On a beautiful spring-like night, Division II launched its first winter sports festival as more than 1,000 student-athletes celebrated at Houston’s Downtown Aquarium.

As the festival opened Tuesday night, student-athletes were treated to a night of salsa dancing, some of the world’s most exotic fish and even a tiger exhibit. Add in an abundance of good food, and Division II’s signature event was off to an excellent start.

Throughout the week, student-athletes from indoor track and field, swimming and diving, and wrestling will compete for five national championships at the University of Houston. It will be the fourth championships festival for Division II, following previous festivals in Orlando, Florida, in 2005; Pensacola, Florida, in 2007; and Houston in 2008.

NCAA Senior Vice President Joni Comstock issued a warm welcome to the large throng of student-athletes, whose numbers exceeded expectations due to record numbers of swimming qualifiers.

The student-athletes also heard from three-time NCAA heptathlon champion Jolanda Jones, now a Houston city councilwoman.

Jones, who won an NCAA Top VI Award in 1989 while at the University of Houston, empathized with how Division II student-athletes often toil in anonymity. “Lots of times, you don’t get the recognition you deserve,” she said, adding her understanding of how hard it is for athletes to achieve the balance that’s needed to become a champion. But she said that the student-athletes who were present Tuesday night had set themselves apart by reaching the pinnacle of Division II competition.

“There might be people out there who have more talent than you,” she said, “but they didn’t know how to balance.”

Competition actually began Tuesday with diving qualifying. Swimming and diving finals will be contested Wednesday in the men’s and women’s 1,000-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley relay and women’s three-meter diving.

“This festival is a little different than the previous ones in that all five championships are individual-team sports, rather than team sports like volleyball or softball,” said Division II Vice President Mike Racy. “The makeup of the student-athletes also is different. There may be more diversity than at any previous festival, and this is the first one where the number of male student-athletes has outnumbered females. So the overall feel for this festival is unique, which is good.”

None of that mattered much to the student-athletes themselves, who dedicated themselves Tuesday night to having a good time.

Today, the hard work of earning national championships begins.