Tucson, Ariz.—The official start of the meet season for the University of Hawai'i swimming and diving team will begin with a tri-match against host University of Arizona and the University of Denver on Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26.
 
Keep an eye one
 
All-Americans Phoebe Hines and Kāne Follows return to bolster teams looking to repeat as MPSF champions. Hines led the country throughout most of her junior year as the premier long-distance swimmer, later claiming her All-America status in the 1650 Free. Follows in some aspects was a pleasant surprise as he finished seventh in the NCAA championships for the 200 backstroke. Follows showed growth throughout the year, but came on strong in the MPSF Championships and the NCAAs.
 
Both Hines and Follows will play important parts in their designated relay teams. As UH continues to build its reputation as a national contender in the NCAA Championships, the key remains the growth of the relay squads. The 2018-19 campaign provided the first sign of turning a corner for UH as the men competed in the 200-medley relay and the 400-medley relay.
 
Familiar Names Looking to Step Up 
 
Senior Olli Kokko enters his senior year healthy and is aiming to start off strong in the tri-match. Kokko competed in the NCAA championships each of the last two seasons even when he had to deal with nagging injuries. He continues to be the top breaststroke swimmer for UH, and much like Follows, he'll play a role with the relay teams.
 
Junior Karolina Hajkova came on the scene last year in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, building her way towards an NCAA Championship appearance as a sophomore. Her performance this weekend could be another stepping stone in what her junior campaign could potentially provide.
 
Quotes from Head Coach Elliot Ptasnik
 
Mindset Going into First Meet
"A lot of it is gaining racing experience, ranging from our incoming freshmen to our experienced upperclassmen. We want them in their main events going up against high-level teams. We want them out there racing; from this point on, we're about being improvement driven, rather than just being results or fast times driven. This weekend will be our benchmark for the rest of the season. "
 
Taking on Expectations
"As our team gets better, our expectations rise, it's why we scheduled this meet against Arizona and Denver, two excellent programs. In the past, our meets at the beginning of the year may not have been at a high caliber. As our team gets better, we want to race better programs. We will have a challenge this weekend, and we want that challenge. "