Following yet another successful year in the postseason, the Nova Southeastern swim teams are eager to kick off 2019-20, beginning on Sept. 27 at the NSU Aquatic Center.
 
The men's swim team earned its third-straight Sunshine State Conference crown in 2019, while the women's team earned their third Top-5 finish at the Div. II NCAA National Championships in as many years.
 
"I'm very excited for the upcoming campaign," boasted head coach Ben Hewitt. "We've made some strategic changes to our schedule that will provide us with some outstanding competition within the conference but also nationally. I'm most looking forward to taking our team up to Charlotte this year for the Fall Frenzy to swim again some high-level competition like Queens, Gardner-Webb, Wingate and more.  We'll also be welcoming the Florida Gators (defending SEC Champions) to campus in a few weeks to take on our men's team which will give us a unique opportunity against some athletes with world class experience."
 
NSU will start the season in the friendly confines of the NSU Aquatic Center on Sept. 27, with both teams swimming against Indian River State College and the men welcoming the NCAA Div. I Florida Gators to make it a tri-meet on their side.
 
The next weekend, the Sharks will hit the road to open up Sunshine State Conference competition, swimming at Rollins on Oct. 4 before heading over to Melbourne, Fla. to take on host Florida Tech the next day.
 
Taking a break from SSC action, Nova Southeastern will return to Fort Lauderdale to host its annual Shark Invitational. Both teams finished in first place in 2018, and will have to top Florida Southern, Lynn, Florida Tech, SCAD and Keiser to earn the same finish this year.   
 
The Sharks will compete in a pair of SSC meets on Oct. 25 and Nov. 9 against Lynn and Tampa, respectively, with the dual meet against SSC foe Tampa serving as Nova Southeastern's homecoming meet.
 
"This year will be the first-year we swim on Homecoming Saturday in a few years as we welcome back our alumni base for the 10th season of competition in NSU Swimming history and compete against the Spartans," explained Hewitt. "An alumni meet will follow. I think our schedule will provide a competitive balance and we've timed out our championship meets in an effort to improve our peak performance."
 
Two weeks later, the teams will travel to Charlotte, N.C. to compete in the Fall Frenzy hosted by Queens College Nov. 22-24.
 
Following the Fall Frenzy, NSU will head down to Miami to swim against another Div. I opponent, Florida International on Dec. 17.
 
After the holidays, the Sharks will welcome powerhouse West Chester to the NSU Aquatic Complex on Jan. 10. The Golden Rams women's team finished in third-place at the 2019 NCAA Div. II Championships, with Georgia Wright leading the way with three individual national crowns in the 500 freestyle, 1,000 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle.
 
The final SSC matchup will come the next day on Jan. 11, as NSU heads up to Lakeland, Fla. to swim against Florida Southern. Both teams finished third at the SSC Championships, and the Sharks topped the Mocs in the regular season.
 
The last dual meet of the year will be at the NSU Aquatic Center against Keiser on Jan. 18, where the teams will honor their seniors prior to the contest.
 
Championship season will begin on Feb. 13 as the Sharks will head to Clearwater, Fla. to swim in the 2020 SSC Championships. Beginning on March 11, NSU will then compete for the NCAA Division II National Championship in Geneva, Ohio. To be eligible, the Sharks must hit the national qualifying standards, whether provisional or automatic in their events.
 
To stay up-to-date with the Sharks, follow them on Twitter @NSU_Swim.