This coming weekend will bring the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Swimming and Diving Championships to El Pomar Natatorium where DU will host the Division I championship meet.

The meet will run from Thursday to Saturday and will see seven different schools competing.

There will be three men’s teams and seven women’s teams.

Of the schools competing Denver’s biggest threats will be Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic.

DU has had several swimmers and divers on both the men’s and women’s team be awarded the SBC Performer of the Week honors.

Most recently were Craig Jollands and Nathan West for men’s swimming, Karen Iverson and Kelsey Totura for women’s swimming, Aaron Feight for men’s diving and Hannah Duckett for women’s diving.

DU’s team is excited about the championships being brought to Denver.

Totura, a member of the women’s swim team, said, “I think that it’s definitely going to be cool to have the home pool advantage. It’s going to be a fun meet.”

Jollands said, “I am very excited to have the meet at our home pool and at altitude.”

He added, “We train at altitude and that will give us a little bit of an advantage over the other teams that will struggle a little when they get here.”

Both Totura and Jollands also commented on their hopes of having a big home crowd and emphasized how important it is for the home community to show support at the championship meet.

Head Coach Jim Henry also felt that hosting the championship will give the DU community a chance to observe the quality and talent of the athletes on the swimming and diving team.

Henry said, “The biggest thing that I’m excited about is that it gives an opportunity for our kids, our administration and our fans to see the championship first hand.”

He also said, “It is a great opportunity to showcase to the community where we are, where we come from and it is a chance for us to compete for the best.”

Totura added, “It is not just benefiting the swim and dive team, it is benefiting the University of Denver to host a Division I championship.”

The women will have competition from four more squads than the men.

The University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Florida International, New Orleans and North Texas will also compete against the DU women.