Miami University men’s swimming and diving team merges new talent and experienced veterans this year as it prepares for the 2012-2013 season.

The ’Hawks start the new season with the Red & White Intrasquad Saturday. The team has been divided into a Red and White team for the meet.

“The teams are pretty evenly balanced,” Head Coach Pete Lindsay said. “I’m expecting to see some good racing.”

The Red and White Intrasquad will allow new members of the team to experience a collegiate-style meet before they start the official season.

“We’re looking for guys to fight,” senior co-captain Ian Joyce said. “We’re looking for guys to learn how to race.”

Five seniors lead this year’s squad.

Senior co-captain Anderson Whipp is confident the team cohesion will encourage his teammates to word hard.

“The team has really come together,” Whipp said. “They believe in the ideals that these senior leaders put together.”

Over winter break, the RedHawks travel to The United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Col. to train intensely and to continue to build team unity.

“We get to eat diets of Olympians and perform in that kind of environment,” Whipp said.

The high-level training will help the ’Hawks to compete against Mid-American Conference (MAC) rival Eastern Michigan University. They will also face strong programs including the Ohio State University and the University at Buffalo.

Lindsay is convinced the emerging talent from new swimmers and returning swimmers will contribute to the team’s success.

“Some of the sophomores are bigger and stronger than they were last year and the upper classmen are focused,” Lindsay said. “Also, the talent that is showing up in the [freshman class] has got some of the upperclassmen excited about what is going to happen.”

Freshmen Davis Staley and Chris Deeter are already finishing with top times in their events, and sophomore Joe Baumgartner is expected to have another stand-out season this year.

The RedHawks expect to compete with strong breaststroke swimmers including Anderson Whipp, junior Jonathan Profitt, junior Will Olson and freshman Evan Bader.

“We have a strong breaststroke fleet,” Whipp said. “We are all top contenders in the MAC for our breaststroke events.”

A talented group of backstroke swimmers are led by Joyce and include Staley, junior Sam Flessner, junior Mike Kline and freshman Sean Neri.

“Four of the five of us guys could possibly break the 200-meter backstroke varsity record this year,” Joyce said. “So we have a really good group of core guys who are close in ability for backstroke and breaststroke.”

Despite their talent, the RedHawks will face many challenging opponents, especially in the MAC, where the team finished fifth out of seven teams last year.

The men’s swimming and diving team kick off the season 10 a.m. Saturday at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatics Center with the Red & White Intrasquad.