SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Drury's storied swimming & diving programs open the 2020-21 season this weekend when they host Lindenwood in the Breech Pool on the DU campus. The dual starts Friday at 4:30 pm and continues with a Saturday session at 9 am, followed by the final session at 4 pm. The event is closed to spectators.
 
The Drury women's squad will have large voids to fill from a team that was in second place and only four points out of first at the NCAA-II national championship when the event was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Marshfield product Bailee Nunn completed her historic career last season with 14 national championships. Two-time GLVC Swimmer of the Year Erica Dahlgren moved on to graduation, and Tori Sopp, who placed in multiple events at the national championships, chose not to return to the squad in '20-21.
 
Head coach Brian Reynolds, who will enter his 38th season as the head coach at Drury, knew he'd have a lot of talent to replace but says that the ongoing COVID situation has thrown an additional wrench into the start of their season.
 
"Our kids have done a very good job so far, but we've had between eight and ten quarantined because of COVID, and that's had them out for about a month," Reynolds said. "Missing that much time has really affected their training, and we're having to play catch-up." 
 
Among the returners is Laura Pareja, a junior from Spain. She is the reigning league champ in the 100 Back and was an All-American two seasons ago. Reynolds also expects junior distance swimmer Allison Weber to continue to develop. The native of Marshall, Missouri, was a GLVC runner-up in two events last season.
 
The Drury men's team has most of their team back from a squad that was in fifth-place at the national championship when the competition stopped.
 
"We had a lot of kids experience the national meet for the first time last year, and I think that experience is going to help us," said Reynolds. "That group learned that you have to eliminate your mistakes in the morning preliminary heats…that's the difference between not scoring that night or being stuck in a slower consolation heat where it's harder to pick up points."
 
Reynolds believes his men's squad has the depth to be national contenders in all five relays and features a blend of upperclassmen and newcomers.
 
Among Drury's top returners is junior Nathan Bighetti. The native of Brazil won two individual events at last year's GLVC championships and was the nation's top seed in the 200 Back.
 
"We've got a blend of some younger swimmers that should develop along with some talent at the top," he stated. "That's a formula that has the potential to get us back on track at nationals."
 
So far, the men's squad has had fewer issues with the coronavirus pandemic keeping their training on schedule through the preseason.