By
Lindsey Manroel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona men take blocks at 2001 NCAA Championships
After a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Pacific 10 Conference Championship meet, the Arizona men's swim team has been given one more chance to prove itself among the country's elite. UA will travel today to the 2001 NCAA Championships, which are being held in College Station, Texas.
For head coach Frank Busch, a top finish is within reach.
"I'd be disappointed if we didn't finish in the top 10," Busch said. "You never know how the other teams are going to perform, so it's hard to predict where we'll finish."
No. 7 Arizona will be sending nine swimmers and two divers to the 78th- annual event. Among those Wildcats to compete are seniors Ben Anderson, Scott Gaskins and Jay Schryver, as well as junior Tyler Johnson and sophomore Jeff Dash.
In the first season of their Wildcat careers, freshmen Eric la Fleur and Juan Veloz will be representing Arizona on the starting blocks.
Junior divers Omar Ojeda and Ruben Vaca each secured themselves a position at the championships after a stellar performance at the 2001 Zone E Diving Championships.
After sweeping all three events at the Pac-10 Championships, Ojeda once again proved to be a top diver in the country, bringing home a first-place finish on both the one- and three-meter events.
Vaca cleaned up where Ojeda left off, taking the meet's top spot in the platform event.
Busch said the success of the divers is necessary for a high finish.
"They are going to play a huge role in this meet," he said. "I think that they both know it and are very excited. The divers will play a huge role in the point total."
Arizona - who spent all of last night shaving and resting for the championship - is anticipating a strong performance.
"The guys have been training really hard and have spent a lot of the season tired," Schryver said. "But once we start resting, we are a whole other team."
The Wildcats understand what it takes to succeed, and their third place 2000 NCAA Championship performance indicates that.
Although the Wildcats are not contending for a top-three finish, Busch has just one goal - for each member to perform his personal best.
"It would be great to finish in the top 10 and see our kids swim at their best times," he said. "To step up and be competitive hasn't been a problem in the past, and I don't see it being a problem here."
The men will take the starting blocks today, with the meet's final round concluding Saturday.
