UA softball to field a pair of its own Olympians against Team USA

It's as simple as red, white and blue: You can't spell USA softball without UA.

When the Olympic softball team comes to town today for tomorrow's game with No. 1 Arizona, USA and UA head coach Mike Candrea, along with USA's four former Wildcats, won't be the only UA players who have suited up for America.

A pair of freshman friends, center fielder Caitlin Lowe and shortstop Kristie Fox, played together the last two years on the USA Junior Olympic team. Their most recent action was at the Junior Women's Championships in October. [Read article]

One week after the UA women's swimming team took third place at nationals, the men will try to turn in a similar performance at the NCAA Championships this weekend.

The No. 9 Wildcats will take 11 swimmers and one diver to the event, held in the Nassau County Aquatic Center on Long Island, N.Y.

The UA group of seniors Eric La Fleur, Juan Veloz and Greg Owen; juniors Byron Jeffers and Nate Stevens; sophomores Simon Burnett, Tyler DeBerry, Lyndon Ferns and Dave Rollins; and freshman Adam Ritter will participate in 28 swimming events and five relays. Senior Josh Anderson will be the lone Wildcat diver participating. [Read article]

The Mike Maynard Wildcat Combined Events wrapped up yesterday at Drachman Stadium, with a pair of Wildcats competing in the final day of the heptathlon.

Junior Amanda Underwood and freshman Lexie Viggiano participated for the UA. Fellow heptathlete Jessica Corkill was unable to compete because of personal reasons.

The field was composed of 15 men and 13 women from Arizona State, Kansas State, Oregon and South Dakota, as well as several unattached athletes. [Read article]

The Associated Press named Arizona sophomore basketball stars Shawntinice Polk and Andre Iguodala honorable mention All-Americans this week, while three Wildcats also received all-academic nods from the Pac-10.

Polk, a 6-foot-5 center from Hanford, Calif., received the same honor last season, after a stellar freshman campaign that saw her average 17.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game en route to being named Pacific 10 Conference Freshman of the Year. Polk followed suit in her second season, averaging 16.6 points, 10.3 boards and more than two blocks per game while leading the Wildcat women's squad to a share of the Pac-10 regular season title and a 24-9 overall mark. [Read article]

Men's hoops Sweet 16 matchups

St. Joseph's vs. Wake Forest

Today, 8 p.m. MST

My cousin, who goes to St. Joe's, is always complaining about how they get no respect. They're getting it now, thanks mainly to Naismith winner Jameer Nelson's 33 and 24 points, respectively, in the first two rounds. Even if Wake superfrosh Chris Paul and Nelson can cancel each other out, the Hawks' other 3-point gunners, Delonte West and Pat Carroll, can pick up the slack. [Read article]