JON HELGASON/Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior swimmer Jeff Dash takes a breath during a race earlier this season in a home meet against USC. The Arizona swim teams head to Long Beach, Calif. for the Pac-10 Championships this weekend, while the dive teams play host to the Pac-10 Championships at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.

The tournament season begins in full force today for the Arizona swimming and diving teams. The Pacific 10 Conference Women's Championships will start in Long Beach, Calif., while the Pac-10 Diving Championships will get underway in Tucson.

The Arizona women's team heads to Long Beach riding high with back-to-back wins against national contenders.

The Wildcats (7-2 overall, 3-2 Pac-10) defeated then-No. 2 Texas 185-166 to begin the month of February, then rolled over No. 7 Arizona State two weeks ago in Tempe, reinforcing their status as one of the nation's elite swim teams.

UA is one of five Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation, a group that includes No. 4 Cal and undefeated No. 1 Stanford.

The Bay Area schools handed a shorthanded Wildcat squad their only two dual-meet losses of the season in January, and this weekend's action gives the Arizona women an opportunity to showcase their talent on a bigger stage.

"I just want to race my hardest, make season bests," freshman Artemis Daphnis said. "Get into the spirit, and how it's going to be at the NCAAs."

Representing Stanford and California will be some of the finest women swimmers in the nation. Leading the pack will be Cal's sophomore standout Natalie Coughlin. Coughlin leads the nation in seven events over three different strokes, and holds the world record in both the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes.

Stanford brings more of a balanced attack to the Pac-10 table, with three of the country's top individual swimmers coming to Long Beach. Senior Jessica Foschi leads the Pac-10 in both the 500- and 1650-yard distance freestyle events, and is the reigning conference champion in both categories.

Sophomore Tara Kirk currently holds the nation's top time in the 100-yard breaststroke, and senior Shelly Ripple is among the top contenders in both the backstroke and butterfly events.

With six schools in the conference expected to compete in Austin, Texas, the Arizona swimmers will be watching their competitors closely over the weekend.

"Everyone knows the strongest conference as far as women's swimming is concerned is the Pac-10," says junior backstroker Beth Botsford. "And we're right at the top."

Arizona, led by two-time Pac-10 Diving Coach of the Year Michele Mitchell-Rocha, plays host to the diving championship for the first time in six years. The Wildcats enter the meet to the prohibitive favorite, based largely on the success of the men's team, which is undefeated in Pac-10 competition this year.

"Our men's team right now is the best team I've seen," says Mitchell-Rocha. "Their results will be very strong."

For the Arizona men, defending Pac-10 diver of the year Omar Ojeda will lead the way, alongside fellow senior Ruben Vaca and sophomore Josh Anderson. In conference meets this season, the Wildcat men have swept the top three spots in all but one event.

"I think that it's about consistency. If we can do what we've been doing in practice, we have a good chance this weekend," Ojeda said.

For the women, the competition will be more balanced. USC freshman Blythe Hartley and senior Kellie Brennan are national title contenders, as is Ashlee Rosenthal of Stanford. However, all six schools in the competition can be expected to make a run for the title.

"We're trying to win, just like any other team," UCLA diver Heidi Prosser says. "We want to defend our (2001 Pac-10) title."

For Arizona, sophomore and Olympian Claire Febvay will be counted on to score crucial points as the Wildcat women struggle to unseat the Bruins, as well as prepare for the rest of the diving season.

The diving competition runs through Saturday. Action starts at 10 a.m. all three days at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.