FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After a successful 2016-17 season, Nova Southeastern University second- year head coach Ben Hewitt is ready to begin the 2017-18 campaign, set to open with the Shark Invite on Friday, October 13 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
 
Last season was considered one of the most successful in program history as the Sharks won the Sunshine State Conference Championship on both sides, and crowned four national champions in Anton Lobanov (two championships), Franco Lupoli and Emma Wahlstrom. Both teams also recorded their highest-ever finishes at the national championship. The men placed third while the women tied their highest mark from 2015 by collecting fourth overall.
 
Despite losing only 10 swimmers from a year ago, the Sharks have reloaded with 28 newcomers - 12 on the men's side and 16 on the women's side, respectively.
 
NSU will start the season by hosting the Shark Invite on October 13-14. The men placed second behind Division I powerhouse Florida last fall, while the women claimed third behind Florida and Miami. This year's invite includes a number of premiere programs who have placed among the Top-10 in past national championships: Carson-Newman, Florida Southern, Indian River State College, Indianapolis, Keiser, West Florida and Wingate.

"I feel we are giving our athletes the chance to go up against some of the best competition in the nation, even outside of Division II," said Hewitt. "I think the level of competition on our schedule will prepare our team for the intense championship season in February and March. I'm excited for the season and can't wait to get started."

"While we hosted the Shark Invite last year in the form of the All-Florida Invitational, we knew that was going to be a one-year event so we set out to retool it to give it a new focus and flavor," Hewitt added. "The result is a three-session invite featuring some of the best Division II programs in the country, along with NJCAA Champions Indian River and upstart Keiser, whose men finished third at the NAIA Championships in only their first year as a program."
 
Following the year's opening meet, the Sharks will then travel to Melbourne, Florida to compete in the Division II Showcase, hosted by Florida Tech from October 20-21. This competition is set to be nearly as high-profile as the Shark Invite, as NSU will face Florida Southern, Florida Tech and Drury, who finished as the national runner-up on both sides in 2017.  
 
After two weeks off, the Sharks will make their SSC debut with a road, dual meet against Rollins on November 4. Six days later, the Sharks will return back home to square off against Indian River State College on November 10.
 
"Indian River will be one of the toughest dual meets this season," Hewitt said. "Their men's team has won 43 straight NJCAA Championships and the women are coming off their 39th overall NJCAA Championship."
 
The women's team will follow with a matchup against Lynn (Nov. 17) before both sides host an SSC dual-match versus Tampa on December 2. The Spartans ended the season in the Top-20 a year ago and consistently prove to be a tough opponent for the Sharks. Two weeks later, the Sharks will close out the 2017 calendar year in Clearwater, Florida at the Spartan Invitational from December 15-18. The women's team won the competition this past December, while the men claimed third.
 
Hewitt and company will open the New Year by hosting a tri-meet against William Jewell and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions (GLIAC) Grand Valley State on January 2. Grand Valley State swept the GLIAC Championship and saw its men's program finish fifth and women's program finish 11^th at nationals in 2017. Midway through the month, the Sharks will then travel to Lakeland to face Florida Southern in a battle of Top-5 NCAA finishers on January 13.
 
The final road meet for the women's team will be a dual competition versus Division I Florida International on January 20. The Lady Panthers have captured the Conference USA Championship three years in a row. One week later, the Sharks will conclude the regular season at the NSU Aquatic Complex by welcoming Keiser on Senior Day.
 
The Sharks will look to defend their 2017 SSC title when the 2018 conference meet runs from February 22 through February 25 in Clearwater. The men's team currently sits just one championship away from tying Florida Southern for the most in SSC history with four, while the women's fourth would set the new mark for most all-time among league members. 
 
Beginning on March 14, NSU will then compete for the NCAA Division II National Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. To be eligible, the Sharks must hit the national qualifying standards, whether provisional or automatic in their events.
 
To stay up-to-date with the Sharks, follow them on Twitter @NSU_Swim.
 
To view the full 2017-18 swim schedule, CLICK HERE.