The Pitt swimming and diving team is looking to make history.

The men’s team is striving for… The Pitt swimming and diving team is looking to make history.

The men’s team is striving for a seventh Big East Championship, while the women are hoping to finish in the top three in the Big East as well as the top 25 or 30 in the country.

A lot of leadership and a hunger to get better bring the team into its season Friday night with the Blue-Gold Intrasquad Invitational.

This is the first year in a while that Pitt has combined the men’s and women’s programs.

“That brings an extra flavor to [the sport],” head coach Chuck Knoles said.

Key returning swimmers for the women’s team include Emily Colley, Carolyne Savini, Ryan Redman, Jenny Livingstone and Kelli Tielking.

Last year, Redman, who is a junior this year, set a Blue-Gold meet record in 50-meter butterfly with a time of 27.58 seconds. In 2000, Redman also set meet records in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter breaststroke.

“They have been the most successful girls on the team in some time,” Knoles said, acknowledging that these girls have great leadership qualities.

This year’s captains are Savini, Livingstone and Lacey Hlavka. Last year, Savini set school records in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:01.74 and 2:02.25 in the 200-meter individual medley.

Redman also set a school record last year with a time of 1:02.94 in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Returning top swimmers for the men are Adam Webber, Ken Shelhorse, Eric Limkemann and Mike Grube.

Shelhorse set two meet records in 2001, finishing the 200-meter backstroke in 1:50.21 and the 200-meter individual medley in 1:54.50. Limkemann, who holds the meet record in the 500-meter freestyle, set a Blue-Gold record with a time of 9:28.58 in the 1000-meter freestyle last year.

These four know what it feels like to win a Big East Championship and Knoles feels they’ll be able to step up and help out the team this year.

The men’s captains are Grube and Limkemann. Grube set a team record at the Big East championship last season in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 43.69 seconds.

Limkemann also set team records in 500-, 1000- and 1650-meter freestyle.

In addition to their swimming, Knoles helps his team gain a little Pitt spirit. Each swimmer turns in a handwritten list of all the team records, and each is responsible for singing the Alma Mater. He makes sure his team knows what it means to represent Pitt.

“I’m very impressed so far with their attitudes,” Knoles said about the team as a whole. “They’re the hardest working group of athletes in my 13 years of coaching at Pitt.”

With 14 freshmen on both the women’s and men’s teams, Knoles is certain the teams will succeed.

“A contagious attitude has spread already,” he said, admitting that he feels there is a lot of dedication and leadership trickling down to some of the new swimmers.

Friday’s meet is important for the swimmers because it’s their selection meet to determine who will be competing in each of the events for their upcoming meet in Washington on Oct. 19.

The Panthers can be seen in action Friday at 4 p.m. at Trees Hall.