Nov. 16, 2006

CHAMPAIGN - Following a two-week break from competition, head coach Sue Novitsky's squad returns to the pool on Friday for the Texas A&M Reveille Invitational in College Station, Texas.

Rested and armed with improvements from training, Illinois attempts to continue its first-half progress.

"I'm pleased with how the team has come together and responded to the training and meet schedule," Novitsky said. "They have been improving with each competition and we have stayed relatively healthy in the fall."

The team's final meet of the fall season provides a preview for the end of the year at the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships.

Similarly the Reveille Invitational is a three-day meet that features top competition. Swimmers compete in morning preliminaries then the top 24 resume at night.

"This is our first three-day championship format event of the year, and I'm looking for them to compete with intensity and focus," Novitsky said. "It will be a test to see how the team competes through all six sessions. We are racing against three of the top 10 teams in the country, so it will be a very fast and deep meet."