Five Things to Know: Time to pick up the pace in Texas

MADISON, Wis. – After being out of action for two weeks, the Badgers have headed south to take part in the Texas Invitational.

The four-day event began Wednesday and will continue through Saturday, featuring some of the top programs in the country. Here are five things to know as the Badgers prepare for their toughest test yet.

HUNGRY FOR A CHALLENGE

Wisconsin head coach Whitney Hite is a nice guy, but you wouldn't be able to tell that by looking at his team's schedule. Hite has scheduled one of the toughest schedules in the country for the Badgers. Wisconsin has faced a tough test in each week this season, having competed against five Top 25 opponents in five weeks.

The Texas Invitational is no different.

"This meet challenges us mentally and physically," Hite said. "That's what we're here for, the challenge. This team is hungry for it."

EVERYTHING IS BIG IN TEXAS

The Texas Invitational marks the biggest test of the season to date. The event brings together some of the nation's top programs, including Texas (No. 2 women's team, No. 9 men's team), Stanford (No. 1, No. 7), and UCLA (No. 25 women's).

"There are plenty of challenges here, but we welcome that. These are great teams, and they're at their best," Hite said. "Our focus is to be great at Big Tens and NCAAs, and these teams give us an idea of what we'll be up against when we get to that point."

OPPOSING SWIMMERS, MEET BEATA NELSON

Sophomore standout Beata Nelson has been sensational to open the season, claiming 12 individual victories over the course of six meets. Now, she has the opportunity to take things to another level.

She started things with a bang Wednesday with her leadoff in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Her 200 free marked the third fastest time in the history of Wisconsin swimming (1:45.48).

"She's off to a great start. We've had a lot of great 200 freestylers in the history of our program, and she has the potential to be the best," Hite said. "That's really saying something because 200 free isn't her best event."

THE FEARSOME FOURSOME

The quartet of Jess Unicomb, Marissa Berg, Nelson and Emmy Sehman has raced to victory in the women's 200 medley relay at every meet this season. Their flawless run will be put to the test at the Texas Invitational — something Hite is looking forward to.

"There are a lot of teams here that are shaved and tapered, so this will be a great test for that group," Hite said. "I'm not necessarily counting on them to continue that streak, but this will be an opportunity to see how they stack up against the best of the best.

"That group can make some noise for us at NCAAs, and they're just going to keep getting better."

IT DOESN'T STOP HERE

All year, Hite has been looking forward to the Texas Invitational as an opportunity to see how the Badgers stack up against some of the nation's top programs. The wait is over.

"This is a really good meet for us," he said. "We get to see where we are, and where we can still improve. We're learning a lot about our team at this meet."

University of Wisconsin Athletics

Five Things to Know: Time to pick up the pace in Texas

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