CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Freshman Robert Cheseret (47) leads the UA into action this weekend at the Pac-10 Cross-Country championships in Pullman, Wash.

Cross-country heads to WSU for Pac-10 Championships

Both Arizona cross country teams travel to Pullman, Wash., tomorrow to compete in the Pacific 10 Conference Championships

Washington State plays host to this year's championships, to be held at the Washington State University Golf Course.

"This is going to be a tough challenge for our teams. It's an unusual Pac-10 Championships because of the location," said UA head coach James Li. "We've always been used to Stanford, where it's always been good weather. It will be an interesting challenge with the tough course and the weather."

The men will run an 8,000-meter race ÷ set to begin at 1 p.m. ÷ while the women's 6,000 meters will immediately follow at 2.

Leading the men's team into action is freshman runner Robert Cheseret, who placed first in the team's first two races this season.

"Robert could definitely be someone that will challenge for the Pac-10 title," Li said.

The men's championship race will feature five of the country's top 30 teams. Three ranked teams highlight the women's competition, while the rest of the competition will put up a strong fight.

Stanford sits atop both the men's and women's national poll.

"This is one of the best conferences in the nation," Li said. "It is going to be a tough meet to run in."

Last time out, the UA men used the NCAA Pre-Nationals to make a big jump in the polls. After a fifth-place finish, the Wildcats propelled themselves to a No. 14 ranking in the MONDO rankings. The Wildcat women finished 19th at the NCAA Pre-Nationals.

Swim and dive hits pool at home against Badgers

The No. 6 Arizona women's swimming and diving team and the No. 16 Arizona men's squad are set to open the 2003-04 season at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center today. The Wildcats will face the No. 11 Wisconsin men's team and the No. 10 women's team at 2 p.m.

The Wisconsin men's team finished the 2002-03 season with a 10-2 overall record, 3-1 in the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships and 13th at the NCAA Championships.

On the women's side, the 10th-ranked Badgers finished with a 12-1 record, 5-0 in the Big Ten. They finished second in the Big Ten Championships and 12th at the national championship meet.

Wisconsin made a big splash to start the 2003-04 season on Oct. 25, as the Badgers posted a 172-116 victory over Iowa.

The men also started the season off on a good note, setting two pool records in the 400 medley and 200 freestyle relay.

Last year's campaign brought the Wildcats an individual NCAA Champion, the establishment of six new school records and two individual Pac-10 records. Under head coach Frank Busch, the Wildcat women have now placed in the top ten at the NCAA's for 13 straight years, while their male counterparts have finished no lower than tenth for six consecutive years.

The men carried 12 All-American first team and honorable mention selections while the Wildcat women garnered a whopping 18 All-American first team and 11 All-American honorable mention nominations.