MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragon swimming and diving team will open the 2011 portion of their season this Friday as they travel to Morris to face the University of Minnesota Morris at 6 p.m. The Dragons will return to Moorhead on Saturday to face the Cobbers at home at 1 p.m.

The team last competed on Dec. 3-4 at the Mutual of Omaha Invitational where they took second place out of nine teams. The Dragons were led by Claire Caron in the first half of the season, where she narrowly missed two NCAA DII Championship 'B' cuts in the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard butterfly at the event.

MSU Moorhead will return to competition after training in Florida over winter break, where the team stepped up the intensity of their training to prepare for the rest of the season.

"The team really came together as a group and learned to depend on and trust each other while we were in Florida," Head Coach Todd Peters said. "Many of the swim work outs were more difficult than anything they had ever done before."

Peters said he expects great things from the captains at this time, as they were positive role models for the young team while they were training.

"Jessica Belden was named the team member of the week while we were on the trip," Peters said. "Her positive out look lead the team by example and her intensity and ability to train hard was shown at every practice."

Belden had a personal best in the 200-yard individual medley at the Mutual of Omaha as she swam the race in 2:17.26, placing third behind Caron who won the event.

Others to watch for according to Peters is Kylie Potter, Tiara Nelson and Maren Fruia. Potter put up her best numbers at the Mutual of Omaha Invitational while Nelson is swimming competition times during practice, which according to Peters is very rare. He also said Fruia has made some great strides during break and is swimming at her peak.

This weekend the Dragons are looking to see who comes out and swims their hardest, as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships is about one month away, on Feb. 10-12.

"We are limited to 18 scoring athletes at the upcoming conference meet," Peters said. "There are 28 athetes on the team, so the two meets this weekend will be used to decide who will be on the conference scoring team. The athletes that are on the bubble are being given the prime opportunities to prove themselves and we are hoping they will make our decision be a difficult one."