INDIANAPOLIS - After a lengthy winter of training, the IUPUI men's and women's swimming and diving teams will open the second half of their schedule on Friday night (Jan. 8) when they welcome Ball State and Xavier to the Natatorium for a three-team meet. Friday's meet is expected to begin at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

After staying in Indianapolis to train for the first time in Head Coach Matt Bos' coaching tenure, the Jaguars are excited to be back in the water for competition. This marks the first of four meets the Jaguars are expected to host over the next eight weeks, culminating in hosting the four-day Summit League Championships on Feb. 17-20.

"We're dealing with some injuries so we're thin on numbers on both the men's and women's sides, but I think the kids are excited to compete and hopefully post some times," Bos said. "Both teams have been training hard."

Junior Lennart Kuester has remained reliable for the Jaguars, ranking among the league's best sprinters as he's third in The Summit in the 100 free (44.72) and fifth in the 50 free (20.72). Sophomore Aaron Brysch is also looking to build on a strong first half, ranking sixth in the league in the 100 back (50.71) and eighth in the 50 free (21.14).

Freshmen Ben Levart and David Sweezer sit among the league's top distance swimmers, having gone 9:36 and 9:39.65 in the 1000 freestyle, respectively. Sophomore Jon Stoller has showcased versatility, ranking among the league's top 10 in the 100 breaststroke (55.53), 200 breaststroke (2:00.73), 200 IM (1:51.79) and 400 IM (4:02.33).

The women's squad has been keyed by junior Maranda Buha and freshman Allison Cicero, both of whom rank among the league's top 10 in three different events this season. Buha, who's battled injuries throughout the season, is second in the 100 fly (55.66), fifth in the 50 free (23.61) and seventh in the 100 free (51.52). Cicero is seventh in the 200 IM (2:06.39), 400 IM (4:28.14) and mile (17:36.66). Classmate Jordyn Harrison has also showed promise in the distance events, ranking among the league's best in the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyles.

True freshman Krisztian Somhegyi has been the men's top diver in first half of the season, including a league-best six-dive score of 318.40 off the 3-meter board in a dual meet at Cincinnati on Oct. 30. He's second in the league off the 1-meter board, having scored 293.65 at the Indiana Intercollegiates. Fellow freshman Mitch Mastey ranks second in the league off the 3-meter board while Erik Romer is among the top-10 off both boards.

Junior Melissa Berger has been the women's team's top diver, ranking third in the league off both boards, posting both of her top marks at the Dec. 5 EMU Invitational. Berger scored 256.06 off the 1-meter board while tallying 272.75 off the 3-meter board. Junior Bailey Wills is sixth in the league in the 1-meter and seventh off the 3-meter.

A full recap and results of Friday's meet will be posted to IUPUIJags.com afterwards.