Divers head to Calif. for Trojan Invite


By Allison Hamila
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Tuesday, November 10, 2005

The Arizona diving teams will compete in the Trojan Invite at Southern California's McDonald's Swim Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

The event will consist of both 1-meter and 3m competition, along with tower diving.

"This is a good warm-up for the divers to see what their competition will be like in the Pac-10," said Arizona diving head coach Michele Mitchell-Rocha.

Mitchell-Rocha said she is expecting good results from all the divers going, particularly seniors John Collier and Tiffany Manning.

"None of the kids are too injury-plagued right now, but some kids have been ill," she said.

Manning said she's looking to do well at the invite despite being ill for the past two weeks. She is also coming off a dislocated shoulder, which forced her to redshirt last season.

"I am just trying to build my strength back," she said. "This will be the first time that I will be doing tower in competition since I hurt myself."

Manning said that she is not expecting to win but that she is using the event to take a glance at her Pacific 10 Conference competition.

Collier won both the 1m and 3m events when the Arizona men faced Wisconsin at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center on Oct. 28.

This event is an opportunity for the Wildcats to size up their competition in host USC, which will compete in Tucson Nov. 18.