The Arizona swim and dive team will host its first meet of the season today, when the Wisconsin Badgers visit Tucson for a duel in the desert at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.

Wisconsin comes in already having two meets under their belt so far this season, with impressive showings in each.

UA Head Coach Frank Busch said the Wildcats are anxious to start their season and get things underway.

"Wisconsin had a very good team and a strong program; the women were 10th in the country last year, and the men's team should prove to be slightly weaker this year because they just graduated some All-American swimmers," Busch said, who added that the Wildcats have never lost a meet to Wisconsin.

"The team is getting anxious to have a little competition," Busch said. "The swimmers are ready to do something different than just race each other."

Busch said that it is important for the swimmers to be competitive and do well at their first meet, but that the main goal of the team is to do well at NCAA Championships.

"Our goal this season is to swim well under any conditions, to be able to be competitive all the time," Busch said.

The Wildcats have not yet been in the pool competitively this season, but Wisconsin has had strong showings in its first two meets. The Badgers' men's team has won their two-day face-off against the Iowa Hawkeyes with a 209-138 victory and won 9 of 13 events in their first meet against other schools from Wisconsin.

Swimmers to keep an eye on for Wisconsin are Eric Wiesner, who took first in three events in the team's opening meet, and Tim Liebold, who swam well last weekend, taking first in three events in their last meet against Iowa.

On the women's side, the Badgers have also fared well, winning their meet against the Hawkeyes, 243-108, and sweeping their competition in their first meet as well.

Pacing the Badgers' women's team are Susan Johnson, who finished first in two events for the sweep, and Anna Trinidad, who has a streak of backstroke first-place finishes. Badger Carly Piper also scored a first-place finish against the Hawkeyes in the 500-meter freestyle.