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.
Head coach Frank Busch, named 2004 NCAA Coach of the Year at last week's women's championships, will lead the team in the championships.
Last time out, the UA men placed third at the Pacific 10 Conference Championships in Long Beach, Calif. Two Wildcats posted individual NCAA automatic times at that meet ÷ Ferns in the 50 free and Veloz in the 200 fly. The 400 free relay team of Ferns, La Fleur, Jeffers and Burnett also notched an NCAA automatic time, taking second in the event.
The championships begin today at 10 a.m. MST and end Saturday.